Brendan Trophy Press Release - Award Application Rejected.

(More of that story at OK2KKW web page)

"The Brendan Trophies called after Brendan the Navigator were instituted in 1995 under the auspices of the Irish Radio Transmitters' Society when a group of amateurs from EI, GW and G secured the agreement of Waterford Glass to donate two inscribed Waterford Crystal Cut Glass Vases. The trophies are to be awarded to the first two stations to establish two-way communication across the Atlantic on the two-metre band. An application was made by e-mail on 17 June 2002 by Alexander Dutkewych N2PIG and Debra Dutkewych VA3PIG for the award of the trophies on the basis of "a full two-way exchange, across the Atlantic Ocean, on the Two Metre Amateur Radio Band". The applicants indicated that the claimed contact had taken place on 19 March 2002. The time was subsequently confirmed as being between 2215 and 2246 UTC. Alex's station was located at the Captain's Inn, Old Perlican, Avalon Peninsula, Newfoundland in QRA GN38lC. The station comprised an Icom 970A transceiver and a Command Technologies Linear running about 700 watts PEP to a nine-element yagi at an azimuth of 066 degrees true. Debra's station was located at Allaghee Mor, Ballinskelligs, Iveragh Peninsula, Co Kerry, Ireland in QRA IO41UT. The station comprised an Icom 910 H transceiver and a Linear Amp UK Discovery amplifier running 400 watts PEP to a nine-element yagi at an azimuth of 269 degrees true. The mode used was FSK441 (WSJT). The Irish Radio Transmitters' Society immediately set up an Awards Panel under the relevant Rules comprising Sean Nolan EI7CD, Chairman, Paul Martin EI2CA and Joe Fadden EI3IX. On 26 June the Awards Panel wrote to the applicants by e-mail indicating that while the application was received just within the three month time period prescribed by the Rules it did not set out clearly the evidence of a valid contact which was relied on to substantiate their claim nor did it contain precise details of the claimed contact or include the signed Declaration of Honesty required by the Rules. However, in the true spirit of amateur radio and since the applicants e-mail indicated that they were prepared to substantiate the claim by full elaboration of the events, the Awards Panel decided, as an exceptional matter, to accept the e-mail of 17 June as a provisional application. This was subject to the submission of a fully detailed claim, including all necessary evidence and the required signed Declaration of Honesty within six weeks of our letter of 26 June 2002. Despite two further e-mails from the Awards Panel nothing further was heard from the applicants by the time the six-week period expired on 6 August 2002. The full extensive documentation relating to the claim was finally received on 22 August 2002. The Awards Panel, having fully considered the matter decided thatThe application did not comply with the provisions of Rule 6 of the relevant Rules even as exceptionally applied in this case and accordingly could not be accepted as a valid application. Even if this were not the case the level of proof being provided was not sufficient. The awards panel had sympathy with the difficulties that the applicants indicated they had encountered with computer files and even allowed ample time for any possible recovery. The Panel, however, had to come to its decision objectively, based on the merits of the application as submitted. The Panel also appreciates the efforts that the applicants put into their experiments and realise the disappointment that the decision must have been to Debra and Alex. The Panel is also aware of a number of attempts by other experimenters and appreciates their efforts also. Many of these efforts are ongoing and we feel sure that before long the Brendan Trophies will find a home. ".......from the IRTS via EI7GL.