IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday February 9th, 2025

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This Week's News

IRTS Radio News Bulletin Sunday February 9th, 2025
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Silent Key - Michael Burke EI4AL

   This week, we start with the sad news regarding the death of Michael
   Burke EI4AL. Michael passed away on Sunday the 2nd of February 2025 in
   Athlone, Co. Westmeath. He'll be fondly remembered and missed by all
   who knew him especially within amateur radio circles where he was well
   known as a great CW operator and a kind mentor to many. We wish to
   extend our deepest condolences to his wife Anne, daughters Claire,
   Hilda, and Sheona, sons Micheal and Tom, brothers, sisters, extended
   family, and wide circle of friends. May he rest in peace.
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News from the IRTS

   The IRTS would like to extend its thanks to Robert O'Donnell EI5CK who
   has served as one of our auditors for many years up until his
   retirement this year. Robert has been a watchful eye on our society's
   finances each year when he reviews the accounts ahead of the AGM. As
   such, we are seeking the services of a suitable volunteer replacement
   to take over this duty. The role only involves the review of end of
   year accounts, a couple of hours work for someone with a good head for
   figures and may suit someone with business or accounting experience
   although this is not essential. For anyone that is interested, you are
   asked to get in contact with the IRTS secretary Owen EI4GGB at
   irts_secretary /at/ irts.ie.

   The next IRTS committee meeting will take place on Thursday, February
   20th at 8:00 p.m. on the Zoom platform. All IRTS affiliated clubs are
   reminded that under Rule 16.1, the members in each affiliated club,
   society, or other body may elect a representative and an alternate
   annually to attend IRTS committee meetings. Clubs wishing to send a
   representative should notify the IRTS Secretary, Owen EI4GGB at
   irts_secretary /at/ irts.ie in advance to ensure notification and links
   are provided.
     __________________________________________________________________

South Eastern Amateur Radio Group EI2WRC

   The 2025 Annual General Meeting of the South Eastern Amateur Radio
   Group EI2WRC will take place at 8.00 p.m. sharp on Monday the 24th of
   February 2025 in the South East Technological University, Netlabs
   Research and Innovation Building, SETU West Campus, Carriganore,
   Waterford. The Eircode is X91 WR86. All members are asked to please
   attend. Any new members or anyone interested in radio communications in
   general, or finding out more about the group are welcome also.

   EI2WRC will be hosting the 92nd IRTS AGM Weekend in the Woodford Dolmen
   Hotel, Kilkenny Rd, Carlow over the weekend of the 12th and 13th of
   April 2025. People who are planning on attending are urged to book
   their hotel rooms immediate as almost all rooms have now been taken.
   Dinner tickets for the Gala Dinner which will be held on Saturday,
   April 12th are now available to be pre-booked. Rally tables for
   clubs/groups and commercial traders for the rally on Sunday, April 13th
   can now be pre-booked also. Tables for individual traders will be made
   available to be pre-booked at a later date. For more information, go to
   searg.ie and click on the IRTS AGM 2025 link.

   For more information about EI2WRC, their activities, and for contact
   details please see www.searg.ie
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Updates from Dundalk Amateur Radio Society

   The Dundalk Amateur Radio Society holds their monthly meeting on the
   first Wednesday of every month at 8 p.m. at their club headquarters in
   Marconi House, Castletown Road, Dundalk, Co. Louth. New members are
   more than welcome to come in and have a cup of tea or coffee, meet the
   club members, and also have a look at the North East IRTS news team
   transmitting their weekly news bulletin. The next DARS meeting will
   take place on the 12th of February 2025.

   Dundalk Amateur Radio Society is also holding a bring and buy sale. The
   sale will take place in their club headquarters from 8.00 p.m. on
   Wednesday the 5th of March. You are invited to bring any radio-related
   equipment that may be gathering dust to Marconi House in Dundalk. All
   funds raised will go directly to supporting the society and its
   activities. You can find contact details for the club at ei7dar.com.
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Patriot Radio Communications AGM

   Patriot Radio Communications amateur radio club, EI7PRC, based in
   Watergrass Hill, Cork, held their Annual General Meeting on January
   23rd, 2025. The officers elected were Chairman Denis EI4KH, Secretary
   and PRO David EI6IQB, and Treasurer Donal EI3KY.
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Limerick Clare Amateur Radio Club

   The 2025 Annual General Meeting of Limerick Clare Amateur Radio Club
   takes place on Thursday the 20th of February. It will commence at 7
   p.m. sharp in the Technological University of the Shannon, Midlands,
   Midwest in Moylish, Limerick. All members are asked to attend. The
   club's weekly activation of EI4SAM runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on
   Saturdays. The initial calling frequency is 7.123 MHz, plus or minus
   QRM. All callers are welcome.
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Southern Ireland Repeater Group

   Farmer's Cross analogue voice repeater EI7FXR on 430.900 MHz, which
   covers the Cork city and surrounding areas, is back on air since Friday
   January 31st. A work around was performed to address an intermodulation
   interference issue that was causing trouble on the repeater. This
   involved removing the repeaters transmit CTCSS tone. The repeater still
   needs a 103.5 Hz tone to open it but if you can't hear the repeater on
   your own radio you will have to remove the receive tone and just set it
   to normal squelch.

   Their digital repeater EI7FXD on 430.250 MHz is also back on air. This
   has been changed from a DMR only to an MMDVM multimode repeater which
   is active on DMR, Yaesu System Fusion, D-Star plus standalone analogue
   with a 103.5Hz tone. It's all based around a Raspberry PI. Sometimes
   these lock up so it's on a weekly timer to fully reboot once a week if
   this happens. The team included Neil EI3JE, Jeremy EI5GM, and John
   EI8JA. The group wishes to also thank John EI8IR for his assistance and
   for providing the broadband link.
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Radio Rally Updates

   Phoenix Amateur Radio Club's annual radio rally take place next weekend
   on Sunday February 16th, 2025. The venue is Coolmine Community School,
   Blanchardstown, Dublin 15. Doors open at 10 a.m. and entry will cost
   five euro.

   Limerick Clare Amateur Radio Club's annual rally takes place on the 9th
   of March in Treacy's Oakwood Hotel in Shannon. Contact Dermot Gleeson,
   EI2GT, at DermotGleeson1 /at/ gmail.com to book a table. Only bookings
   made via email will be accepted.

   IRTS Awards curator Mark EI4FNB will be able to collect returning IRTS
   awards in Coolmine next week and at the Limerick Clare ARC rally on
   March 9th. For anyone who needs to get in contact with Mark regarding
   return of trophies, you can find his contact details on the contact
   section on irts.ie.

   Lough Erne Amateur Club's Radio Rally will be held on Sunday the 18th
   of May 2025. The venue is the Share Discovery Village, 221 Lisnaskea
   Road, Lisnaskea, Enniskillen BT92 0JZ. Doors will open at 11 a.m. Entry
   costs five euro or five pounds which includes a ticket for the draw.
   The rally will include a bring and buy and usual facilities including
   food and refreshments. Further details are available at
   LoughErneRadioClub.co.uk.
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Items for Inclusion in Next Week's Radio News

   That is the news for this week. Items for inclusion in next week's
   radio news can be submitted by email to newsteam /at/ irts.ie for
   automatic forwarding to both the radio and printed news services. The
   deadline is midnight on Thursday.

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