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Pride Over the Waves: Amateur Radio Night

Tog Hackerspace is teaming up with Queer Shed Dublin Central for a special evening of amateur radio, Morse code, hands-on demos, and community connection.

Pride Over the Waves: Amateur Radio Night will take place in Tog Hackerspace on Monday, 22 June 2026, from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.

The event is free, but places are limited, so please book a ticket on Eventbrite:
https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/pride-over-the-waves-amateur-radio-night-tickets-1991936225873

Queer Shed Dublin Central is a grassroots queer skill-sharing community connecting through DIY, repair, and regeneration. We are delighted to welcome them to Tog for this joint event.

The night is linked to Pride Over the Waves, a grassroots amateur radio initiative created by LGBTQI+ amateur radio operators and allies to help make LGBTQI+, queer, and diverse radio amateurs more visible in the wider amateur radio community.

For the evening, we will be activating the special event callsign EI0LGBT.

What will happen on the night?

From 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm, we will have an informal introduction to amateur radio, with live demos and hands-on activities. There will be a chance to see radio equipment in action, learn what callsigns are, hear how radio contacts are made, and try out some Morse code.

The Morse code part will be very beginner-friendly. You do not need to know anything before coming along. It is just a chance to have a go, send a few letters, and discover why this old form of communication is still loved by radio amateurs today.

From 8:00 pm to 9:00 pm, we will call into the South Dublin Radio Club net using the EI0LGBT callsign. A radio net is a regular on-air gathering where radio operators check in, say hello, and share updates.

There may be a chance for visitors to say hello over the radio with support from licensed operators, subject to the usual radio rules on the night.

Who is it for?

This event is open to everyone.

You do not need a radio licence to attend. You do not need to be technical. You do not need to know Morse code. You just need to be curious.

Whether you are part of Queer Shed Dublin Central, a Tog member, a radio amateur, a maker, a friend, an ally, or someone who has never touched a radio before, you are very welcome.

Event details

Date: Monday, 22 June 2026
Time: 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Venue: Tog Hackerspace
Tickets: Free via Eventbrite
Special event callsign: EI0LGBT

Book your free ticket here:
https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/pride-over-the-waves-amateur-radio-night-tickets-1991936225873

You can find Queer Shed Dublin Central on Instagram at:
https://www.instagram.com/queersheddublincentral/

Come along, tune in, and help us put EI0LGBT on the air.

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Monthly Makerfur Meet

Tog hackerspace is kicking off with a new monthly event that welcomes all furries into the space.

The event will kick off on the 4th of July and run on the first Saturday of every month from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM.

Are you a beginner fursuit maker who wants to learn the craft? Are you into electronics and want to figure out how to make your LED strips emit custom patterns? Or maybe you want to talk on the radio with your fluffy friends? No matter how big or small, fluffy or simple the project is, bring it in to us for a social, fluffy event for all cats, dogs, wolves, foxes, and even protogens or any other species known.

All you need to take part is an idea that you want to bring to life.

The furry maker night will run every first week of the month.

This is not a taught class, more like an informal working group of self-directed makers.

While you can bring your fursuit in, either to work on it as a project or for repairs, it is heavily discouraged to wear them inside the space. Accessories such as tails are also discouraged for safety reasons.

We are looking forward to seeing every fur in our space.

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Repair Café at Stoneybatter Festival

We are delighted to be bringing our Repair Café back to Stoneybatter Festival this June.

Tog Hackerspace will be joining the 10th Stoneybatter Festival with a community Repair Café, giving people a chance to bring along broken household items and work with our volunteers to see if they can be fixed.

Do you have broken items at home, small appliances, toys, electronics, household bits and pieces, or something that just needs a bit of care?

No need to throw them away just yet. Bring them along, and our volunteer fixers will do their best to help. We will have tools, materials, and a team of people who enjoy opening things up, figuring out what went wrong, and sharing repair skills along the way.

Key Info

What: Repair Café at Stoneybatter Festival
When: Saturday, 20 June 2026, 2 pm – 6 pm
Where: Aughrim Street Scout Group, Dublin 7
Tickets: Free, booking via Eventbrite
Book here: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/repair-cafe-stoneybatter-festival-by-tog-hackerspace-tickets-1989820913918

What can you bring?

You can bring along small broken items such as:

  • Small electrical appliances
  • Electronics
  • Toys
  • Lamps
  • Household items
  • Other bits and pieces that might be repairable

Safety testing for electrical items will be available.

Please note that we may not be able to fix everything on the day, but we will do our best to diagnose the issue, suggest next steps, or point you towards parts or recycling options where needed.

