This Week’s News
IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday April 12th, 2026
Updates from the IRTS
The May 16th HAREC exam at the Clayton Hotel Dublin Airport is now fully booked. Thanks to everyone who applied. We wish good luck to all candidates. Stay tuned to the IRTS news for details of the next exam sitting later this year.
After receiving additional nominations for committee positions beyond those published in the Spring edition of Echo Ireland newsletter, the IRTS is holding a paper ballot under Rule 24.1 of its constitution. The election will determine the 11 committee members. Members should have received a paper ballot by post. Please return it by post to arrive by next Friday, April 17th, 2026. Members who have not returned their ballot ahead of the AGM at 2 p.m. on Sunday, the 19th of April 2026 may place them in the ballot box at the AGM venue.
We look forward to seeing many of you in person and would like to extend our deepest appreciation to the Limerick Clare Amateur Radio Club for hosting this year's IRTS AGM, and to everyone who has contributed to the organising and logistics. Traditionally, each year's AGM is hosted by a member club on a voluntary basis, and we've been incredibly grateful for the clubs that have supported us throughout the years. Looking ahead, we're inviting clubs from across the country to volunteer to host next year's AGM, and we'll provide every possible support to make the logistics as smooth as we can. Please contact the IRTS Secretary via email to irts_secretary /at/ irts.ie if interested or to discuss further.
Updates from Limerick Clare Amateur Radio Club
Only another week to go and Limerick Clare Amateur Radio Club is looking forward to welcoming radio amateurs, short wave listeners, and those interested in amateur radio to Shannon, Co. Clare for the IRTS AGM Weekend on the 18th and 19th of April.
Join them on Saturday, April 18th, at the Shannon Aviation Museum, Eircode V14 PH34, to build and take home your own high-tech internet radio. All components, tools, and technical support are provided on the day for 20 limited participants. The club thanks Ei Electronics and the South East Technological University. A fee of 20 euro is payable to participate, and this must be paid in advance. A small number of places are still available and may be booked at limerickclareamateurradioclub.ie A series of presentations will take place in the Oakwood Hotel, Eircode V14 NH97, on Saturday after lunch, which everyone is encouraged to attend, including one by ComReg.
The IRTS Gala Dinner will be held on Saturday April 18th, and admission is by ticket only. Today, Sunday, April 12th is the last opportunity to purchase your ticket. Final numbers will be communicated to the hotel tomorrow, Monday April 13th. Those wishing to attend the gala dinner should contact the club treasurer at irtsgaladinner.2026 /at/ gmail.com today. Those who have ordered tickets are reminded that these must be paid for before they can be issued.
On Sunday April 19th, the club rally and monster draw will take place in the Oakwood Hotel with doors opening at 10.30 a.m. There are many prizes in the raffle, and the club would appreciate your support.
Finally, the IRTS 2026 AGM will take place on Sunday April 19th at 2.00 p.m. Entry to the AGM will be permitted to fully paid-up IRTS members and in line with previous practice, membership will be checked prior to entry.
Irish Elf DX Group Update
The Monaghan-based Irish Elf DX Group has extended its best wishes to all candidates standing for the IRTS committee. They look forward to seeing the committee move the society forward with vision and knowledge. The group expresses its support for committee nominee Reuben Forde, EI3JRB, and sends greetings to neighbouring operators at the Dundalk Club - specifically Pat Fitzpatrick, EI2HX, as well as members of Shannon Basin Radio Club who are also on the committee nominees list.
On the technical side, the group notes that their two-metre repeater EI2CYR, operating on 145.6125 MHz with a tone of 156.7 Hz, continues to serve as a vital link for operators in Cavan, Monaghan, and surrounding counties. Amateurs are encouraged to look out for the group's callsign, EI0IE, on all bands. For further information, the Irish Elf DX Group can be reached via email at irishelfdxgroup /at/ gmail.com
Updates from TOG Hackerspace
TOG Hackerspace will be travelling to Shannon for the IRTS AGM weekend, where members will have a table at the Sunday rally showcasing projects from the hackerspace and meeting radio friends from around the country. TOG members Daniel McDowell, EI8ICB, and Ana Canizares, EI5IXB, are among the nominees for the IRTS committee in the upcoming AGM, while Jeffrey Roe, EI7IRB, is standing for the role of President. TOG Hackerspace wishes them, and all of the candidates, the very best. A few TOG members also plan to be in Shannon on the Friday evening ahead of the AGM weekend to try their first Bunkers on the Air Ireland activation. The group hopes to activate the Shannon Airport defence artillery sites B/EI-0151 and B/EI-0152. Anyone who would like to join them for the activation is invited to get in touch with TOG in advance.
South Dublin Radio Club AGM on Tuesday 14th April
A reminder that South Dublin Radio Club will hold its Annual General Meeting next Tuesday, the 14th of April 2026 at 7.30 p.m. in Ballyroan Community Centre, Marian Road, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14. All paid-up members are encouraged to attend. The committee looks forward to welcoming members on the night.
Contest Updates
For CW enthusiasts, a major event is fast approaching. The CQMM DX Contest is set to take place next weekend, kicking off at 09:00 UTC on Saturday, April 18, and running until 23:59 UTC on Sunday, April 19. The exchange is quite simple: you send 599 plus your continent, which for Irish entrants will be EU. However, many participants will add a third letter to their exchange to signify their category. You will likely hear the letter M for members of the organising club, of which there are over 1,400 worldwide - as well as Q for QRP stations, Y for YL entrants, and C for multi-operator stations. Today, the CQMM DX stands as the sixth most popular CW contest in the world by log volume. The CWJF Group warmly invites all Irish operators to jump into the fray starting next Saturday morning. Visit cqmmdx.com for the full list of rules and scoring details.
The final UKIECC 80m contest in this 2025 to 2026 series takes place on Wednesday April 29th, 2026, at 20:00 UTC using CW.
Items for Inclusion in Next Week's Radio News
That is the news for this week. Thanks to everyone for sending items into the weekly IRTS radio news. They are very much appreciated and are a great way to update the rest of the community about activities. If you have any club events, activities, meetings, or other items of interest, you are very welcome to email the radio news editor Keith EI5IN via email to newsteam /at/ irts.ie with the details. The deadline each week is midnight on Thursdays. Items intended for inclusion in Echo Ireland, which is the IRTS quarterly journal, should be sent to echoireland /at/ irts.ie
[NEXT]
