Scottish Charity number SC045038
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LRS Messages of the Day:
Wed 27 May 2026 – LRS 160m D/F Hunt – GM3HAM/P, operated by Peter GM4DTH.
Meet at the Tardis Police Box on Braid Hills Rd for registration by 7.20pm; the event starts sharp at 7.30pm.
Please note that the D/F Tx frequency is changed slightly to 1.873MHz.
For full instructions from Peter GM4DTH, see Upcoming Meetings below.
Sat 23 May 2026 – Historic Pre-War HMV-901 Mirror-Lid Television Set for sale.
Preliminary notice – more info soon.
LRS MEETINGS
LRS meetings are normally held on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month (except July and August) at 8:00pm at the Braid Hills Hotel, 134 Braid Road, EH10 6JD.
In July and August Pub Nights are held at 7:30pm at Wee Bennet’s Bar at Morningside Station, on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays. There are also occasional Wee Bennet’s evenings arranged during the main club season.
Most items are archived in Meeting Reports or Society Activities.
UPCOMING MEETINGS
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Wed 27 May – 19:30h – Top Band D/F Hunt – Peter Dick GM4DTH.
The start point avoids the high noise level experienced in earlier years near the Braid Hills Hotel. Members (or visitors) wishing to take part are advised to be on Braid Hills Road at the sign for Braids Golf Course (junction with Braid Hills Ave / Braid Hills Approach / Braid Mount (NT-246698) no later than 7.20pm, although this is not essential – some entrants choose to start from elsewhere. There is usually room for those not equipped with receivers to join up with members who are equipped. The “Fox” will be located somewhere within the City boundary and participants should be equipped with a map and the necessary equipment to draw out bearings. The Fox will transmit using the callsign GM3HAM/P for 5 minutes-on / 5 minutes-off periods starting promptly at 7.30 pm. The frequency will be 1.873 MHz with an amplitude modulated tone being broadcast plus voice identification at the start and end of each period of transmitting. Operation will cease at about 9.30pm and an informal gathering will occur at a pub not too far from the Fox’s location, which will be announced at that time.
Participants are advised to be equipped with a mobile phone. A coordinator will be available at the start to provide the mobile number of the fox station (Peter GM4DTH) and to register who is participating. If a hunter is encountering difficulty in locating the Fox, they can request clues regarding the location of the Fox station (or the pub)! Each clue provided will incur a penalty of 20 minutes. Test signals similar to those of the Fox on 1.873 MHz can be provided if requested – contact Peter GM4DTH to arrange.Wed 10 June – 19:30h – LRS Pub Night at Wee Bennet’s Bar, Morningside Stn.
Wed 17 June – 20:00h – LRS AGM, Braid Hills Hotel.
Wed 24 June – 20:00h – LRS Summer Barbecue at Bates Motel – QTH-GM4BYF.
RALLIES AND OTHER EVENTS
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Sunday 25 Oct 2026 – Galashiels Rally
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Friday 14th August 2026 18:00 to 21:00 Cockenzie & Port Seton Junk Night, Port Seton Community Centre, South Seton Park Port Seton EH32 0BG
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Sat 31 Oct 2026 – GMRT-2026 at MOC Burntisland & Dinner at Kingswood Hotel
The 2026 Scottish Microwave Round Table (GMRT-2026) will be held as usual at the Museum of Communication in Burntisland, followed by dinner at the nearby Kingswood Hotel.
https://gmroundtable.org.uk/
Speakers to present microwave related talks are urgently needed – contact Colin gm4hwo@gmail.comDetails will be available nearer the date.
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9 May – 30 Sept – Weds & Sats – MOC Exhibition 2026
CONTEST CALENDAR
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Pete GM4BYF has confirmed that the Lothians Contest Group will participate in VHF NFD on 3 – 5 July 2026 and is looking for more members to come along for the weekend and help set up the station and operate. The group is also looking for help with transporting equipment to the site at Gatehouse of Fleet in Dumfries & Galloway. Rough camping is available on site; public toilets, shops and an excellent pub / restaurant are nearby- There will be a team meal as usual on the Friday night in the Masonic Arms in Gatehouse.If you are interested, please contact Pete GM4BYF = gm4byf@blueyonder.co.uk
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The LRS operates GM3HAM/P from a great site near Gatehouse of Fleet in Dumfries & Galloway.
5-6 July 2025 – VHF NFD – see report in About LRS – Contest / Portable.
