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The participants in Net #53 on 7th April were: Colin GM4HWO (controller), Bernie GM4WZG (Dalgety Bay), Pete GM4BYF, Brian GM8BJF, Alan GM3PSP, Peter GM4DTH, Briain GM8PKL, Brian GM4DIJ, Mike GM8KCS, Melvyn GM4HYR, Bill GM8SQM, Norrie GM1CNH, Alan MM0VPM (Dalkeith)..  

Colin had been in touch with Peter Barclay again. We are a little short of numbers for the 2m contest on 14-15 May. Bernie was a welcome visitor from Fife. A former LRS member he has given at least one talk and is interested in re-joining. Pete's pump-up mast was not working, maybe due to ice problems. It may need to be replaced! On 2m last night the static was "dire" but he worked 25 stations including an "iffy" G4NBS in Cambridge. He had been contacted by GM4IFF about the 122GHz project. He relayed 73s from Brian BJF in Peebles who was not audible by everyone. Alan PSP bragged that he had just had his first haircut of the new era. He was working with Peter, and Veronica Saunders on the possibility of putting up Bob McFarlane's SOE talk on the website with the slides and audio recording. There was support for this from several others. Peter mentioned that a new GB2RS transmission had started at 12-noon from Borders-Chirnside. Briain was using his vertical antenna and had worked Fraser MM0EFI/P on Mona Gowan. Brain DIJ had worked 15 stations on 4m on Sunday including Phil G3TCU/P on CW in Surrey at 555km and others on aircraft scatter. On 2m last night he worked our good friend Nick G4KUX in Bishop Auckland. Mike was trying to repair his transverter. His NAG amplifier was now switching correctly. He had heard an AWACS RAF plane crossing the border to the south. He had also heard Ian GM3SEK in Wigton last night. Melvyn was hearing Bernie and Bill OK. His beam was back up and could be vertical or horizontal. Bill was glad to be back. He had also worked Nick G4KUX. Norrie was offering a talk on the new EMF regulations and calculations, hopefully in October. Alan MM0VPM was a welcome call-in from Dalkeith at the end. E&OE. Audio tnx Peter:

 

 

 

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Net #52 on 31st March had 11 participants: controller Colin GM4HWO, Alan GM3PSP, Pete GM4BYF, Briain GM8PKL, Mike GM8KCS, Melvyn GM4HYR, John GM8OTI, Peter GM4DTH, Brian GM4DIJ, Norrie GM1CNH.

Colin was working on radio maintenance and antennas. He had been contacted by Peter GM0PXV, a former member who wished to make contact again. He had helped John GM3BST-SK in his latter years in a care-home in Loanhead. Alan had put a note on the website about plans to operate GM3HAM in the 2m contest in May from our usual site at Gatehouse of Fleet. Pete was checking his 10GHz equipment for the new season and had found several problems. He might operate it from home in the contest. For the May 2m contest we should check the rules regarding post-codes. Briain would work on his antennas tomorrow. He hoped to work Bernie GM4WZG, 6-7 miles line-of-site from the Braids to Dalgety Bay in Fife on the higher frequencies. Last night he was 5&9 on a lamp. Mike had had a total disaster with his transverter for the NAG amplifier, with a dry joint and then a spider causing a short in the PA. Melvyn's VHF antenna was not yet up. He continued to work on his daughter's house-drains. (Some people have all the luck). He had done a nice walk at Dundas House near South Queensferry. John's PA was working OK. He had been doing mostly astronomical photography with the recent clear skies. Peter was testing his new headset. He had again worked Toby MM0TSS on QRP. For possible portable operation he recommended checking the availability of pubs and public toilets! He confirmed that the LRS donation had been made to the Museum of Communication. Brian had fitted a new mic lead. He had run a half-marathon on Monday and had been walking on Corstorphine Hill. He hoped to operate 3cm from home. including working BYF on the south side of Fairmilehead from Corstorphine by bouncing his signal off the Pentland Hills. Norrie had updated the data list for the 2m contest in May and could provide equipment. E&OE. Audio re-coded tnx Peter:

 

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Net #51 on 24th March had a record 12 participants: controller Colin GM4HWO, Mike GM8KCS, Alan GM3PSP, Pete GM4BYF, Brian GM8BJF, John GM8OTI, Melvyn GM4HYR, Peter GM4DTH, Briain GM8PKL, Brian GM4DIJ, Robin GM4YPL and guest Nathan 2M0NHD (Longstone).

