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Viral Net 29 on 21st October had 7 participants with Colin GM4HWO as controller: Mike, GM8KCS, Peter GM4DTH, Briain GM8PKL, Alan GM3PSP, Pete GM4BYF and Melvyn GM4HYR. Brian GM8BJF had sent regrets due to local noise out in the colonies in Peebles. Colin and Alan had both worked SOTA station GM6NX/P on Shiehallion on 2m the previous Sunday, with Alan able to give an amazing 59+60 report. Pete said conditions on 23cm had been "dire" the previous evening. Colin & Pete are still selling Andre's books etc on eBay. Mike was working on his HF dipole and an army rig. Peter had had a number of QSOs with local mobiles. Brian had managed to pick up some scaffold poles for his antenna projects from a yard in Granton, and toasted everyone with this week's choice - a Medoc! Alan reminded all of GM4WZP James's attack by a cow at Flotterstone, with hopes for a rapid recovery from his injury (see this page - News). Peter had provided Alan with archival photos of an LRS Junk Sale in about 2000 which have been scanned and put on the website (see this page - News). They include shots of Charlie GM0OYV-SK who had made possible the DF trophy and the Osprey plate for the LRS trophy, by a bequest to the club. Melvyn confirmed that he currently held the DF trophy as the last DF hunt winner. Pete has the Osprey Trophy and there was agreement that we should try to reinstate the competition for it. Alan mentioned that he had informed QRZ.com and Hamcall of Charlie's Silent Key after about 18 years!

Audio tnx Peter:

 

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 Colin GM4HWO was back as Net 28 controller on 14th October with 7 participants: Mike GM8KCS, Briain GM8PKL, Pete GM4BYF, Alan GM3PSP, Peter GM4DTH and Melvyn GM4HYR. Brian GM4DIJ had sent his apols from Galloway. No sign of Brian GM8BJF this week. Mike reported some necessary repair work on his rotator and that he had had a QSO with former member Toby MM0TSS while visiting Edinburgh. Briain's new antenna installation is almost done. He has just bought a capacitance meter as a mate for his clampometer. Pete and XYL Kay GM6KAY had just done a 12.5 mile Pentlands walk. On 70cm the previous night he had made several aircraft-scatter QSOs well-down into G-land and made a short recording (below) of his QSO with M0SAT (Watford). Click for map. Alan mentioned the Silent Key of former LRS member and HWU professor, Colin GM3LAV, which is posted on this website. He had also received a club membership enquiry. Colin GM4HWO and Pete are continuing with the sale of Andre GM3VLB-SK's equipment with the end maybe in sight soon (only 2 crates to go)! Colin is now very well-known at his local Post Office! Peter had viewed several talks from the RSGB Convention on-line, including one, which he recommended, about transceivers for VHF/UHF contest use. Melvyn, back from a trip to the west coast, was having rig problems. He had just viewed Ice Station Zebra (1968) after many years and noted how primitive the special effects were!                  Audio c/o Peter GM4DTH:

 

 

 

  

Aircraft scatter path from GM4BYF in Edinburgh to M0SAT in Watford.

Position of 737 scatter aircraft shown as red dot halfway, near Manchester.

Audio of this QSO tnx Pete GM4BYF: 

 
 

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Pete GM4BYF was Net 27 controller on 7th October with 9 participants: Mike GM8KCS, Norrie GM1CNH, Bill GM8SQM, Brian GM8BJF (weak signal), Stewart GM4ZOA, Briain GM8PKL, Peter GM4DTH and Alan GM3PSP (after fish-man called). Peter reported working 40 stations in the 2m contest the previous evening including several by aircraft-scatter. Norrie reminded people of the RSGB Conference online this weekend. Bill had just returned from Norfolk and en-route  had contacted Nick G4KUX (LRS speaker last October). Stewart called in briefly to say hello. Briain reported good progress in the installation of his new 8-element 2m yagi - see photo below. Alan (with his haddock safely in the fridge) reported on recent additions to the website including the reception of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter on 3cm by VE7TIL (below) and Norrie's Antenna Bag article in RadCom. 

Regret no audio recording of Net 27.

