Scottish Charity number SC045038
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LRS Messages of the Day:
4 Nov 2026- GMRT Report by Bill Dent GM8RBT – see below.
Wed 4 Nov 2026 – LRS Net 211 – 20:00h 144.350MHz SSB – all welcome.
Wed 11 Nov 2026 – 7:30PM – LRS Open Meeting – Need to book your place – The end of the BBC 198kHz Radio 4 long wave service – Mark Hughes GM4ISM. Note that this meeting will be held in the larger Buckstone Bar, next to the 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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Wed 11 Nov 2026 – 7:30pm – Open Meeting – The End of the 198kHz Radio-4 Long Wave Service by Mark Hughes GM4ISM.
There is an intention that every year we have an open evening with a keynote speaker, to which guests of the society are very welcome to attend. Because these are likely to be attended by more people than usual, they will be held in a larger room, and at an earlier time. Members and guests will need to register their interest in attending so that all attendees can be accommodated.
This year the event is: The story of the Radio 4 Long Wave service on 200 and 198kHz by Mark Hughes GM4ISM
Mark Hughes GM4ISM will tell the story of the last 35 years of evolution of the BBC Long Wave service and a glimpse at the engineering challenges that kept him (in the technical specialist team) busy as they pushed elderly transmitters way beyond their design life. The inevitable was warded off for a long time to a point that with changes in technology and the ‘political’ and contractual environment, we ended up with the services ceasing this year.
Mark Hughes GM4ISM was a keen young radio ham (licensed at 14), and a career in Electrical Engineering seemed to fit. After graduating in Electrical Engineering at Warwick University he was recruited by BBC transmission. He worked extensively with antennas and transmitters, ending as team manager of the Forfar and Shetland teams before moving to a technical specialist team which started with four members and ended up with over thirty by the time he retired.
11 November 2026 in the Buckstone Bar next to the Braid Hills Hotel.
Note that the open event starts 30 minutes earlier than our usual talks: 19:00 for 19:30 start.
Please reserve your place through this link:
https://www.lothiansradiosocie
ty.com/open-event-registration/ Please remember to add your email address on the form so that you receive an acknowledgment which is effectively your ticket for the event.
RALLIES AND OTHER EVENTS
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31 Oct 2026 – Scottish Microwave Round Table GMRT 2026
The 2026 Scottish Microwave Round Table was held, appropriately, on Halloween this year. The event was sold out and the lecture room at the MOC/Burntisland was full. There were interesting talks – several from LRS members, including Andy (GM4LLD) on portable microwave operating (lugging dishes up some cold Scottish mountains), Peter (GM4BYF) and Brian (GM8BJF) on tricks and techniques on SM component soldering (with lively participation and experiences from the audience). Also Martin (GM8IEM) talked about his sequencer design for the IC9700, and Mark (GM4ISM) gave some ideas about modding commercial microwave gear for amateurs (aka ‘bodging’). There were some cool bits of identifiable (and unidentifiable) microwave goodies for sale, some fancy test gear for GHz visitors, and tasty food for lunch. A good day out and meet up with other microwavers from Scotland and south of the border.
The room was full! 
Andy introduced Brian GM8BJF talking about SM soldering tricks 
Mark/GM4ISM talked about bodging commercial microwave equipment for amateur use. 
Some interesting microwave bits for sale 
Fancy testgear available (not for sale) 
Speakers: Mark/GM8IEM, Peter/GM4BYF, Brian/GM8BJF, Martin/GM8IEM, and Andy/GM4LLD 
More pictures at https://gmroundtable.org.uk/gmrt-2026-photos/
CONTEST CALENDAR
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The LRS operates GM3HAM/P from a great site near Gatehouse of Fleet in Dumfries & Galloway.
(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
There are no RADIO NEWS ITEMS. Click on the heading to see the radio news archive.
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
There are no current items for sale. Click on the heading to see any archived items.
Lothians Radio Society activities – latest reports
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8 Aug 2023 – Pub Night 3
James GM3WZP, Mike GM8KCS, Pete GM4BYF, John GM4JRT, Colin GM4HWO, Vic GM3OWU / Alan GM3PSP, Colin GM3EAU. ===========================================
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12 July 2023 – Pub Night 1
LRS Pub Nights got off to a good start for 2023 on 12th July at Wee Bennet’s Bar at Morningside Station. These are held on meeting Wednesdays (2nd & 4th of month) during the summer break. Cheers! Click for full report. =============================================
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12 Aug 2023 – John GM4JRT – Guest Operator at Stirling Club Special Event Station
LRS member John Taylor GM4JRT was a guest operator of the Stirling club’s special-event station to celebrate the hosting of the UCI Cycling World Championships Time-Trial, at 10pm – midnight (!) on 12th August. Click for full report with more photos. Click for report on visit to Stirling in 2010. =============================================
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26 July 2023 – Pub Night 2
Photos tnx Peter GM4DTH L-R: Vic GM3OWU, James GM4WZP, Colin GM4HWO, Mike GM8KCS. Also present: Alan GM3PSP, Peter GM4DTH. ===================================
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2 July 2023 – SAQ 17.2kHz received by Peter GM4DTH
Click for report, transcript & audio recording. ============================================
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30 June 2023 – VHF – UHF NFD, Gatehouse of Fleet
Results – Restricted Section – GM3HAM/P Click for RSGB page. Final group shot – tnx Andy MM0FMF. Results all confirmed by RSGB: Band QSOs Pts Best DX km Place Overall – Restricted Section – 3rd 50 88 108612 5B4AAB 3573 1st 70 …
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28 June 2023 – Barbecue
Great turnout of 24. Mni tnx to Pete GM4BYF & Kay GM6KAY. Click for report with lots of photos. ============================================
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14 June 2023 LRS AGM
Peter Dick GM4DTH, Colin Wright GM4HWO Short report: all committee re-elected; membership fees unchanged. ============================================ ============================================
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24 May 2023 – D/F Hunt
Fox location Torduff Hill nr Bonaly Four teams took part in the 2023 D/F Hunt, starting at “The Tardis” on Braid Hills Road. Peter GM4DTH operated Fox GM3HAM/P from the top of Torduff Hill in the Pentlands. Click for report. ===========================================
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10 May 2023 – SOTA Old & New by the Two Andys – MM0FMF & MM7MOX
10 May 2023 – “SOTA Old & New” by the Two Andys – MM0FMF & MM7MOX Andy MM7MOX & Andy MM0FMF Andy Sinclair MM0FMF and Andy Black MM7MOX gave a talk on SOTA – Summits On The Air – Old & New. Andy MM7MOX is relatively newly-licenced and quite new to SOTA and talked about his experiences…
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26 Apr 2023 – Geoff Crowley MM5AHO – Radio from far-flung places.
26 Apr 2023 – Geoff Crowley MM5AHO, who has given many LRS talks in the past on his /MM activities (CLICK), returned to talk about: “Radio from far-flung places – How to fit our hobby into business and other travel” Having “unretired” in late 2021 after retiring earlier that year from many years running hot dip galvanizing plants, Geoff…
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22 Apr 2023 – LRS at Norbreck Rally, Blackpool
22 Apr 2023 – LRS at Norbreck Rally, Blackpool. Click for photos – tnx Colin. Curry night before the rally. “Mr SOTA” – Andy MM0FMF ============================================