(This photo by Andy MMØFMF / now GM4LLD, is in RSGB RadCom Sept 2025, p.80).
RSGB GB2RS NEWS
Every Sunday morning in the Edinburgh area at 09:30h from LRS member Peter Dick GM4DTH. 70.425MHz FM, 145.525MHz FM & 433.525MHz FM. Then call-in to Peter at 10:00h on 145.575MHz for local net. Several LRS members often there.
RADIO NEWS, RECENT MEETINGS, SILENT KEYS and FOR SALE / WANTED
Click on image or “read more” to open full article.
Send items to Alan GM3PSP:
webmaster@lothiansradiosociety.com
Items usually archived as News or Silent Keys in LRS Archive after 1 month.
1. RADIO NEWS ITEMS
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5 May 2026 – 600km Troposcatter Limit on 144MHz – GM4DIJ
Brian GM4DIJ, operating from near Stranraer on 5 May 2026 in the 144MHz UKAC contest, plotted his results to illustrate the 600km Troposcatter limit on this band.
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Sat 27 June 2026 – BBC to close Radio-4 198kHz Long-Wave Service.
The BBC will close its Radio-4 198kHz Long-Wave service on Saturday 27th June 2026. Click for info.
2. RECENT MEETINGS
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13 May 2026 John Cooke GM8OTI – EME on a Shoestring – Receiving & Decoding 70cm.
John GM8OTI described his efforts over the years to achieve reception of… Read more
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22 April 2026 – Microwave Energy Generation Advances Which Enabled the Development of WW2 Airborne Radar – Prof Peter Grant, University of Edinburgh.
3. SILENT KEYS
There are no current silent key notifications. Click on the heading to see the silent key archive.
4. ITEMS FOR SALE
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23 May 2026 – Item for Sale – Historic Pre-War HMV-901 Mirror-Lid Television Set
Sat 23 May 2026 – Historic Pre-War HMV-901 Mirror-Lid Television Set for sale. Preliminary notice – more info soon. Click for LRS lecture by Peter Scott.
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26 Apr 2026 – Bencher BY-1 Dual Paddle for Sale by Andy GM4LLD.
Bencher BY-1 dual paddle key. Chrome mechanics on black base. Used and slightly worn but in very good condition otherwise. Pictures available on request. Price £125 or offer. Andy Sinclair GM4LLD (formerly MM0FMF
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10 Mar 2026 – For Sale: Sigma 2010 Skip Master 25-30MHz am/fm/ssb, fibreglass home base antenna
John GM4JRT has for sale this aerial a Sigma 2010 skip master 25-30MHz am/fm/ssb , fibreglass home base antenna , works well without an ATU on 10 m and 11m band I have the aerial at my QTH , photo attached – collection from QTH GM4HWO @ Liberton Sigma 2010 skip master 25-30MHhz am/fm/ssb , fibreglass home base antenna, power handling 1000 watts, length 5.48 m/ 18 feet, Gain 9.9 dB, impedance 50 ohms, frequency 25-30MHz (with tuning), construction fibreglass, swr 1:1.3, Mounting bracket pole, the sigma euro-comm ½ wave skip master 2010 is a high performance base station antenna.…
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29 Jan 2026 – Items for Sale by Norman MM0BMG (Reduced Prices).
Norman has reduced the prices of many of the items on his list: GM1CNH Equipment Sale Updated: 29 January 2026 Item Description Price Alinco HF Mobile Whip Antenna 2.7 m mobile whip; antenna mounting bracket and spring; adjustable vehicle mounting bracket; heavy duty; boxed. NEW – £150 Anritsu MT8820A Radio Communication Analyser 30 MHz to 2.7 GHz, spectrum analyser, 2G/3G mobile phone tester, output power, modulation, RF signal generation, £300 Badger Boards HF Antenna wideband folded dipole antenna with balun N(f) connector; heavy duty centre spacer; termination resistor; 1.5 MHz to 30 MHz; supplied with 2 x 50 ft antenna…
Lothians Radio Society activities – latest reports
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29 Apr 2026 – LRS Pub Night at Wee Bennet’s Bar
L-R: Peter GM0PXV, Peter GM4DTH, / John GM4JRT. Photo tnx Colin GM4EAU. About 8 people attended the pub night at Wee Bennet’s bar at Morningside Station on 29th April.
