Archived News Script
IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday August 31st, 2025
IRTS Hamfest 2025
IRTS Hamfest 2025 takes place next weekend in Mullingar. An exciting and very wide array of radio equipment, stations, and related technologies are now lined up for this event on September 6th and 7th. Visitors will be able to sample many different aspects of amateur radio and learn via practical hands-on learning opportunities. A car boot sale will also take place on Sunday. Clubs from all over the country will be participating. These include Tipperary Amateur Radio Club, Shannon Basin Radio Club, Collective Communication, and Galway Radio Experimenters Club among many others on the list.
The event is not to be missed! Entry is free for IRTS members. The cost is twenty euro for non-members for the weekend or ten euro per day. Free camping facilities are provided. If you are not yet a member of the IRTS, consider joining to avail of free entry to Hamfest in addition to the many other member benefits. You can find further information about IRTS Hamfest 2025 at www.irts.ie/hamfest
EI0NDR Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend
The International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend took place on the 16th and 17th of August. North Dublin Radio Club once again operated from the Baily Lighthouse, Howth, overlooking Dublin Bay. The team set up two HF stations powered by a rented generator, using the callsign EI0NDR/LH. The main rig operated SSB and CW, mostly on 7 MHz, with many successful lighthouse contacts, especially with the UK. A second HF station, run by Dermot EI4ESB, used FT8 on 14MHz. Chris EI5HHB set up a 23cm station with a dish antenna, making numerous QSOs through the QO-100 satellite.
The atmosphere was as enjoyable as the radio. An outdoor table and chairs provided a hub for banter, sunshine, and even cocktail sausages courtesy of George EI6EC's air fryer. On Sunday, with fine weather again, operations started earlier. The group welcomed several visitors, including German guests, IRTS Treasurer David EI3IXB, Jim EI4HH, and Jeffrey EI7IRB who cycled out. Martin EI3LG demonstrated his collection of Morse keys, with his Vibroplex bug drawing particular interest.
Operations concluded around 5 p.m. each day, after a lively and successful weekend of radio and camaraderie. The club extends sincere thanks to the Commissioners of Irish Lights, especially Brendan Carty and Barry Phelan, for their support, to all visitors and members who took part, and especially to Howard EI9LC for his tireless work in organising such a memorable event.
Kildare Amateur Radio Club - EI0K
The Kildare Amateur Radio Club, callsign EI0K, was established in 2024 and has experienced steady growth. The club extends an open invitation to all with an interest in amateur radio in Kildare and the neighbouring counties including shortwave listeners.
The club operates a weekly net each Thursday evening at 20:00 local time on the 40-metre band, which has seen increasing activity in recent weeks. Regular monthly meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month at Jones Bar, Clane, Co. Kildare.
A programme of events is planned for the coming months. The first of these will be a special activation to mark the 300th anniversary of the birth of Arthur Guinness, scheduled for the weekend of the 19th to the 21st of September. Further details will be announced in due course. Additional information about the club and its activities can be found on the website which is kildarearc.com
DX Féile 2025
The EIDX group is delighted to announce the date for this year's DX Féile is Saturday October 12th and is held in the Temple Gate Hotel, Ennis. This year's convention will see presentations from some of the biggest DXpeditions throughout 2025 and include VU4AX, VK9C, VK9X, V73WW, and of course not forgetting EIDXG's own 6Y7EI activity from Jamaica earlier this year.
This is the place to be for anyone interested in DXing. Come and meet with Ireland's DXers and chat with their international delegates who'll have plenty of DX related topics to talk about. You can test your skill in their SSB or CW simulated pileups and maybe you'll get lucky in winning a prize from their giant tombola raffle.
Bookings are now being taken although it is advised to book your accommodation packages early as these usually sell out quickly. Day tickets are readily available however, need to be pre-booked in advance. For further information please contact David,ei9fbb /at/ gmail.com or by telephone at 087 7444777 to make your reservation. Early booking is advised as this promises to be another sell-out event.
VHF/Microwave News
Round 9 of the European FT8 and FT4 activity series continues on the 2m band on Wednesday September 3rd. Each event sees plenty of activity on the band and it is a good opportunity to learn more about digital modes and the performance of your VHF station. You can learn more about the event and times at ft8activity.eu
A global net called APRSThursday takes place each Thursday using Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS) for 24 hours. It is a network of licensed amateur radio operators who share messages and position packets through radio and internet. The net exceeded 600 operators for the first time last week and is continuing to grow. Further information may be found at aprsph.net
Contests and Events
The IRTS SSB Field Day weekend takes place next weekend over September 6th and 7th, 2025. It runs from 13:00 UTC on Saturday 6th until 13:00 UTC the following day. If you are new to events of this nature, IRTS Hamfest in Mullingar will be an ideal place to dip your toes into temporary station set-ups and overnight operation. Several stations will be taking part in the field day from there. Further information about this event can be found at www.irts.ie/contests
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 newsteam /at/ irts.ie with the details. These will be automatically forwarded to the IRTS radio and printed news services. The deadline each week is midnight on Thursdays.
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