Scottish Charity number SC045038
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LRS Messages of the Day
Wed 25th March 2026 – LRS @ BHH Gathering Room – 8:00pm – Rig Testing & Calibration Evening – see Upcoming Meetings below.
Sat 28 March 2026 – Less than a week now until GMDX-2026 at Bannockburn. Get your booking in asap. See Rallies etc below.
22 March – WEBSITE – Please note that the “Recent Meetings” section has been moved from the LHS to the RHS column to better use the available space.
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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Some members have requested a RIG TESTING & CALIBRATION EVENING. This will be held on 25th March 2026.There will be three test tables: two with Marconi 2955 Mobile Radio test sets (manned by Mike GM8KCS, Peter GM4DTH and Colin GM4HWO) and a third table manned by Brian GM8BJF. The Marconi 2955 test sets can measure TX power, deviation, RX sensitivity, SINAD etc. up to 1GHz. Brian’s table will be able to measure Rx sensitivity, noise figure etc, i.e. more complex testing.You are welcome to turn up with your rig and equipment and hope for the best OR you can email gm4hwo@gmail.com with specific requests for testing and calibration etc. It would be useful to know basic details of the rig type, what you are trying to achieve etc, aerial and audio connections needed – bring the manual if you have it.Please note that this event is open to non-members as well as paid up members. There are a few provisos however. In the event of large demand, priority will be given to members first. This is why emailing Colin GM4HWO is useful in helping us gauge demand and thus time available. However there are three test tables – we should be able to cope with the demand.Note: the meeting will be held in the larger BHH Gathering Room at the rear. There will be an opportunity to socialize, drink beer etc. This is being planned as a relaxed non-formal meeting. Feedback and specific requests welcome.
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Wed 15 Apr – St Fillan’s Church, Buckstone Drive – 20:00h – LRS SPRING SURPLUS SALE.
Wed 22 Apr 2026 – BHH 20:00h – MICROWAVE ENERGY GENERATION ADVANCES WHICH ENABLED THE DEVELOPMENT OF WW2 AIRBORNE RADAR by Dr Peter Grant, Emeritus Regius Professor of Engineering, University of Edinburgh.
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
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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.
Looking for a programme organizer for GMRT – contact Colin GM4HWO.
Details will be available nearer the date.
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13 March 2026 – Braehead Rally Discontinued
Due to changes in large venues legislation, it will not be possible to continue the Braehead Rally in Glasgow.
See: https://www.braeheadradiorally.com/
CONTEST CALENDAR
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Would like to do the 144 MHz May weekend at Gatehouse of Fleet if there are enough people? Anyone up for this on 15 – 17 May?As an alternative could do the May UHF and microwaves weekend on 1 – 3 May instead?73 – Norman Stewart GM1CNH
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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, 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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Sept-Oct 2026 – DXpedition to Colombia by Norman MM0BMG
Following last year’s event. Norman is organizing another DXpedition to Colombia in the autumn of 2026. RSGB RadCom has accepted
2. RECENT MEETINGS
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11th March 2026 – Which Way is Up? by Malcolm GM3TAL & Sue Hamilton
Anatomy of human balance system. A wee bit of physics, accelerometry and… Read more
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4 March 2026 – IET Talk – The Voyager Interstellar Mission – by James GM4WZP & John GM8OTI
Wed 4th March – Napier University, Colinton Campus – Rivers Suite –… Read more
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Wed 11 Feb 2026 – LRS Quiz Night 2026
There was a turnout of 15 for the Quiz Night 2026, prepared… 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
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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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
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4-6 July 2014 – VHF NFD
The GM3HAM Contest Group of the Lothians Radio Society took part in RSGB VHF National Field Day on 5-6
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LRS Summer Pub Nights
The LRS held four summer pub nights on regular club dates during July and August 2014 at “Wee Bennet’s Bar” at
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New 3cm Beacon GM3WOJ/B installed by Brian GM8BJF
LRS member Brian Flynn GM8BJF has installed a new 3cm microwave beacon at the QTH near Invergordon of well-known DXer
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8 June 2014 – Judith Abseils from Forth Bridge in Memory of OM Brian Wilson MM0WZB-SK
Judith Wilson and her daughter Jackie abseiled from the Forth Bridge on Sunday 8th June 2014 to raise funds for MyelomaUK
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Wed 25 June 2014 – LRS Summer Barbecue
The Lothians Radio Society annual Summer Barbecue was held on Wednesday 25th June 2014 at the QTH of Pete GM4BYF
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11 June 2014 – Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting of the Lothians Radio Society was held on Wed 11 June 2014 at the Braid Hills
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28 May 2014 – 3DA0SS – DX from Swaziland by GM3TAL
3DA0SS – DX from Swaziland was the title of the talk by LRS member Malcolm Hamilton GM3TAL / 3DA0MH on 28th May