Colin was glad to be back after a bad reaction to the Covid vaccine. He had been working on bike projects. Looking forward to possible VHF/UHF contests he wondered what antennas would be practicable. He had a 2m folded dipole for sale @ £15. Mike had replaced a length of coax which was running hot! and hoped to be on 4m soon. Alan mentioned new website items: cancellation of the Cockenzie Mini-Rally in August.The next MoC Goudie lecture on 17th April would be "TV Programs we used to watch". Pete had worked 4 stations on 13cm, best Dx G4CLA in Leicestershire. He had fixed a relay problem in his 23cm preamp. but had mast problems with his 67-ele 13cm beam. He had done two 12-mile walks recently. Pete relayed news from Brian BJF (n/h @ psp): demolished some obstructing holly trees and beam was horizontal tonight. John was on his halo. He had been busy sanding his floor and doing astronomical photography. Melvyn had been working at his daughter's new house again, especially on the garden drains! He was using his vertical antenna as the horizontal beam was down. He had been at Dalmeny on Sunday. He wondered about the possibility of a D/F Hunt this summer. Peter had been busy with Edinburgh Cine & Video Society work. He hoped the LRS might re-start in September, depending on availability of the Braid Hills Hotel. D/F hunt might have to wait until the pubs reopened! Briain was planning for a 4m tower. He was happy with Windows-10 although he had had a crash after a recent update! His favourite browser was Firefox. Brian DIJ was on 4m last Thursday and worked 24 stations, all done by 9:15. Best DX was G3VCA in IO93 Durham. On 13cm on Tuesday he only worked 2 GM stations. He could do a talk on OPNS simulation. He had run to Dalmeny recently. Robin was glad to be back. Busy with DIY jobs. Nathan 2M0NHD called in for the first time (welcome!), running 30W from Longstone. He prefers his other call MM3NDH which allows QRO! E&OE. Audio tnx Peter:

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Net #50 on 17th March 2021: Apology: Colin GM4HWO. Controller: GM3HAM / Pete GM4BYF, Brian GM8BJF, Alan GM3PSP, Peter GM4DTH, Briain GM8PKL, Mike GM8KCS, Brian GM4DIJ, Jack GM1CQC, Bill GM8SQM, Melvyn GM4HYR.

Pete was the "Fat Controller" using the club call GM3HAM. Brian BJF was a good signal on his 14-ele horizontal beam. He had been busy destroying 5 transistors in his 23cm preamp. Last night he had worked Sue G8SFI in York. He was still hopeful of a BBQ at Bates Motel some time. Brian BJF (n/h @ psp) reported to Pete that his beam was horizontal tonight. He reported that doppler shift had been heard on the 3cm beacon at GM3WOJ by Briain PKL. Alan reported on the latest news items uploaded to the website including one about the likely battery lifetimes in electric cars. He was considering putting up his venerable halo antenna to try to get a better (horizontal) signal from BJF. Peter suggested BJF use a narrower beam towards the (church) reflector. BJF was 5&1 on his 5/8 vertical. Peter was about to erect a new antenna. He had just received a Chinese EMF meter.  He had worked Toby MM0MSS/M. Briain suggested a cloverleaf antenna for Alan. Re battery cars, he has a hybrid. Mike (Buckstone) was getting Brian at 5&4 on his 9-element Tonna after doing some aerial work today. He couldn't contemplate the cost of replacing an electric car battery! Brian DIJ gave BJF a good 5&7-8 from Corstorphine. He worked 7 stations on 4m on Sunday and 10 on 23cm last night mostly by aircraft scatter. His 70cm preamp stopped working but was now OK after the water was poured out! Jack at Crewe Toll, running 5W was only 3&1 at psp. He had viewed the film of the Aberdeen club on the website and thought he only recognised GM3AEL. Bill thanked Colin for the RG-214 coax and plugs and was working on his antenna. Melvyn apologised for being late after doing some exciting paperwork. He had taken down his beam for testing polarity and its rotator. E&OE. Audio tnx Peter:

 

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Net #49 on 10th March 2021: controller Colin GM4HWO, Alan GM3PSP, Mike GM8KCS, Briain GM8PKL, Pete GM4BYF, Brian GM8BJF Peebles, Melvyn GM4HYR, Peter GM4DTH, Brian GM4DIJ, Chris GM4YPL Linlithgow, Bill GM8SQM Kirkliston.

