Archived News Script
IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday September 14th, 2025
IRTS Hamfest 2025
We wish to thank all the clubs, operators, traders, and members of the public that travelled from far and wide to Mullingar for IRTS Hamfest 2025. Over the two days of this highly successful and enjoyable event, a very wide range of amateur radio-related topics and expertise were available to try out. Spread across the large parkland site, activities included antenna construction and contesting, low power and high-power operation, low-earth orbit and geostationary satellite operation, Earth-Moon-Earth communications, packet radio, emergency communications, soldering and construction, radio programming and problem solving, a car boot sale, and many more.
We were delighted to welcome the large number of participants from all parts of Ireland as well as those that travelled especially for it from other parts of Europe. We hope everyone enjoyed all the activities on offer. Feedback and ideas about how to make the next event even better are welcome via email to hamfest /at/ irts.ie
DX Féile 2025
The EIDX group is hosting this year's DX Féile on Saturday October 12th.It will be 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.
Day tickets 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. This promises to be another sell-out event, so you are advised to secure your tickets as soon as possible.
VHF/Microwave News
The next 145 Alive event will run on the September 27th, 2025. If interested in taking part as a net control station, please email 145aliveuk /at/ gmail.com
The RSGB s LoRa balloon challenge takes place next Saturday, the 20th of September. A balloon equipped with a LoRa digipeater will be launched at 11 a.m. local time heading for high altitude. The launch site will be Welshpool in the UK which should enable operators near the east coast of EI to try their luck with the event also. The balloon is expected to be airborne for approximately two hours reaching an altitude of 90,000 feet. The uplink frequency of the cross-frequency digipeater on board the high-altitude balloon will be 439.850MHz and the downlink frequency will be 433.850MHz. The RSGB has published a very helpful instruction guide for those interested in getting involved in the fun. Further information including this guide may be found at rsgb.org
The Hepburn tropospheric propagation forecast indicates a potential opportunity toward the latter part of the coming week for VHF operators. It may be short-lived but is worth trying some CQ calls and you may be surprised.
The packet radio network in Ireland continues to grow and new nodes are welcome. The Eirpak network operates on 144.950 MHz using 3600 baud packet radio at present. If interested in learning more, contact vhf_manager /at/ irts.ie and they will connect you with the experts who can help.
IARU Intruder Watch Service Newsletter
The August edition of the IARU Region 1 Intruder Watch Service newsletter has been published. There was no indication of intruders taking a break during the month. Over the horizon radars continue to top the list of intruders in the amateur radio bands along with Russian Ukrainian radio war activity, navy, and fishermen. This free report can be downloaded from the Monitoring System section of the IARU website located at www.iaru-r1.org
Contests and Events
The IRTS 2m and 70cm counties contest takes place today, Sunday September 14th. The 70cm contest kicks off at 2 p.m. running for 30 minutes. Immediately afterwards, the 2m contest starts and will run for 90 minutes ending at 4 p.m. All times are local.
The next UKIECC contest in their 80m series is on CW, on Wednesday the 24th of September 2025. You can learn more about this at www.ukeicc.com
Texas Radio Shortwave
For shortwave band listeners, Texas Radio Shortwave will be active during October. Programming for European listeners will be broadcast on October 3rd, 5th, 8th, and the 31st. Frequencies used will be 6160kHz or 3975kHz. Programs for European audiences will be transmitted from Germany using either 1kW into a crossed dipole antenna or 10kW into a vertical antenna. Specific times and further information may be found at the Texas Radio Shortwave Facebook page.
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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