What is a Repair Café?

A Repair Café is a community event where people bring broken items and work with skilled volunteers to try to repair them. It is about keeping useful things out of landfill, saving money, learning practical skills, and having a bit of fun along the way.

At a Repair Café, you can:

  • Learn how things work
  • Pick up practical repair tips
  • Meet people interested in sustainability and making
  • Give your broken items a second chance

Stoneybatter Festival is a brilliant celebration of local community, culture, creativity, food, music, and sustainability. We are very happy to be part of it again and to bring some repair energy to the weekend.

So dig out those broken treasures and join us in Stoneybatter on Saturday, 20 June. Let’s see what we can fix together.

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POTA Adventure on the High Seas: Ireland’s Eye

Tog Hackerspace is teaming up with South Dublin Radio Club for another Parks on the Air adventure, and this time we are heading offshore to Ireland’s Eye.

Key info

Date: Sunday 21st June 2026
Meeting point: Howth, for the ferry to Ireland’s Eye
Ferry: 9:45 am ferry with Howth Cliff Cruises
Cost: Around €30.45 return, please check the ferry website for the latest price
Booking: Please book your own ferry ticket in advance
POTA references: IE-0266 Ireland’s Eye Conservation Area and IE-0267 Rockabill Conservation Area
Callsign: EJ0LGBT, using the June special event callsign EI0LGBT from the island
Bands: 20m, 40m and 2m, conditions permitting
Who can come: Radio operators, Tog members, SDRC members, walkers, island explorers and anyone curious about portable radio
Important note: Landing on Ireland’s Eye is weather and tide dependent, and the island has uneven ground and limited facilities.
Trip note: This is an informal club outing rather than a guided tour. Everyone joining is responsible for booking their own ferry, checking the conditions, and deciding if the island walk and boat landing are suitable for them.

On the day, club members will travel by ferry from Howth to Ireland’s Eye to activate two new Parks on the Air references:

The east edge of the island gives us a lovely POTA “2fer”, that’s right, two parks in one activation zone. We will be operating using the June special event callsign EI0LGBT, but as we will be on an island, we will be using EJ0LGBT on the air.

We plan to be active on 20m, 40m and 2m, conditions permitting. We also hope to call into the South Dublin Radio Club net and the IRTS 2m news from the island if timing and coverage allow.

Ireland’s Eye is a small uninhabited island just off Howth, with a mix of rugged coastline, seabirds, seals, the ruins of an early church, and a Martello tower. The island is part of an important protected coastal landscape, including the Ireland’s Eye SAC and the wider Rockabill to Dalkey Island SAC. We will be keeping well clear of nesting areas, taking all rubbish home, and leaving the island as we found it.

For a nice overview of the island and its history, have a look at this Irish Times walk around Ireland’s Eye.

Coming along?

We will be taking the 9:30am ferry from Howth with Howth Cliff Cruises. If you would like to join us, please book your own ferry ticket in advance. The return ferry is around €30.45, but please check the booking page for the latest price and availability before travelling.

Please note that this is an informal club outing rather than a guided tour. Everyone joining is responsible for booking their own ferry, checking the weather and ferry updates, wearing suitable clothing and footwear, and deciding if the boat landing and island walk are suitable for them. Landing on Ireland’s Eye is weather and tide dependent, and the island has uneven ground and limited facilities.

Please have a look at this Ireland’s Eye walking route on Wikiloc before booking, so you have a good idea of the mobility requirements.

This is not only for radio people. If you are a Tog member or friend who would just like a walk, a bit of island exploring, some sea air, birdwatching, or a look at what a portable radio activation involves, you are very welcome to come along.

What to bring

Please dress for the weather and the island terrain. We suggest:

  • Sturdy footwear
  • Rain jacket and warm layers
  • Water and snacks or a packed lunch
  • Sun cream and a hat if the weather looks good
  • A fully charged phone or power bank
  • Any portable radio gear you would like to bring
  • A bag to take all your rubbish home

As Ireland’s Eye is a protected bird sanctuary, please be mindful of wildlife, especially nesting birds. Keep to sensible walking areas, avoid disturbing birds or seals, and leave no trace.

We are looking forward to another fun POTA day out with South Dublin Radio Club, this time with a ferry trip, a bit of island radio, and hopefully plenty of contacts in the log.

Listen out for EJ0LGBT from Ireland’s Eye!