Colin had almost finished selling the HOQ valves and relays. He had installed a 4m dipole. Alan sadly had had to have his dog Clyde put to sleep. He noted that next week's net would be #50 - quite an achievement. Mike was concerned about the forecast stormy wx. He had been doing EMC calculations for the new Ofcom regulations. Briain continued work on his new yagi installation. He sent his 73s to George DU1GM who reads these net reports in the Philippines! Pete had found things shambolic in the 2m and 70cm 24-hour contests. On 70cm last night he worked 4 stations on aircraft scatter and a total of 19 stations including JO-02 on tropo. Brian BJF was a good 5&1 at PSP. He had worked Nick G4KUX in Bishop Auckland at 5&9. Melvyn was also complaining about wind. Peter had sent the agreed LRS donation to the MoC. He had now received bits from China for his new interface. Brian DIJ had heard nothing in the 9cm and 13cm periods, nothing on 70cm, but did work Dave G4ASR in Hereford on 2m. On Tuesday 70cm was "grim" but he did work Pete G4CLA in IO82 (Lutterworth). Chris was a welcome new voice on the net and planned to be on more often. He was 5&5 at psp. Bill was a good signal. He thanked Colin for the antenna and cable and hoped to be on more. E&OE  Audio tnx Peter:

 

 

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Net #48 on 3rd March 2021: controller Colin GM4HWO, Pete GM4BYF, Brian GM8BJF (Peebles), Peter GM4DTH, Mike GM8KCS, Briain GM8PKL, Norrie GM1CNH, Melvyn GM4HYR, John GM8OTI, Brian GM4DIJ, Alan GM3PSP, Bill GM8SQM.

Pete had worked 39 on the 2m contest in good condx but had killed his LED garage lights! Best DX was PA5Y. Keith GM4YXI in IO88 had worked over 100. Pete had completed testing all the valves and would now sell his valve tester. He later reported that Brian BJF (not audible at PSP) was working on Raspberry-Pi, Unix and 3cm beam projects. Peter had got a 4m / M rig which tested OK and would be used for GB2RS work, and also 2m. An ADS/EBU interface was available for future use. He took this nice shot of Briain's QTH on the side of the Braids:

Briain GM8PKL QTH - photo by Peter GM4DTH

Mike reported the GB3NGI beacon was strong at S2-S7 on a tapped vertical whip. Mike hopes to rig has 2m antenna soon after getting more poles from Granton on Monday. Norrie had fired up his linear to full power to a 9-element yagi. He started his car on Saturday after keeping the battery on trickle-charge for months but this had confused the low-voltage alarm which wasn't smart enough! He had found good IARU software for EMC calculations for the new OfCom regulations and would send them to Alan for the website (tnx - posted - psp). Melvyn was still busy working on his daughter's new house. John had watched the latest SpaceX launch which was shut-down at the last minute. (It blew up several minutes later - psp)! Brian DIJ had 10 QSOs in the Sunday cumulative including Pete BYF, Terry GM3WUX, G4TLZ (aircraft scatter) & NIck G4KUX. Condx were strange on 2m last night and he only worked G8RVQ in Liverpool. He heard GDs OK and the GB3NGI beacon was loud. With a new VNA he had measured his on 70cm and 23cm. Colin was busy selling valves (tnx to Pete for testing).  He was buying mobile antennas for HF and 2m for his LandRrover and would soon have a discone installed on his chimney by Ian, the "Antenna-Medic". Alan reported that his daughter Sheila had just been in an Edinburgh Evening News article about a litter-gathering project in Leith. Bill called in to report hearing most stations well in Kirkliston. Several people commented on the new RSGB plan for a single exam for the Full Licence, rather than the current 3 stages. It was agreed this was a very good thing, long overdue!

