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This Week's News

IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday June 21st, 2026
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IRTS ComReg Liaison Update on ComReg License Returns

ComReg has contacted the IRTS's 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 /at/ irts.ie
__________________________________________________________________

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 President's 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 club's
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 club's 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 /at/ 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 club's 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.
__________________________________________________________________

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 D?n 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 /at/
gmail.com, or Doug, EI2CN, at ei2cn /at/ 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 /at/ irts.ie to secure an operating slot.
__________________________________________________________________

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

[C]
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