Radio hams making waves on the Wild Atlantic Way

The sound of crashing waves is the norm for Valentia Island off south Kerry and Loop Head off west Clare, where lighthouses guide mariners to safe havens.

This weekend, though, waves of a different kind will emanate from both locations when they host amateur radio enthusiasts from Ireland and abroad as part of the 18th International Lighthouse and Lightship celebrations.

Cromwell Point Lighthouse on Valentia Island will see Kerry Amateur Radio Group (KARG) in action.

KARG was set up in 2003 and is made up of members from Kerry, Limerick, and Cork, and will be participating in the event for the 12th successive year.

The event runs for 48 hours, from midnight tonight until midnight on Sunday. The members of KARG will be contacting fellow radio operators worldwide. The group will operate two stations, communicating via radio transmission and Morse code. The call-sign in use will be EI1K.

Last year, KARG communicated with radio operators in 55 countries, including South Africa, San Marino, Ecuador, Japan, and Kuwait. The operation from Cromwell Point Lighthouse is being facilitated by the Valentia Island Development Company and the Commissioners of Irish Lights.

At the same time, Loop Head Lighthouse’s status as a signature discovery point on the Wild Atlantic Way and as one of the great lighthouses of Ireland will also be promoted over the airwaves this weekend.

A group of amateur ham radio operators are making their annual pilgrimage to the west Clare lighthouse where they will communicate via radio and Morse code with hundreds of radio clubs worldwide.

The Limerick Radio Club, which features members from Clare, Kerry, Limerick and Tipperary, will operate non-stop for 48 hours from Loop Head. The call sign used will be E I 0 L H L.

During the operation, which also runs from tonight to midnight Sunday, visitors can listen to communications with some of the other participating ham radio operators broadcasting from 400 lighthouses and lightships in 65 countries.

Last year, the Limerick Radio Club successfully made contact with lighthouses and lightships as far away as Brazil, Australia, Tonga, Asiatic Russia, and the Virgin Islands.

Clare County Council, and the Commissioners of Irish Lights, is facilitating the operation from Loop Head Lighthouse while the Limerick Radio Club has also received approval from the Communications Regulator.

Further information available at illw.net