Scottish Charity number SC045038
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LRS Messages of the Day:
Sun 25 Oct 2026 – Galashiels Rally – 11:15am – Volunteer Hall, Galashiels. LRS table. Wed 28 Oct 2026 – LRS at BHH – Blood Bikes Scotland – Phil Dodsworth & John Taylor Wed 11 Nov 2026 – 7:30PM – Open Meeting – Need to book your place – The end of the 198kHz Radio 4 long wave service – Mark Hughes GM4ISM
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 Gathering Bar at 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.
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28 Oct 2026 – Blood Bikes Scotland by Phil Dodsworth & John Taylor GM3JRT
Blood Bikes Scotland (BBS) is a fully volunteer-run and donation-funded charity that provides a completely no cost courier service to 5 NHS Scotland Health Boards in Lothians, Borders, Fife, Central, and Tayside. BBS use both motorcycles and cars to move a variety of essential items 7 days a week, including: medicines and controlled drugs, tissue and blood samples, prescriptions, clerical and medical documents, medical equipments, and, occasionally, blood.
The alternative courier services cost the NHS precious funds and BBS has saved NHS Scotland over £450,000 in courier costs in the last 12 months.
Phil Dodsworth, a Trustee with BBS, will be giving a presentation all about BBS and how it functions. Our own Treasurer John GM4JRT also volunteers with BBS and will be on hand to answer any specific questions LRS members might have.
More information can be found on the Blood Bikes Scotland website: <https://bloodbikesscotland.
org/>28 Oct 2026 –
RALLIES AND OTHER EVENTS
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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. The panel of speakers is now complete. GMRT-2026 is now FULLY-BOOKED – all 50 places sold. WAITING LIST – Contact Colin GM4HWO. https://gmroundtable.org.uk/
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Sun 25 Oct 2026 – Galashiels Rally
11:15 am – Volunteer Hall, Galashiels.
See: Galashiels and District Amateur Radio Society (GDARS) GM4YEQ
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
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Sat 24 Oct 2026 – MOC Goudie Lecture: Vision 1926: Baird, Early Television and Museum Legacy, presented by Iain Logie Baird, grandson of John Logie Baird.
Sat 24 Oct 2026 -MoC Goudie Lecture – Vision 1926: Baird, Early… Read more
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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HP 27″ Computer Monitor For Sale by Colin GM4HWO.
HP 27″ Full HD Computer Monitor – Model HSTND-9711-A (27fw Series) Size is 610 mm wide x 360mm high – 27 inch diagonal Condition: VGC, Tested & fully working. Screen is clean with no dead pixels. Includes mains power cable and HDMI lead . Key Features from the internet • 27-inch Full HD IPS Display – Crisp 1920×1080 resolution with wide viewing angles • Ultra-Slim Design – • Connectivity Options – HDMI & VGA • Energy Efficient – Low power consumption with LED backlighting • User-Friendly Controls – Rear-mounted buttons for easy menu navigation Price £35. COLLECTION FROM gm4hwo…
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13 June 2026 Dell Monitor for sale by Andy GM4LLD.
Dell U2412M hi-res 1920 x 1200 LCD monitor Adjustable stand DisplayPort, DVI & VGA inputs 1920 x 1200 WUXGA resolution 4 port USB2 hub. Mains lead Very good condition, no screen blemishes. £35 Andy GM4LLD.
