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EI5IN > NEWS 25.06.26 23:07l 79 Lines 8506 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 9589_EI5IN
Subj: IRISH RADIO TRANSMITTERS SOCIETY NEWS
Path: IZ3LSV<IK6IHL<IK7NXU<HB9ON<DK0WUE<ZL2BAU<VK3AT<EI5IN
Sent: 260625/2100Z 9589@EI5IN.EI5IN.IRL.EURO LinBPQ6.0.25
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Irish Radio Transmitters Society
Radio News Bulletin
Sunday June 21st, 2026
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IRTS ComReg Liaison Update on ComReg License Returns
ComReg has contacted the IRTSs liaison officer with an important reminder for the amateur radio community. ComReg is urging all amateur radio station license holders to ensure that their contact details are completely up to date. This is particularly critical ahead of the mandatory five-year return process. License holders are reminded that even those with lifetime licenses must submit a five-year return to keep their station authorisations valid and active. Failure to complete this mandatory 5-year confirmation may result in the cancellation of your licence. Beginning this month, ComReg will start issuing final reminder notifications by post to any license holders who are currently overdue in submitting their returns. The full text of the official notification from ComReg has been circulated via the IRTS groups.io portal. Any operators who require assistance or wish for the Society to take action on their behalf are invited to email the IRTS ComReg Liaison Officer, Jeffrey Roe, at comreg_liaison@irts.ie
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Thank You to Mick Cahill EI6IKB
Mick Cahill EI6IKB is stepping down from his role as HAREC license exam coordinator after a long and fruitful period of dedicated service to the Irish amateur radio community. Mick played a central role in managing and expanding the HAREC exam capacity during a time of increasing demand. He handled complex logistics with excellence, from accommodating large numbers of candidates to supporting candidates with accessibility needs. Thanks to his work, many new licensees took to the airwaves. Beside exam coordination, Mick is a seasoned operator with extensive knowledge in both base station and field operating skills; he is a member of the North Dublin Radio Club, and in 2024 he was awarded the W.J. Barron EI6BUB Memorial Award in recognition of his contribution to the club. The IRTS would like to sincerely thank Mick for his contributions.
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IRTS Presidents Visit to North Dublin Radio Club
IRTS President Jeffrey Roe continued his tour of amateur radio clubs nationwide and beyond with a visit to the North Dublin Radio Club on Saturday the 13th. During the visit, he was introduced to the clubs collection of both modern and vintage radio equipment and met with an enthusiastic group of members eager to contribute further to IRTS' operations.
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Club Details on the IRTS Website
IRTS-affiliated clubs and societies are asked to review their details on the IRTS Radio Clubs page and let us know if anything needs to be updated. Please check that your clubs meeting venue, meeting times, contact details, callsign, website and any other listed information are still correct. This page is often the first place that new or returning radio amateurs look when trying to find a local club, so keeping it up to date is an important part of welcoming people into the hobby. Clubs are also asked to make sure that the IRTS has the current details for their club representative. Club reps receive officer reports during the year and are invited to attend IRTS committee meetings, helping to keep clubs informed and involved in the work of the society.
Updates to club page details should be sent to the IRTS Web Editor. If you are unsure what details the IRTS currently holds for your club, please contact the IRTS Secretary via email to irts_secretary@irts.ie
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Big Summer Ahead for Mayo Radio Experimenters Network!
The Mayo Radio Experimenters Network (EI7MRE) is delighted to welcome a fantastic group of new members who have joined the club in recent weeks. Interest in amateur radio across Mayo is stronger than ever, and the club is thriving with fresh activity and ideas. Their next club meeting takes place on Wednesday, 1st July at 8 p.m. in the Mayo Maker Space, The Mall, Castlebar F23PP78. All members and newcomers are encouraged to attend.
One of the major highlights this summer will be their trip to Inishkea Island, where they'll activate the island's POTA reference IE-0262 and operate from both F51 and F52 WAI squares. This promises to be a standout portable event for the club.
They are also excited to deepen their partnership with Mayo Makers, working sidebyside to develop new skills, share knowledge, and support both communities.
With the Hamfest in August fast approaching, members are already preparing for what will be one of the biggest events of the year.
Meanwhile, the clubs weekly news service, transmitted every Sunday at 9 p.m. on the EI2TGR repeater, continues to grow in popularity. Each week has seen increasing numbers of callers and a steady rise in SWL reports, reflecting the strong engagement of the local amateur radio community.
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Silent Key - Roy Steele EI5KE
This week, we are deeply saddened to learn of the death of Roy Steele on May 23rd, 2026. Late of Dn Laoghaire, Roy was an active IRTS member and will be sadly missed. We wish to extend our condolences to his children, son-in-law, daughters-in-law, grandchildren, Emma and Sebastian, extended family, and friends. Ar dheis D go raibh a anam. May he rest in peace.
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New Digital Voice Repeater Active in Dublin
A new multimode digital voice repeater is now operational near Finglas in Dublin. Operating under the callsign EI7FGD, the new system is managed by the EI2OARC club and supports the Brandmeister DMR network, System Fusion, and D-Star. The repeater transmits on an output frequency of 430.2625 MHz with an input on 439.2625 MHz, using DMR Colour Code 1. It is also capable of local analogue FM operation using an 88.5 Hz CTCSS tone.
Co-sited with the existing EI7FGR analogue repeater - which links the Greater Dublin Area to the Southern Ireland Repeater Network - the club hopes this new addition will spark a renewed interest in digital voice modes across the region.
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Irish Contingent Planning Social Meetup at Friedrichshafen
With the international Ham Radio exhibition in Friedrichshafen just around the corner, plans are underway for a social gathering of Irish operators attending the event. Reuben, EI3JRB, has established a dedicated WhatsApp group to help attendees coordinate and stay in touch throughout the rally. The group is planned to remain active for the duration of the trip and will be deleted after the event concludes.
A social night is currently being planned for the weekend of the exhibition. The tentative meeting point is the Lammgarten beer garden and restaurant, with the gathering scheduled for around 6 p.m. on Friday, June 26th. Anyone heading to Friedrichshafen who wishes to join the group chat is asked to contact either Reuben at ei3jrb@gmail.com, or Doug, EI2CN, at ei2cn@arrl.net. Prospective members should include their mobile phone number in the email so they can be added to the group.
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Contest News and Log Deadlines
The IRTS contest manager, Mark EI6JK, has a final reminder that all logs for the recent IRTS CW Field Day must be submitted by this Sunday, June 21st. Operators looking for the next portable challenge should prepare for the IRTS VHF/UHF Field Day, which will take place over the weekend of July 4th and 5th. The contest manager is also looking for operators to run the Irish headquarters station, EI0HQ, during the prestigious IARU HF World Championship. This event takes place over the same weekend as the World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC 2026) in the UK. There are 12 slots available across both CW and SSB, spanning the six primary HF bands. Interested operators who want to represent the country on the air are encouraged to get in touch with Mark EI6JK via email to contestmanager@irts.ie to secure an operating slot.
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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@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@irts.ie
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