 

Antenna installation - photo by Briain GM8PKL

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Ten members and one guest participated in the 26th LRS Viral Net on 30th September: Colin GM4HWO (Controller), Peter GM4DTH, Briain GM8PKL, Pete GM4BYF, Melvyn GM4HYR, Norrie GM1CNH, Brian GM4DIJ, Alan GM3PSP, Andy MM7MOX (guest), Mike GM8KCS. Colin and Peter reported that the last items (mostly books) from GM3VLB-SK were now being sold. Pete had visited Blackness Castle as a possible portable site, noting that car parking must be booked in advance. Brian's antenna project was progressing but he failed to report on his Clampometer project! He did mention that the GM3WOJ 3cm beacon antenna was now vertical again. Briain's recommendation for the  week: pinot noir! Norrie didn''t mention it, but he has an article in the current (Oct) RadCom p.73 (how appropriate) on using a golf-bag for carrying portable antenna parts - congrats / see news item below. Welcome to guest Andy MM7MOX in Morningside. Pete reported that "Dr" Brian GM8BJF had finally retired from E.U. with the graduation of his last Ph.D student.

Regret no audio recording of Net 26.

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There were 9 participants in the 25th LRS Viral Net on 23rd September: Controller Colin GM4HWO, Briain GM8PKL, Mike GM8KCS, Pete GM4BYF, Alan GM3PSP, Peter GM4DTH, Brian GM4DIJ, Norrie GM1CNH, and Melvyn GM4HYR who squeaked in at the end for a quick hello! Colin reported that he and Pete were still working on the disposal of Andre GM3VLB's gear, nearly finished now. Briain had just bought a "clampometer" (or current clamp meter) and had completed his new antenna base. Mike had been busy revamping his antenna feeders which were showing significant losses, but he had worked an EI and a GM in Kintyre on 2m at the weekend. He mentioned a possible portable site near Innerwick and Colin also mentioned one at a redundant mast at Coldingham. Pete had worked several PA0s and a DL on 2m the previous evening plus another PA on 23cm CW. Alan mentioned new items on the website: the Seawater Antenna and the likely re-opening of the Barnton Quarry Nuclear Bunker soon. There was agreement that this would make an interesting visit. Colin has a contact there. Alan would also put up information about the RSGB Convention which will be free and 100% virtual this year with a very interesting program of lectures. Peter mentioned a software bug in the  recording software which is now fixed. Brian was just back from 4 weeks in Galloway. Norrie had been at home, painting, even a few days at work. 

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The 24th Viral Net on 16th September attracted 9 participants: Pete GM4BYF (controller), Peter GM4DTH, Briain GM8PKL, Brian GM8BJF (Peebles), Alan GM3PSP, Mike GM8KCS, Mike GM0MMN (guest - Kirkcaldy), Melvyn GM4HYR and Stewart GM4ZOA. Briain GM8PKL reported that his VHF antenna re-build was going well. Alan GM3PSP was called away to answer the door bell rung by his fish-man and that somehow started a discussion on that subject!

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The 23rd Viral Net on 9th September had 8 participants: controller Colin GM4HWO, John GM8OTI (especially after he  turned on his PA), Brian GM8PKL, Pete GM4BYF, Peter GM4DTH, Alan GM3PSP, Mike GM8KCS and Brian GM8BJF in Peebles. Sorry, notes lost. Audio recording below. (I suppose I could listen to it all again - psp)!

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There was a small but distinguished participation of five in the 22nd LRS Viral Net on 2nd Sept 2020: Colin GM4HWO, Peter GM4DTH, Mike GM8KCS, Pete GM4BYF & Briain GM8PKL, with apologies from Alan GM3PSP. They discussed the preparations for the social weekend at Gatehouse of Fleet next weekend that coincides with several 144MHz contests. Colin had got fuel supplies and was collecting all the items for his field kitchen. On the Friday evening we will all be joining Colin in the Masonic Arms for dinner and lemonade. Peter GM4DTH reported on several equipment repairs and upgrades to his Elecraft K3. Mike GM8KCS reported that he had worked Melvyn GM4HYR/M on 2m over an obscured path of just over 64 miles at Inverkip last weekend. Pete GM4BYF had operated in the 2m contest the previous evening and found the band busy. He worked over 40 stations with the best DX being Beachy Head. Briain GM8PKL told us that his aerial steelwork had arrived from Radio Tower Engineering which had fabricated it for him. He has fitted the wall brackets and will be continuing to work on it. The epoxy resin needs 2 weeks to cure - so see you on Sept 9th!

Many thanks to Peter GM4DTH for this report and the following audio file:

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