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28 June 2026 – Corsair CV450 modern PC PSU – for sale by Andy GM4LLD
Corsair CV450 modern PC PSU. Comes from my son’s PC as he has just updated with some new GPU that needs a bigger PSU. No box but clean and working. £20 Andy GM4LLD (ex-MM0FMF)
Lothians Radio Society activities – latest reports
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8 June 2022 LRS AGM 2022
AGM: attendance about 10 incl. 3 on Zoom. President Colin Wright GM4HWO reported a good year of meetings post-Covid. James GM4WZP and Colin GM4EAU were thanked for providing Zoom facility. Viral Nets to continue on Weds while there is interest. GM3HAM/P will enter 3 contests this year. Meetings planning started – James GM4WZP. Treasurer Peter…
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25 May 2022 – LRS DF Hunt
The 2022 LRS D/F Hunt on Wed 25 May, started at the Tardis on Braid Hills Road with Fox, Peter Dick GM4DTH operating GM3HAM/P on 1875kHz AM. Entrants were: James GM4WZP + Alan GM3PSP, Mike GM8KCS + Mike Jr MM3MDB, Andy MM7MOX & Melvyn GM4HYR. The GM3HAM/P Fox station – Elecraft KX3, hidden in woods near Roseburn. The winner…
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20-22 May 2022 2m Trophy GM3HAM/P – Gatehouse
RSGB 2m TROPHY, Open Section GM3HAM/P at Gatehouse of Fleet. Organizer: Norrie GM1CNH. Chief cook: Colin GM4HWO. Submitted score: 167 QSOs, 54,733 pts x multiplier 77 => Total Score 4,214,441 pts. Best DX: F6DKW, LOC JN18CS, 808km/502 m. Dinner in the Masonic Arms on the Friday. Colin GM4HWO, John 2M0JTU, SWL Ranald, Norrie GM1CNH, Peter GM4DTH,…
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11 May 2022 – Members’ Timed Talks
11 May 2022 – Members’ Timed Talks. There were 7 speakers, all of whom kept within the generous 4 mins limit plus 1 minute of questions imposed by the chair – James Gentles GM4WZP. Pete GM4BYF showed the RSGB membership certificate of Jack McVicar GM8GEC-SK. The talks winner was Bond, Melvyn Bond, GM4HYR, who spoke…
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24 Apr 2022 – Norbreck (Blackpool) Rally
A number of LRS members attended the 2022 Norbreck Rally, as usual. LRS group in the bar, the night before. Danny Robson GM6CMQ, Norrie Stewart GM1CNH, Bob Irvine MM0XRI, John 2M0JTU, Peter Dick GM4DTH. Among the LRS visitors was Andy MM0FMF, staffing on the SOTA stand. Click for full report with lots of pics. ============================================
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20 Apr 2022 – LRS Spring Surplus Equipment Sale
The LRS 2022 Spring Surplus Sale was held on Wed 20th April 2022 at St Fillans Church, Buckstone, organized by Colin GM4HWO. Anyone recognise that red Landrover? “The Management”. Click for more photos. ============================================
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6 Apr 2022 – LRS Video Night – Peter Dick GM4DTH
Video Night 2022 by Peter GM4DTH at ECVS. ‘The Secret Wireless War – Black Propaganda’ (Grindlewald Productions) The RCA 600kW “Aspidistra” Transmitter. Development and content of the WW2 secret UK “black” radio broadcasts to Germany. Click for report. =============================================
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23 Mar 2022 – Bletchley Park, Section VIII – Malcolm Fergusson.
Malcolm Fergusson talked about the Ultra secret (the WWII German communications decoded at Bletchley Park) and the SCU-3 (Special Communications Unit) located in 1940 at Cockburn Farm near Balerno (where he lives). Attendance was a great 26, including Zoom. Click for slides. Malcolm is a retired Superintendent Technician, Physics & Electrical Engineering, at Edinburgh University &…
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9 Mar 2022 Astrodynamics without the Mathematics – How to Fly Spacecraft – John Cooke GM8OTI
At the LRS meeting on 9 Mar 2022 at the Braid Hills Hotel, and on Zoom, John Cooke GM8OTI talked about “Astrodynamics without the maths – how to fly spacecraft”. The Rocket Scientists! Click for slides. John Cooke GM8OTI =============================================
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23 Feb 2022 – OpenEMS, a Free Electromagnetic Simulator – Brian Howie GM4DIJ
LRS member Brian Howie GM4DIJ talked about OpenEMS, a Free Electro-Magnetic Simulator at the LRS meeting on 22 Feb 22 at the Braid Hills Hotel. Brian writes: “OpenEMS is a free open electromagnetic field solver using the Finite Difference Time Domain method. It was created by Thortsten Liebig at the General & Theoretical Engineering University in Germany. FTDT…
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9 Feb 2022 – The History of the Pocket Calculator – 5000 years and counting – James Gentles GM4WZP
On Wed 9th Feb 2022 at the Braid Hills Hotel James Gentles GM4WZP (HP-retired) gave a great talk on the History of the Pocket Calculator – 5000 years and counting. It included his own collection of HP pocket calculators from his 30-year career at HP. James Gentles GM4WZP Click for full report and video…
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26 Jan 2022 – Using a VDA on a Scottish Beach Pt.2 – Malcolm Hamilton GM3TAL
Malcolm talked (on Zoom) about using vertical dipole arrays from the shores of Loch Fyne. He had operated in the CQWW CW contest in November 2014 (LRS talk 11 Feb 2015) and again in 2021 along with Nick Henwood G3RWF (former RSGB President), with a different set of antennas. He shared his 2021 conclusions on…