This Week’s News
IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday August 9th, 2026
Important IRTS Statement
The IRTS is aware of videos published online in which serious allegations are made against one of its members. We are shocked and deeply concerned by the nature of the allegations.
In light of the seriousness of the matter, the IRTS Committee has initiated the process set out in the Society’s Constitution and Rules to remove the member from the Society.
The IRTS takes matters of this nature extremely seriously. The safety and wellbeing of all those involved in amateur radio and the wider community are of paramount importance to the society.
If you have any information pertaining to this matter, please contact the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or your local Garda station.
IRTS Hamfest 2026
As Hamfest 2026 draws to a close in Mullingar, we'd like to thank all the clubs, presenters, exhibitors and attendees who travelled from across the nation and overseas to take part. The organisers would love to hear your feedback and ideas for future events, please email us at hamfest /at/ irts.ie. Stay tuned for a retrospective in the upcoming radio news and in the Echo Ireland magazine.
North Dublin Radio Club Lighthouse Weekend
North Dublin Radio club EI0NDR, with thanks to Irish Lights, will be active at the Baily Lighthouse in Howth next weekend, the 15th and 16th of August. There are plans are for various stations, and visitors are welcome on the day.
TOG Hackerspace at Dublin Maker 2026
TOG Hackerspace will once again be taking part in Dublin Maker, taking place at Leopardstown Racecourse on Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd August. TOG members will be involved across the weekend, showcasing projects from the hackerspace and helping to run the event’s Repair Café, where visitors can bring along broken items and work with volunteers to see if they can be repaired.
TOG will also be bringing some amateur radio activity to the event, with radio demonstrations including SSTV and other on-air experiments. They will also have their pump-up mast mounted on a trailer, giving visitors a chance to see some of the equipment used for portable and special-event operation. Also at the festival will be their friends from South Dublin Radio Club, who will have their own range of amateur radio demonstrations across the weekend.
Dublin Maker is free to attend, so bring along the whole family, explore the many different maker exhibits and come over to say hello to the TOG and radio crews. Further information is available at dublinmaker.ie
Silent Key – Paddy Ronaghan EI6CV
We regret to the report the death of Paddy Ronaghan EI6CV on August 1st, 2026. Based in Cavan, Paddy was an enthusiastic amateur radio operator specialising in amateur television. We extend our deepest condolences to his wife Kathleen, his family, and wide circle of friends. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam. May he rest in peace.
VHF/Microwave News
Meteor scatter enthusiasts on the VHF and microwave bands are gearing up for the peak of the annual Perseids meteor shower, which is set to reach its maximum intensity next week on August 12th and 13th, 2026. The shower occurs as Earth travels through the dust-laden tail of Comet Swift-Tuttle each year between late July and early August. As comet debris burns up in the upper atmosphere, it creates ionized trails that VHF operators can utilize to reflect radio signals over distances of up to 2,000 kilometres. The Perseids is widely considered the most anticipated meteor shower of the year for both radio contesters and visual observers alike. For those wishing to view the shower visually, the optimal viewing window will be during the pre-dawn hours.
Round 8 of the European FT8 Activity series using the 70cm band starts on Wednesday, August 12th. Running from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Irish time, this is a useful opportunity to test your station operation using both FT8 and FT4 digital modes. Visit ft8activity.eu for more information. Some moderate to strong tropospheric ducting is forecast which may help produce some interesting contacts on the band.
Information regarding activities on VHF and above in Ireland may be found on the IRTS website. If you have any questions or suggestions for content, you are very welcome to contact Keith EI5IN and Denis EI4KH via email to vhf_manager /at/ irts.ie
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, news, 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 is midnight on Thursdays. Items intended for inclusion in Echo Ireland should be sent to echoireland /at/ irts.ie.
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