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This Week's News

IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday May 17th, 2026
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IRTS Updates

The IRTS committee is delighted to announce the return of our hugely
successful HAMFEST. This year, having listened to our members feedback,
we have decided to hold it on the 8th and 9th of August 2026 in the
Mullingar Showgrounds, Culleen, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath. Interested
attendees can get more information by contacting Andy at hamfest /at/
irts.ie or keep an eye on our social media channels for more
information.

On May 12th, IRTS president Jeffrey Roe EI7IRB, visited the
Chemnitz-Snd ham radio club, based in the city of Chemnitz. The city is
the third-largest city in Saxony, well recognised for its strong
technical heritage, home to 250,000 residents, and 10,000 university
students. The club operates within a region recognised for its strong
technological heritage. The club is active across a wide range of
activities. Members regularly participate in events such as the
International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend and Linux Days. During
the visit, Jeffrey had the opportunity to meet with club members and
learn more about their ongoing projects. The IRTS extends its
appreciation to Jens DB5JH, Mario DM5AHA, Carsten DG0JCG, Jnrgen
DL4JWU, Wolfgang DL5WSC, and Veiko DM9TT for their generous welcome and
hospitality.
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North Dublin Radio Club at Ardgillan Castle Next Weekend

North Dublin Radio Club, EI0NDR, will be QRV from Ardgillan Castle on
Sunday next the 24th of May for a public demonstration of amateur
radio, along with a Parks on the Air activation. The club will be
operating from within the castle itself. The POTA reference is IE-0136
and visitors are welcome to come along between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. local
time. Ardgillan Castle Demesne dates from the 1730s when it became the
family home of the Taylor family. It was purchased by Dublin County
Council in 1982 and has a wonderful range of amenities which include
castle tours, spectacular gardens, an art gallery, craft shop,
playground, heritage trails, and tearooms. The demesne is located near
Balbriggan, Eircode K34 C984. Entrance and car parking are free.
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New Club Launch: SETU Radio Society (EI0SETU)

Following Europe Day 2026, a new amateur radio society has been
launched in the South East. The SETU Radio Society (SRS), which is
affiliated with the IRTS, has officially been granted the callsign
EI0SETU by ComReg to operate from the SETU Carlow Campus. The society's
mission is to provide a dedicated space for experimentation and
technical growth, offering a collaborative environment where theory is
put into practice. The SRS is welcoming new members from across the
SETU community and beyond, specifically inviting current students,
staff, and alumni, along with radio enthusiasts from throughout the
South East. Those interested in amateur radio or technical
experimentation are encouraged to get involved by contacting the
society's organizers directly for more information.
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South Eastern Amateur Radio Group EI2WRC

The May meeting of the EI2WRC group will take place on Monday, May 25th
at 8 p.m. sharp at the South East Technological University, Netlabs
Research and Innovation Building, SETU West Campus, Carriganore,
Waterford. The Eircode X91 WR86. New members or anyone that has an
interest in amateur radio or communications in general are very welcome
to come along. SWLs are in particular very welcome to attend also. For
more information about EI2WRC, their activities, and for contact
details please see www.searg.ie
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Galway Radio Experimenters Club - Direction Finding Event, Sunday 24th May

The Galway Radio Experimenters Club is pleased to announce that it will
be hosting a Radio Direction Finding (RDF) Event on Sunday, 24th May,
in the East Galway region. The event will commence at 14:30, with the
designated starting point at Centra, Carnmore West, Oranmore, Galway.
The Eircode is H91 W9KH. This fun and engaging event is open to all
radio enthusiasts, newcomers, and anyone interested in the challenge of
locating a hidden radio transmitter. Participants will be issued the
operating frequency on the day, and the hidden beacon will be located
somewhere within the area covered by Ordnance Survey Ireland Discovery
Series Map No. 46. Competitors will use radio direction finding
techniques to track down the transmitter.

The Galway Radio Experimenters Club encourages anyone with an interest
in amateur radio to take part. Those wishing to participate or seeking
further information are invited to contact the club through the Contact
Us page on the official website which is galwayradio.com
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Propagation Update

Solar activity has remained relatively steady, with the solar flux
index hovering around 100. However, the sunspot number has trended
downward over the past five days, sitting in the mid-40s. The
geomagnetic field experienced a period of significant disturbance over
the weekend, with a G2-level moderate geomagnetic storm occurring on
Friday and Saturday. This storm, driven by a high-speed solar wind
stream from a large coronal hole, saw the planetary K-index reach a
peak of 6. This led to some signal absorption on polar paths and
unsettled conditions across the HF bands. As we move into the early
part of this week, conditions are expected to begin a gradual recovery.
The K-index is forecast to drop to 3 or 4, transitioning from active to
unsettled. For HF operators, this means that while the higher bands
like 10 and 12 metres may remain somewhat suppressed in the short term,
the mid-to-lower bands should offer fair to good daytime propagation as
the ionosphere stabilises.
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VHF/Microwave News

VHF, UHF, and microwave enthusiasts should keep a close eye on the
bands as the week progresses. According to dxinfocentre.com, some
promising propagation opportunities are expected to develop towards the
latter end of the week. An arriving shift in weather patterns, with
high pressure beginning to build from the south and southwest, is
forecast to create stable atmospheric temperature inversions. Operators
on the 2-metre, 70-centimetre, and higher microwave bands are
encouraged to monitor local and international beacons, as well as the
usual FT8 and SSB calling frequencies, for signs of opening paths
across the Irish Sea.
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IARU Intruder Watch Service Newsletter

The International Amateur Radio Union's Intruder Watch Service has
released its latest update. Authorized by the IARU Administrative
Council and operated by dedicated volunteers, the primary objective of
this worldwide service is to search for, identify, and document
non-amateur stations causing harmful interference within amateur bands.
The April edition of their free monthly report, which highlights recent
intruder activities and tracking successes, is now available to
download. Interested operators can access the document by visiting the
Intruder Watch Service page on the IARU Region 1 website at iaru-r1.org
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BBC's 198kHz Service Closes on June 27th

For low-frequency radio listeners, the BBC has officially confirmed
that its long-standing BBC Radio 4 Long Wave service on 198 kHz will
close on Saturday, June 27th, 2026. The historical service, which is
transmitted from the Droitwich, Burghead, and Westerglen broadcast
sites, has been a staple for listeners across Ireland and the UK for
generations. The expected time of final closure will be at midnight UTC
on the morning of Saturday, June 27th. The shutdown comes as the
transmission infrastructure reaches the end of its operational life.
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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 /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

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