Scottish Charity number SC045038
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LRS Messages of the Day:
Sun 25 Oct 2026 – Galashiels Rally – photos by Colin GM4HWO – see Radio News Items. 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/
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
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25 Oct 2026 – Galashiels Rally
LRS members visited the Gala Rally, enjoying the Storm Boelo winds on the way down. LRS attendees included Jack GM1CQC, Iain GM1MSS, Pete GM4BYF, Colin GM4EAU, Colin GM4HWO and Brian GM8BJF. Among the people present was our good friend Chris Tran GM3WOJ from Tain. Photos by Colin GM4HWO: Entrance to the rally in the Volunteer Hall, Galashiels. The rally hall. The rally hall. Captain Birdseye. Bring & Buy Stall. Pete GM4BYF’s table. Chris GM3WOJ (all the way from Tain). Jack GM1CQC. LRS Secretary Iain GM1MSS & Colin GM4EAU. Brian…
2. RECENT MEETINGS
There are no posts in category “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
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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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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 on Saturday 1st November 2014 at the Museum of Communication, Burntisland with over 40 attendees from all over the UK. The lecture sessions were chaired by John Cooke GM8OTI and Andy Sinclair MM0FMF of the…
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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. There was an excellent turnout of 30 including many members of other clubs. After the sale, Treasurer Peter GM4DTH ran the bottle raffle. Vic MM0JVQ / JA5VQ was one of the many winners. Click for…
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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 use of 470kHz and 5MHz by Full Licence holders without NoV, and including communications with non-Amateur stations, e.g. army cadets. 2. Transfers of Club Licences. 3. Licence Revalidation procedures. 4. Transmission of callsigns. 5. Regional…
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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 took at the studio of sculptor Alan Heriot. The statue was unveiled in Watson-Watt’s home town of Brechin on 2nd September 2014. Watson-Watt is depicted holding an aircraft in one hand and a Chain Home…
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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 turnout of 37 for the talk “S.O.E. Radio Operations in WWII” by S.O.E. veteran Bob McFarlane at the Museum of Communication in Burntisland on 24th September 2014. Members of several other clubs and the Museum…
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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 now everywhere in Amateur Radio” on Wed 10th Sept at the Braid Hills Hotel. Full report soon.
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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 Key on 18th August 2014. Dick was LRS Secretary / Treasurer in 1963-64. Edinburgh Evening News obituary: Dick’s funeral took place on Monday 25th August 2014 at St. David’s Episcopal Church, Boswall Parkway, Edinburgh,…
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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 Friday 8th August 2014. Here President Andy Sinclair MM0FMF uses all his persuasive skills to tempt a visitor to join the LRS while Jack GM1CQC and Paul GM4UPN look on. Andre GM3VLB visited the…
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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 up to four 25kHz channels, on centre frequencies of 144.000MHz, 144.025MHz, 144.075MHz & 144.100MHz with a bandwidth of 25kHz (FM), for the period 22 July to 4 August 2014, to support the operation of the…
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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 July 2014 from our usual site in the hills near Gatehouse of Fleet in Dumfries & Galloway. We arrived on Friday 4th to get the tents set up and enjoy our traditional dinner in the…
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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 Morningside Station. Pub Night 4 on 27th August. Pete GM4BYF, Vic GM3OWU, Alan GM3PSP, Vic JA5VQ & Peter GM4DTH. For photos of all four Pub Nights, click on Pub Nights.
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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 Chris Tran GM3WOJ and using his callsign. Beaming at 165 degrees, the signal enables scatter propagation over the top of the Cairngorm mountains to Brian’s own QTH in Edinburgh at 215km. The beacon has also…