Scottish Charity number SC045038
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LRS Messages of the Day:
22 Oct 2026 – HP Computer Monitor for sale by Colin GM4HWO – see Items for Sale. Sun 25 Oct 2026 – Galashiels Rally – 11:15am – Volunteer Hall, Galashiels. 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
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Sat 24 Oct 2026 – Next Goudie Lecture: Entitled Vision 1926: Baird, Early Television and Museum Legacy, presented by Iain Baird, grandson of John Logie Baird.
The next MoC Goudie Lecture will take place at 11.30 am on Saturday 24 October, followed by a buffet lunch for in-person attendees. Entitled Vision 1926: Baird, Early Television and Museum Legacy, presented by Iain Baird, grandson of John Logie Baird. Please see Events – Museum Of Communication for further information. To attend in person, please email enquiries@mocft.co.uk or REPLY ALL to this e-mail. Zoom access details will be sent to you about 10 days before the Lecture. Attendance in person costs £5. Those viewing the lectures online are encouraged to make a voluntary donation of £5 in support…
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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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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Wed 25th September – A Century of Communications – Angus Annan MM1CCR at MOC Burntisland
At the annual visit of the Lothians Radio Society to the Museum of Communication in Burntisland on 25th September, Angus Annan MM1CCR, a past-President of the Radio Society of Great Britain talked on “A Century of Communications”. Angus wrote: “Amateur Radio Then and Now – At the dawn of radio, everybody was an amateur and…
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Wednesday 11th Sept 2013 – “SOTA” – Presidential Address by Andy Sinclair MM0FMF
Andy Sinclair MM0FMF delivering his second Presidential Address The new year of LRS meetings started with a bang with the Presidential Address by Andy Sinclair MM0FMF on 11th September. The title was “SOTA – Summits on the Air, an award scheme for Radio Amateurs”. Andy described with very obvious enthusiasm how this scheme has rapidly…
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60th Anniversary of LRS RSGB Affiliation – 11th August 2013
The Secretary has found the original RSGB Affiliation Certificate of the Lothians Radio Society in the club archives. It is dated 11th August 1953 and is signed by RSGB President Leslie Cooper, G5LC. As far as we know, this has been continuous affiliation and so we toasted our 60th anniversary at LRS Pub Night 3…
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Cockenzie Mini-Rally / Junk Night – 9th August 2013
Jack GM1CQC, John GM8OTI, Brian GM8BJF, Paul GM4UPN, David GM4ZNX. There was a good turnout of LRS members at the the 20th annual Cockenzie Mini-Rally / Junk Night which was held on Friday 9th August 2013 at the Cockenzie & Port Seton Community Centre. The Lothians Radio Society had a promotional table as usual with LRS…
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6-7 July 2013 VHF NFD at Gatehouse of Fleet
Alan GM3PSP, Brian GM4DIJ, Danny GM6CMQ, Brian GM8BJF, Colin GM4HWO, Mike GM4IGS, Terry GM3WUX, Pete GM4BYF, Robin GM4YPL, Chris MMOZCT, with our long yagis behind. The GM3HAM Contest Group of the Lothians Radio Society had great weather for VHF NFD 2013 which we operated again from our site in the hills above Gatehouse of Fleet in…
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Summer Pub Nights – 2nd & 4th Weds, July & Aug 2013
During the summer break in July and August we held informal Pub Nights on the normal meeting nights of the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month at “Wee Bennets” Bar at Morningside. Some of those at Pub Night 3 on 14th August: Peter GM4DTH, Malcolm GM3TAL (rear), Bernie GM4WZG, John GM8OTI, Brian GM8BJF; behind camera:…
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26th June 2013 – Summer Barbecue
Enjoying the BBQ in the garden before the midges drove us inside! The Annual Summer Barbecue of the Lothians Radio Society was held on Wednesday 26th June 2013 at the QTH of Pete GM4BYF and Kay Bates GM6KAY. The weather was good and the turnout was excellent, both of Radio Amateurs and of midges in the…
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GM8OTI/P 10GHz Hilltopping – 26 May 2013
John GM8OTI/P with his Hilltops portable 10GHz station on Cairnharrow Hill, Dumfries & Galloway. The first UK Microwave Group 10GHz contest of the year on Sunday 26th May gave LRS member John GM8OTI a chance to try out his home brew 10GHz transverter from a hilltop. He chose Cairnharrow near Newton Stewart in Dumfries & Galloway in…
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AGM – 12th June 2013 – Election Results
At the Annual General Meeting of the Lothians Radio Society at the Braid Hills Hotel on 12th June 2013 the following committee members were elected for 2013-14: President: Andy Sinclair MM0FMF Secretary: Alan Masson GM3PSP Treasurer: Peter Dick GM4DTH Committee: Colin Wright GM4HWO Brian Flynn GM8BJF Malcolm Hamilton GM3TAL John Cooke GM8OTI Jack Smith…
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MOC Lecture “Invention and Inspiration in the Digital Age’ – Thurs 23rd May
EVENING LECTURE at THE MUSEUM of COMMUNICATION 131 High Street, Burntisland KY3 9AA on Thursday, 23rd May at 7.30 pm ‘Invention and Inspiration in the Digital Age’ Speaker: Prof. Bill Kennedy, (Professor of Photocommunications at St. Edward’s University, Austin, Texas) DearSupporter, The next Lecture takes place in 10 days’ time and I hope…
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22 May 2013 – restoring the R1155 / T1154 Part 2 by Ian Ropper GM0UHC
Ian Ropper GM0UHC returned to the Lothians on 22nd May 2013 to present Part 2 of his talk “Restoring the R1155 / T1154. He described progress made since his last talk “Part 1” on 27 April 2011 (click for Pt.1 Report) – the short-comings of what went before, through the service life of the type and some…
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4-5 May 2013 RSGB Microwave Trophy
L-R: Robin GM4YPL, Chris MM0ZCT, Andy MM0FMF, Pete GM4BYF, Alan GM3PSP, Brian GM8BJF, John GM8OTI. Seven members of the Lothians Radio Society took part in the RSGB Microwave Trophy Contest on 4th – 5th May from our usual site in the hills above Gatehouse of Fleet in Dumfries & Galloway. Most arrived on the…