Scottish Charity number SC045038
-
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
-
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.
-
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
-
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/
-
Sun 25 Oct 2026 – Galashiels Rally
11:15 am – Volunteer Hall, Galashiels.
See: Galashiels and District Amateur Radio Society (GDARS) GM4YEQ
CONTEST CALENDAR
-
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
-
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
-
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…
-
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.
-
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
-
13 Jan 2016 – Video Night at ECVS – The Use of Bombing in WWII
Thirteen brave souls defied the wet, sleety Wx to get to the first LRS meeting of 2016, the annual Video Night, arranged and presented by Peter Dick GM4DTH on 13th January 2016 at the Edinburgh Cine & Video Society in Fettes Row. The theme for the evening was “The Use of Bombing in WWII”. 1. The supporting film was…
-
9 Dec 2015 – LRS Christmas Curry
The LRS Christmas Curry was held on 9th December 2015 at the Himalaya Tandoori Restaurant at Bruntsfield with an attendance of 13. A great time was had by all on a very wet and windy evening. . Click for more photos
-
25 Nov 2015 – Practical Cats on 60 metres? – Malcolm Hamilton GM3TAL
At the meeting of the LRS on 25th November 2015 Malcolm Hamilton GM3TAL talked on “Practical Cats on 60 metres?”. Malcolm has held an NoV for 5MHz for several years and was an active experimenter when UK amateurs were first allowed to use these frequencies. Malcolm summarised his earlier propagation experiments with Richard, G3SHK, on…
-
11 Nov 2015 – APRS – Automatic Packet Reporting System – Marcus Hazel-McGown MM0ZIF
Marcus Hazel-McGown MM0ZIF was the speaker at the LRS meeting on 11th November 2015. He talked about APRS, the Automatic Packet Reporting System. He writes: “You’ve tracked parcels via the Internet, you can track your mobile phone – now have you ever wondered where the technology started and what else it can do? APRS is…
-
17 Oct 2015 – GB0BSS – JOTA – Jamboree on the Air – Bonaly Scout Camp
John GM8OTI and Malcolm GM3TAL. LRS club members John Cooke GM8OTI and Malcolm GM3TAL operated the radio station GB0BSS for the 57th Jamboree on the Air on behalf of local Scout groups at the Bonaly Scout Camp Site on Saturday 17th October 2015. Malcolm GM3TAL operating as a group of scouts watch. Click for SHORT VIDEO…
-
28 Oct 2015 – Changing Mobile Phone Networks – Gavin Taylor GM0GAV
Well-known Scottish DXer Gavin Taylor GM0GAV was the speaker at the LRS meeting 28th October 2015 at the Braid Hills Hotel. He talked on “Changing Mobile Phone Networks” – an overview of the technologies behind mobile networks and how they have changed since the first analogue networks were established in the early 90s through the…
-
7 Nov 2015 – GMRT – Scottish Microwave Round Table, Museum of Communication, Burntisland
The fifth GMRT – Scottish Microwave Round Table was held on Saturday 7th November at the Museum of Communication in Burntisland, organized by the Lothians Radio Society. This was a very successful event, with technical lectures, a sale of microwave components & equipment and the opportunity to meet with other microwavers from GM,G,GI,GW,DL & W6.…
-
14 Oct 2015 – Autumn Surplus Equipment Sale – St Fillan’s Church, Buckstone Drive
The LRS Autumn Surplus Equipment Sale on 14th October at St Fillan’s Church was well attended. Drawing the raffle. Click for Photo Report.
-
23 Sept 2015 – Designing for Colour TV 1968-1973 – Andrew Burnett – at the MoC Burntisland
The meeting of the LRS on 23rd September was our annual visit to the Museum of Communication in Burntisland for a talk “Designing for Colour TV 1968-1973” by Andrew Burnett. He described his role in the team that designed the Marconi Mk VIII Colour TV Camera and a Transmitter Logic Control Unit. This was…
-
4-5 Sept 2015 – GM3HAM/P – 2m Trophy Contest
GM4IGS, GM1CNH, GM4DTH, GM4DIJ, MM0FMF, GM4BYF The LRS GM3HAM contest group operated in the RSGB 2m Trophy contest from our usual site near Gatehouse of Fleet in Dumfries & Galloway on 5-6 September 2015. The final allowed results were: QSOs: 185 Claimed score: 65,970 Best DX: F6APE; IN97qi; 874km. RESULT: 8th position in the…
-
9 Sept 2015 – Presidential Address – “USB – What it is and how it works” – Andy Sinclair MM0FMF
The first meeting of the new club year of the Lothians Radio Society on Wednesday 9th September 2015 was the third Presidential Address by Andy Sinclair MM0FMF who talked about “USB – what it is and how it works”. Click for report.
-
21 Aug 2015 – LRS Table at Cockenzie Junk Night
Mike MM0MLB & Pete GM4BYF The LRS had its usual promotional table at the Cockenzie & Port Seton Junk Night on Friday 21st August 2015. Pete GM4BYF had his own table nearby. Click for more photographs.