E&OE. Audio file (net only) tnx Peter:

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Net #47 on 24 Feb: Apols: Colin GM4HWO & Alan GM3PSP. Controller Pete GM4BYF. Participants: Peter GM4DTH, Briain GM8PKL, Mike GM8KCS, Melvyn GM4HYR, John GM8OTI, Brian GM8BJF, Brian GM4DIJ. Visitor Mike GM0MMN Kirkcaldy.

Peter has taken delivery of a Key KM80 commercial mobile on 4m to be used for the GB2RS service. This should lead to an improvement in audio quality. Testing will take place over the next few days. Briain has had a new aerial bracket heavily chromated bringing the day it will be in the sky ever closer. Mike had been working in Glasgow and communicated /M with Peter on 2m AM at the junction for Airdrie. Melvyn was the first to report aerial damage after yesterday's gales. His 60m dipole had disintegrated and his large magnetic loop had broken free from its mountings. John hoped he had cured the problem with the relays 'chattering' in his amplifier. He suspected an EMC issue and improved the screening of the relay's circuitry. Still in construction mode he is developing a regulator to use with a four cell Lipo battery to power 12V equipment. Finally he was recommending watching NASA's video of the landing on the rover 'Perseverance'. Brian BJF, in Peebles, was audible to the majority on the net. He had been renovating his 2m aerial and the general feeling was an improvement of his signal. He reported that his noise level was lower than usual The final Brian of the evening (DIJ) said that his 23cm aerial needed attention after the gales. In the 4m contest he worked Terry GM3WUX, Malcolm GM4TAL and Mike GM4IGS. Pete reminded everyone how long his chromated Tonna 2m beam had lasted. His 23cms preamplifier was still unserviceable He pointed out in the past he has an EMC issue with intermittent self keying of a transmitter being trigged by spikes from his refrigerator. He warned the net not to buy furniture from direct from an Cornish online retailer which delivers direct from their warehouse. What they did not reveal is the warehouse's location which is in Vietnam. It seems that they have adopted some of their trading practices of the fictional character 'Arthur Daley’. Report - tnx Peter. Audio file tnx Peter.

 

 

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Participants in Net 46 on 17th February 2021 were: Colin GM4HWO (controller), Alan GM3PSP, Mike GM8KCS, Melvyn GM4HYR, Pete GM4BYF, Brian GM8BJF, John GM8OTI, Briain GM8PKL, Peter GM4DTH & Brian GM4DIJ.

Colin suggested keeping overs to 3-4 minutes each to complete by 9pm, after net over-runs in previous weeks. Subsequent rag-chew would be separately recorded. He was busy selling valves from GM3HOQ-SK and from himself, on e-Bay. He would arrange to send the Tonna antenna to Mike GM4IGS in troon. He suggested posting details of the RSGB Activity Nights on the LRS website. Alan had put up the MOC talk info on the website and a report on a signal being received from Mars by VA7TIL. He wondered if an LRS BBQ might be possible this year? He was pleased to announce his daughter Sheila had just become engage to her American high-school sweetheart from 30 years ago! Mike had seen the Mars signal waterfall but had heard nothing. He had worked Toby MM0TSS/M and Peter earlier in the day. Melvyn  had erected a Magloop antenna and had had one or two QSOs on 80m QRPP. Pete had been busy testing valves for Colin, almost all done now. He gave a summary of the RSGB Activity Nights schedule. He was hopeful that a BBQ might be possible in the summer. Brian BJF was not audible at PSP - antenna at 45 degrees pse! John would need a 60cm dish to receive the Mars orbiter signal.  Briain could barely hear BJF. He was working on his 2m antenna and was considering a lightning surge protector but they were rather expensive @ £99. Peter was working on a new 2m antenna for his GB2RS transmissions on Sunday mornings. Brian DIJ in Corstorphine was getting BJF well at S5-6. He had received his Covid vaccination last Thursday after running to Sighthill! He had worked 3 station on the 23cm event, best being Terry G1LPS in Durham. No aircraft scatter had been available. E&OE. Audio tnx Peter. Note: net duration just over the hour!

 

  1. 10 Feb 2021 - LRS Viral Net 45
  2. 3 Feb 2021- LRS Viral Net 44
  3. 27 Jan 2021 - LRS Viral Net 43
  4. 20 Jan 2021- Viral Net 42