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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Hold the Front Page!
LRS President Andy Sinclair MM0FMF features on the front cover of the January 2013 issue of RSGB RadCom in this photo of MM0FMF/P operating SOTA at the summit of Minch Moor, near Traquair in the Scottish Borders. Photo by Andy MM0FMF and courtesy RadCom. SEE ALSO: “Radio Saga” in Scotsman Magazine, 5 Jan 2013, p.34
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Wed 9th Jan – Video Evening – The Undersea War
The first meeting of the Lothians Radio Society in 2013 was the annual Video Evening, presented by Peter Dick GM4DTH on 9th January at the Edinburgh Cine & Video Society in Fettes Row. The event startred with a matinee screening of the German feature film Das Boot (The Boat). The main programme was a compilation of German, American and…
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28 Nov 2012 – Getting Started on Six Metres
Brian Howie GM4DIJ At the meeting of the Lothians Radio Society on 28th November 2012 Brian Howie GM4DIJ talked on “Getting Started on Six Metres”. He covered the history of the availability of the 50MHz band to amateurs, the equipment and aerials necessary to operate it, and the many types of propagation which can occur…
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12th Dec 2012 – LRS Christmas Curry
Winners of the “World’s Largest Naan 2012” were Brian GM4DIJ & Brian GM8BJF The annual Lothians Radio Society Christmas Curry was held on Wednesday, 12th December 2012 at the Himalaya Tandoori Restaurant at Bruntsfield after cocktails at Montpelier’s Bar. Click for Photo Report.
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21 Oct 2012 – LRS at Galashiels Rally
The Lothians Radio Society had a promotional table at the Galashiels Rally on 21st October 2012. Click for full report in Society Activities
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14th Nov 2012 – President’s Address – Amateur Radio Spotting Systems
Andy Sinclair MM0FMF At the LRS meeting on 14th November 201 our new president, Andy Sinclair MM0FMF presented his President’s Address – “Amateur Radio Spotting Systems” including applications for SOTA – Summits On The Air. Click for full report.
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20 Oct 2012 – JOTA – Jamboree On The Air
John GM8OTI operating GB0BSS at Bonaly Camp while Cubs from the 4th Braid Group look on. The Lothians Radio Society operated GB0BSS in JOTA-2012 at Bonaly Scout Camp near Colinton on Saturday 20th October. The operators were John GM8OTI and Alan GM3PSP. 25 QSOs were made on 40m, 20m and 2m including 9 overseas countries. The Scouts…
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31st Oct 2012 – APSS Radio & Radar Collection
This impressive item was described at the meeting. Photo courtesy of the APSS website. At the LRS meeting on 31st October 2012 Bob Thomson described the collection of Radio, Radar and Avionic items looked after by the Aviation Preservation Society of Scotland (APSS). The collection consists of items belonging to the National Museums of Scotland (NMS) as well as…
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VHF NFD 2012 – Lothians Radio Society Results
The Lothians Radio Society operated GM3HAM/P in the Restricted Section of VHF NFD on 7-8 July 2012 from a site near Gatehouse of Fleet in Dumfries and Galloway. The contest results have just been announced by the RSGB – CLICK for full access. The LRS did very well, coming in at 2nd place nationally and 1st in Scotland,…
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17th Oct 2012 – Surplus Equipment Sale
A nice 18-ele 70cm yagi was one of the items sold. L-R: Pete GM4BYF, Peter GM4DTH, Brian GM8BJF There was a record attendance of 37, including many visitors from other clubs, for the LRS autumn Surplus Equipment Sale on Wednesday 17th October at St Fillans Church Hall. A lot of equipment changed hands and the evening was…
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Sat 3 Nov 2012 – Scottish Microwave Round Table & Dinner
GMRT 2011 After last year’s very successful event, the second Scottish Microwave Round Table will be held on Saturday 3rd November 2012 at the Museum of Communication in Burntisland. The program will include lectures, test facilities, a few tables for the sale of microwave-related goodies (only) plus DUBUS magazine, and a dinner at the Burntisland Sands Hotel.…
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Wed 26 Sept 2012 – “Marine Communication” at MOC Burntisland
Prof. Tom Stevenson and Dorothy Brankin Members of the LRS made their annual visit to the Museum of Communication in Burntisland, Fife, on Wednesday 26th September 2012 for a presentation by Prof. Tom Stevenson and Dorothy Brankin of the MOC on “Marine Communication”, the theme of this year’s exhibition at the museum, which was open to visit after the talk. Click for…