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10 April 2026 – New 2m Beacon GB3JIJ 144.407MHz on Isle of Lewis
From Brian Flynn GM8BJF: There is a new Scottish 144MHz beacon, GB3JIJ which is located at the north end of the Isle of Lewis, in IO68UL square, in the Outer Hebrides. It runs 10 Watts on 144.407MHz. It sends its callsign and QRA in CW, no MGM! It is a very useful indicator of propagation…
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15 Apr 2026 – LRS Spring Surplus Sale.
There was an attendance of over 30 LRS members and guests for the 2026 Spring Surplus Sale at St Fillan’s Church Hall and lots of items for them to bid for. Great turnout of 32 for the Spring Surplus Sale in the hall at St Fillan’s Church at Buckstone. … and lots of…
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9-29 April 2026 – JLBTV100 – 100 Years of Television – Helensburgh.
Test card with John Logie Baird, the inventor of Television. Iain Baird, grandson of John Logie Baird, the inventor of Television. Exhibition : 100 years of Television , running from 9th – 29th April, from 10:00 – 16:00 every day in Helensburgh Community Hub. . – see https://jlbtv100.org/ for details. This exhibition was visited by…
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28 March 2026 – GMDX-2026 Convention & Dinner at Bannockburn.
Saturday 28th March 2026 – 27th ANNUAL GMDX CONVENTION & DINNER The 27th Annual GMDX Convention & Dinner was held on Saturday 28th March 2026 at the King Robert Hotel, Bannockburn, nr Stirling, Several LRS members attended. GMDX Convention Programme 27th March 2026. Photos tnx Colin GM4HWO: The GMDX-2026 Convention was held as usual…
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Bletchley Park Visit
Your webmaster’s daughter Sheila recently visited Bletchley Park, including the RSGB’s National Radio Centre, GB3RS, which she enjoyed very much. In the photo the guide on the right is Mike Batchelor G0RBB who was originally from Edinburgh, licensed after service in the RAF.
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11th March 2026 – Which Way is Up? by Malcolm GM3TAL & Sue Hamilton
Anatomy of human balance system. A wee bit of physics, accelerometry and angular measurements, and microdevices that can do this (MMEs). Some examples of applications, medical and military. Demonstration of medical application. Intriguing! …
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25 March 2026 – Rig Testing & Calibration Evening.
Pete GM4BYF, Bill GM8RBT, Bob GM4CMI, Brian GM8BJF. Some members had requested a RIG TESTING & CALIBRATION EVENING. This was held on 25th March 2026 in the BHH Gathering Room. There were three test tables: two with Marconi 2955 Mobile Radio test sets (manned by Mike GM8KCS and Colin GM4HWO) and a third table manned…
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11 March 2026 – GB3NGI Beacon back on 70cm & 23cm – Brian GM4DIJ.
GB3NGI on 70cm & 23cm in Co. Antrim are back in service. Beaconkeeper Gordon GI6ATZ is looking for spots on beaconspot. They are loud here in Edinburgh at IO74, but that’s not surprising. They were either not there or just a trace on Spectran in Edinburgh earlier in the year. Click for beacon website.
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4 March 2026 – IET Talk – The Voyager Interstellar Mission – by James GM4WZP & John GM8OTI
Wed 4th March – Napier University, Colinton Campus – Rivers Suite – IET Talk: The Voyager Interstellar Mission. Launched in 1977, the Voyager 1 & 2 spacecraft continue to send back scientific data despite now being almost 1 light-day from Earth. How has this been done and what of the future? This talk was…
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Wed 11 Feb 2026 – LRS Quiz Night 2026
There was a turnout of 15 for the Quiz Night 2026, prepared and organized by Brian Howie GM4DIJ. There were 3 teams: 1. Endfed Halfwits: Andy MM7MOX, Chris MM0UHR, Pete GM7EEY. 2. BBBs: Pete GM4BYF, Malcolm GM3TAL, Alastair GM4JKT, 3. EMC2: David GM3YMX, Iain GM8LYQ, Colin GM4EAU, Ed GM4AIS The Endfed Halfwits won from BBBs…
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RSGB Old Timers’ Honour Roll 2026
The February 2026 issue of RSGB RadCom magazine lists all those who have been members of the RSGB for 50 years or more. These include the following members and friends of the Lothians Radio Society: 74 Lothians Radio Society GM3HAM (Not listed) 69 Vic Stewart GM3OWU 66 Bruce Taylor HB9ANY (GM3NZI) 65 Alan Masson …