Revised DXCC Fee Structure

Listeners who are involved in the DXCC programme will
be aware that there have been a number of
administrative difficulties with the programme in
recent months. In particular, there have been delays in
processing applications for DXCC credits at certain
times, for example after major contests and
DXpeditions.

In an effort to overcome these difficulties in the
future, ARRL has announced a new fee structure for
DXCC applications, one of the aims of the new
structure being to encourage frequent smaller
applications for DXCC credits. To achieve this, the
premium charged for second and subsequent applications
in each year will be dropped.

Later this year, ARRL plans to have an online system
for QSL card applications in place: while the cards
will still need to be checked by a field checker, it
will be possible to generate online the application
form to be submitted to the field checker; this, of
course, will greatly speed up the eventual processing
of the application, as the DXCC staff will not have to
perform the data entry.

IRTS 80th Anniversary AGM & Rally

The annual dinner of the IRTS takes place on Saturday
April 21st, with the Rally and AGM on the following
day. Dinner tickets are just €32, a reduction on
previous years and represents great value for this very
special dinner. B&B is €55 for single and a double is
€65. As dinner tickets and rooms are distributed on a
first come first served basis, you are encouraged and
advised to act now to avoid disappointment. The annual
rally, on Sunday April 22nd, will also have its
favourites and many new and novel exhibitors.

This is a must attend event in the 80th Anniversary
year of your national society. Full details of this
event are on the IRTS web site www.irts.ie

Dinner tickets can be bought now by contacting Thos
EI2JD on +35387-2953256 or email thoscaffrey@hotmail.com or by contacting any IRTS committee member.
The Fairways Hotel can be contacted on +35342 9321500 or
www.fairways.ie

Special Event Stations for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games

Some special event call-signs will be activated to celebrate the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games:

2O12L (Two Oscar One Two Lima) from London, England and
2O12W (Two Oscar One Two Wales) from Barry, Wales. The

Radio Society of Great Britain has been granted the 'Inspire mark' for these stations by the London 2012
Inspire programme. The London station, 2012L will be active through the duration of the Games, located at
the historic Eltham Palace, south-east London on 160m-2m, all modes. More information is available on
the website http://www.2O12L.com or contact the Press Officer, Mr. John Warburton G4IRN at press@2o12l.com.

Another Major Flare

Big sunspot AR1429 has unleashed another major flare--an X5-class eruption on March 7th at 00:28 UT.

As a result of the blast, a radiation storm is underway and a CME will likely hit Earth's magnetic field in a day or so.
Geomagnetic storms are already in progress at high latitudes due to earlier eruptions from the active sunspot.
Last night, auroras were spotted over several northern-tier US states including Michigan and Wisconsin.
Check http://spaceweather.com for updates and images also have a see this site http://halpha.nso.edu/movie_all_L.html.