Scottish Charity number SC045038
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LRS Messages of the Day
4 March 2026 14:00h – SESAME – March IET Talk: The Voyager Interstellar Mission – by LRS members James Gentles GM4WZP and Dr John Cooke GM8OTI – at 2.00pm Napier University Colinton Campus – see Upcoming Meetings below.
Thurs 12 Feb – 6-7 pm – EU Lecture – Frontiers of Wireless Communication by Prof Gerhard Fettweis – Large Events Space, Edinburgh Futures Institute, 1 Lauriston Place (see below). Need to register in advance – CLICK.
Wed 11 Feb – 20:00h @ BHH – LRS Quiz Night in groups of 4.
Sat 7 Feb – FREE Technical books from Andy GM4LLD – See Items for Sale, below.
19 Jan 2026 – Silent Key – Dave-6 Henderson GM6KGZ – Funeral 11 Feb 2026 Mortonhall – Silent Key below.
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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Edinburgh Futures Institute (formerly ERI).
Thurs 12 Feb – 6-7 pm – EU Lecture – Frontiers of Wireless Communication by Prof Gerhard Fettweis – Large Events Space, Edinburgh Futures Institute, 1 Lauriston Place. Need to register in advance – CLICK.
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SESAME – March IET Talk: The Voyager Interstellar Mission – 4th March at 2.00pm Napier University Colinton Campus – Rivers Suite.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?The talk to be given by LRS members, James Gentles GM4WZP (engineer) and Dr John Cooke GM8OTI (scientist), will cover the achievements necessary to maintain this flow of scientific data back to Earth and the scientific discoveries made.You do not have to register but it does help us plan the event. The link to register is given below.
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Wed 25 Feb 2026 – 8pm at BHH – Digital Voice Modes by Allister Watson GM7RYR.
RECENT MEETINGS
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ALMA (Atacama Large mm Array) – A Radio Observatory in Chile – Trials & Tribulations of working at greater than 100 GHz by Bill Dent GM8RBT.
Bill Dent is retired System Astronomer at the ALMA Observatory in Chile.… Read more
RALLIES AND OTHER EVENTS
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Sun 12 April 2026 – Norbreck (Blackpool) Rally
Pete GM4BYF confirms that parking at the rear of the Norbreck Hotel will be free provided that car owners register on the tablet provided within the convention.
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Saturday 28th March 2026 – 27th ANNUAL GMDX CONVENTION & DINNER
The 27th Annual GMDX Convention & Dinner will be held on Saturday 28th March 2026 at the King Robert Hotel, Stirling, FK7 0LJ.
A link to the Convention Programme is below, along with the booking form. Please use the instructions on the booking form, or visit the GMDX website link below to secure your booking: https://gmdx.org.uk/27th-annual-gmdx-convention-dinner/ It would be very much appreciated if you could book as soon as possible. See you there! Thanks & 73. Gordon, MM0GOR GMDX SecretaryGMDX Convention Programme 27th March 2026 -
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.
Looking for a programme organizer for GMRT – contact Colin GM4HWO.
Details will be available nearer the date.
CONTEST CALENDAR
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2026 RSGB Contest Rules published 20 Dec 2025:
2m May contest back to old slot.
70cm and 23cm 24hours again for VHF NFD.
Bonuses rather than multipliers (Post code etc) retained.https://www.rsgbcc.org/vhf/rul
es/26rules/frameindex.html Tnx Brian GM4DIJ.
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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, 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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NASA says ISS will return to Earth in 2030
NASA has announced that the International Space Station (ISS) will return to earth in 2030, set to de-orbit into the
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2 Feb 2026 – GM4DIJ/B 1296.7415 MHz Personal Beacon in Edinburgh
Brian GM4DIJ is now running an attended low-power personal beacon callsign GM4DIJ/B on 1296.7415MHz in the 23cm band. It is
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29 Jan 2026 – LRS Committee Meeting at QTH-GM4HWO.
The LRS Committee met at Colin GM4HWO’s QTH on 29th January 2026. Rear: Colin GM4HWO, John GM4JRT, James GM4WZP. Front:
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20 Jan 2026 – Powerful X-Class Solar Flare causes Aurora in Scotland and Auroral Radio
Aurora from Dyke, Moray. Peter GM4DTH reports that an X1.9 flare and an associated CME were responsible for the events
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8 Jan – Strange Data Transmission on Medium Wave Band.
Brian Howie GM4DIJ reports: “I’ve come across a high-speed RTTY-sounding signal on the Medium Wave Band on 570kHz . I can
2. SILENT KEYS
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19 Jan 2026 – Silent Key – “Dave-6” – David Henderson GM6KGZ
Funeral: Wed 11th February, 11:30am at Mortonhall Crematorium, Pentland Chapel. Click for Obituary
3. ITEMS FOR SALE
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7 Feb 2026 – FREE Technical Books available from Andy GM4LLD
I have the following books available for FREE. If you want one, please reply direct to andy.gm4lld AT gmail.com <http://gmail.com> and I
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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
Lothians Radio Society activities – latest reports
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Tom Simpson GM3BCD, MBE – Silent Key – 25th Oct 2014
We are sad to report that Tom Simpson GM3BCD, MBE, secretary of the LRS in 1961-62, became a silent
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18 Oct 2014 – JOTA – Jamboree On The Air from Bonaly Camp
John GM8OTI and Alan GM3PSP operated GB0BSS in JOTA – Jamboree On The Air – from Bonaly Scout Camp for the third
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29th Oct 2014 – Microcontrollers in Amateur Radio – Bernie McIntosh GM4WZG
At the LRS meeting on 29th October Bernie McIntosh GM4WZG talked about how the microcontroller, being a single chip with
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1st Nov 2014 – GMRT – Scottish Microwave Round Table at MoC
Ian White GM3SEK, Graham Murchie G4FSG (RSGB President) & John Cooke GM8OTI The 4th Scottish Microwave Round Table was held
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15th Oct 2014 – Lothians Autumn Surplus Equipment Sale
The LRS Autumn 2014 Surplus Equipment Sale was held on 15th October at St Fillan’s Church in Buckstone Drive.
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OFCOM Consultation Document – Updating the Amateur Radio Licence
OFCOM consultation document: Updating the Amateur Radio Licence – Maintaining licence terms & conditions The sections are: 1. Full
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RADAR – Robert Watson-Watt Statue Unveiled
Peter Dick GM4DTH has kindly supplied this photograph of a new statue of RADAR pioneer Sir Robert Watson-Watt, which he
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24th Sept 2014 – Bob McFarlane “SOE Radio Operations in WWII” at Museum of Communication
Bob McFarlane (c) with Andre Saunders GM3VLB (l) & Colin Wright GM4HWO. Bob (R) with Yugoslav partisans. There was a great
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10th Sept 2014 – Presidential Address – Andy Sinclair MM0FMF – “Computers are now everywhere in Amateur Radio”
The first meeting for the new 2014-15 LRS club year was the Presidential Address by Andy Sinclair MM0FMF: “Computers are
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Dick Richardson GM3AKM – Silent Key
It is with great sadness that we have learned that LRS Life Member Dick Richardson GM3AKM became a Silent
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8 Aug 2014 – LRS at Cockenzie Mini-Rally
The LRS again had a promotional table at the Cockenzie & Port Seton Radio Club Mini-Rally and Junk Night on
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Channels in 144MHz Band to be used for Commonwealth Games
Following negotiations with the RSGB to minimise the impact on radio amateurs, Ofcom has announced that it will temporarily authorise