International Museums Weekend in Howth

As luck would have it, our Ireland’s Eye trip falls on the same weekend as International Museums Weekend. The Howth Martello Radio Group will be taking part on 20th and 21st June, operating EI0MAR from Ye Olde Hurdy Gurdy Museum of Vintage Radio in the Martello tower overlooking Howth Harbour.

The museum has strong links to the early experimental days of telecommunications and is a lovely follow-on visit after a morning of radio on Ireland’s Eye. Visitors are welcome to drop in, see the amateur radio station in operation, and maybe even get on the air.

The museum is open daily between 11am and 4pm until the end of October. It is approached by a steep narrow pathway opposite the Abbey Tavern on Abbey Street. The Eircode is D13 V099. I will be dropping in after the fun on the island.

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Tog Hackerspace at Cork Carnival of Science 2026

Tog Hackerspace is heading south this weekend for the Cork Carnival of Science in Fitzgerald Park.

On Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th of June, the park will be packed with family-friendly experiments, interactive activities, garden games, street food, live demonstrations, big top science shows, hands-on workshops and plenty more.

We will be there both days from 11.00am to 5.00pm on Discovery Drive with a range of interactive games and projects made by our members. Expect hands-on fun, blinking lights, clever builds and a chance to see what can be created in a community makerspace.

Tog is a volunteer-run hackerspace based in Dublin, where people come together to make, learn, repair, build and share skills. Events like Cork Carnival of Science are a great chance for us to get out of the space, meet new people and hopefully spark a bit of curiosity.

Cork Carnival of Science is supported by Cork City Council and Research Ireland.

If you are in Cork this weekend, come say hello. Bring your curiosity, we’ll bring the projects.

More info on the festival:
https://www.corkcity.ie/en/cork-carnival-of-science/

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From Dublin to Chemnitz: A Maker Exchange Through Vulca

In May, Jason Pettiaux and I had the chance to travel to Chemnitz in Germany as invited guests for Open European Lab Day at FabLab Chemnitz. Jason is a long-standing European maker and open source advocate, and was the other invited guest for the visit. The trip came about through the Vulca Network, which helps connect makers, hackerspaces, FabLabs and community workshops across Europe. It turned into much more than a single workshop, with visits to makerspaces, museums, research institutes, a radio club, and even a bit of hiking and amateur radio along the way.

It was a lovely reminder of how strong and varied the maker community is across Europe, and how much we can learn from visiting each other’s spaces.

Friday: Arriving in Chemnitz

I travelled over on Friday and met up with Jason and the local FabLab Chemnitz team. Maik Jähne and Babette Sperling were our main hosts for the trip and gave us a brilliant welcome. It was great to finally meet people in person after the usual run of emails, planning messages and travel arrangements. There is always something nice about arriving into a new city through a maker connection, as you immediately get a sense of the local community and the people who make things happen.

Chemnitz itself has a strong technical and industrial history, which made it a very fitting place for a weekend of making, workshops and community activity.

Saturday: Open European Lab Day at FabLab Chemnitz

Saturday was Open European Lab Day at FabLab Chemnitz, with lots of people coming through the space to see what was happening, meet the team and take part in hands-on activities.

I ran a workshop called Hidden Colors, where we built polarisation viewers and explored the colours hiding in everyday materials. Using layers of clear tape, plastics and polarising filters, participants could see patterns and colours appear that are normally invisible to the eye. It is a simple but very satisfying mix of science, making and “let’s try it and see what happens”.

The workshop started with a bit of the science behind polarisation, then moved into building the viewers from laser-cut parts. Once everything was glued together, we experimented with layers of tape to create different colours and patterns. The results were really beautiful, with some pieces looking almost like stained glass.

A big thank you to FabLab Chemnitz for hosting the workshop, to Maik and Babette for the warm welcome, and to the Stadtfabrikanten team for making the day happen.

Event details:
https://stadtfabrikanten.org/en/article/open-european-lab-day-fablab-chemnitz-09052026

Photos from FabLab Chemnitz:
https://www.tog.ie/gallery/nggallery/album/fablab-chemnitz

Saturday Evening: Museumsnacht and Chemnitz

After the FabLab day, we also got to explore a bit more of Chemnitz as part of the city’s Museumsnacht. We visited the Museum für Naturkunde Chemnitz, including a look at the natural history exhibits and some very impressive fossils.

It was a great way to round off the day: a makerspace full of hands-on activity, followed by a city-wide museum evening celebrating culture, history and science.

Photos from Chemnitz, Europatag and Museumsnacht:
https://www.tog.ie/gallery/nggallery/album/chemnitz-europatag-und-museumsnacht

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