Scottish Charity number SC045038
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LRS Messages of the Day:
LRS Barbecue POSTPONED from Wed 24th June. New date TBA ~ Aug/Sept.
27 May 2026 – D/F Hunt report now complete – see Recent Meetings.
Wed 10th June – 19:30h – LRS Pub Night at Wee Bennet’s Bar, Morningside Stn.
Wed 17th June – 20:00h – LRS AGM at Braid Hills Hotel.
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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LRS Barbecue POSTPONED from Wed 24th June. New date TBA ~ Aug/Sept..
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.
TUES 16 JUNE – 19:30h MOC Goudie Lecture – The Remarkable Mary Somerville – Queen of 19th Century Science – by Ian Archibald. See below – Rallies etc.
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
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Tuesday 16 June 2026 – MOC Goudie Lecture
MoC GOUDIE LECTURE – TUESDAY 16 JUNE 2026The next MOC Goudie Lecture will take place at 7.30 pm on Tuesday 16 June and is entitled The Remarkable Mary Somerville – Queen of 19th Century Science. It will be presented by local historian Ian Archibald and is timed to coincide with Burntisland Civic Week. Please see Events – Museum Of Communication for further information.To attend in person, please email enquiries@mocft.co.ukZoom access details will be sent to you about 10 days before the Lecture.Attendance in person costs £5. Those viewing the lectures online are encouraged to make a voluntary donation of £5 in support of MoC activities via our web page at Shop – Museum Of Communication. We are a charitable organisation that relies entirely on donations for financial survival.Please be aware that our lectures are not recorded. There is therefore no catch-up facility.
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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RadCom June 2026 – LRS NARSA Rally Photo in RSGB RadCom
The LRS group photo taken at Pete GM4BYF’s table at the NARSA (Blackpool) Rally has been published in RSGB RadCom magazine, June 2026 issue, p.80.
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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 from Droitwich, Burghead and Westerglen on Saturday 27th June 2026. It had operated since Sept 1934. The RSGB and the BBC Amateur Radio Group are planning to mark this event on the air. Click for info.
2. RECENT MEETINGS
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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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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Wed 23 May 2012 – D/F Hunt
The cunningly-hidden den of Fox GM4BYF. The Lothians Radio Society held its annual Direction-Finding Competition (D/F Hunt) on Wednesday 23rd May 2012. Click for Full report.
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UHF-Microwave Contest – 5th-6th May 2012
The GM3HAM/P UHF-Microwave Contesters 2012 planning strategy in the Gatehouse Conference Centre (aka the Masonic Arms) Last weekend, 5th – 6th May 2012, members of the GM3HAM/P Contest Group of the Lothians Radio Society again took part in the RSGB UHF-Microwave Contest. Our location was on a hilltop above Gatehouse of Fleet in Kirkcudbrightshire where we have operated…
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Wed 9th May 2012 – ZK2V DXpedition by Chris Tran ZL1CT / GM3WOJ
The ZK2V QTH (Photo courtesy GM3WOJ / ZL1CT) At the meeting of the Lothians Radio Society on Wednesday 9th May 2012, well-known Scottish DXer Chris Tran ZL1CT / GM3WOJ described his single-operator DXpedition to the island of Niue (OC-040) in the South Pacific from 21st October to 20th December 2011. Using the callsign ZK2V Chris made 35,686 QSOs from this rare…
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Wed 25th April 2012 – DXCC, LOTW & 7Q7GM Malawi DXpedition by Rob GM3YTS
Rob Ferguson GM3YTS (photo courtesy QRZ.com) At the meeting of the Lothians Radio Society on 25th April 2012 Rob Ferguson GM3YTS, dedicated DXer and well-known as the Chairman of the GMDX Group, talked about the ARRL DX Century Club award (DXCC) and ARRL Logbook of the World (LOTW), the on-line system for QSLing contacts. As a bonus, Rob also described his DXpedition to…
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Wed 11th April 2012 – Radioactivating East Africa in the 1960s / 70s by Andre GM3VLB
Andre’s first QSL card as 5Z5KL in Kenya At the meeting of the Lothians Radio Society on 11th April 2012 Andre Saunders GM3VLB talked about “Radioactivating East Africa in the 1960s/70s”. Andre was accompanied by his wife, Veronica, who acted as projectionist. Report here. Andre says: “The alternative title to my talk might be “From Scottish Crystals to Tanzanian Gemstones”…
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Wed 28th March 2012 – Homebrew Microwave Construction by John Cooke GM8OTI
John GM8OTI and his homebrew 23cm & 13cm transverters and yagis At the meeting of the LRS on 28th March 2012 LRS Past-President Dr. John Cooke GM8OTI talked about “Homebrew Microwave Construction”. John is an avid SOTA operator and has designed and constructed all his lightweight portable equipment, progressively moving up in frequency band, now on 13cm. When first licensed…
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9th March 2012 Aurora Summary by GM4BYF
The double CME eruption of March 7th produced a complicated magnetic situation. Most likely both CMEs “ate” each other (hence weakening the strength of the magnetic field BZ). Only the latter part finally produced some aurora, but not as strong as it might have been. Finally the BZ turned south and around 12:00 UTC the…
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Wed 14th March 2012 – WWII Utility Radios by Colin GM4HWO & Peter GM4DTH
Colin GM4HWO & Peter GM4DTH after their presentation. At a most enjoyable meeting of the LRS on 14th March Colin Wright GM4HWO described the “Utility Radios” that were manufactured by a number of companies as affordable broadcast receivers for the home during World War II. Then Peter Dick GM4DTH showed film footage of broadcasting during the war and played a selection of recordings…
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22nd Feb 2012 – Modifying PC PSUs for Radio Use by Brian Flynn GM8BJF
GM8BJF measuring voltage on a modified PC PSU At the meeting of the Lothians Radio Society on 22nd February LRS member Dr. Brian Flynn GM8BJF described how to modify computer power supply units for use in Amateur Radio. The talk started off with a description of the operation of SMPS – Switch-Mode Power Supplies – and an explanation of the commonly used topologies (circuit…
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Wed 8th Feb 2012 – Aurora Explained by Dr. David Gavine
At the meeting of the Lothians Radio Society on Wednesday February 8th Dr. David Gavine talked on “Aurora Explained” – how it is caused by disturbances on the Sun, what it looks like & how it was “explained” in the past, with plenty of illustrations. Dr Gavine is retired from teaching astro-navigation and meteorology at Leith Nautical College (where Colin Wright…
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HAPPY NEW YEAR!
(Photo by GM3PSP) A Happy New Year to all our readers! We look forward to welcoming you to the meetings of the Lothians Radio Society in 2012. The LRS has an excellent programme of technical presentations on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month at the Braid Hills Hotel – see This Year’s Programme.
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Wed 11th Jan 2012 – Video Evening – ‘The Spies Who Lost the Battle of Britain’
CHL – Chain Home Low radar installation The first meeting of the LRS in 2012 was the Video Evening on Wednesday 11th January. Peter Dick GM4DTH presented The Spies Who Lost the Battle of Britain, the story of British Radar and how the Germans nearly discovered it, a documentary about the Chain-Home radar system. This was followed by RDF…