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.
19 March – Only a week now until GMDX-2026 at Bannockburn on Sat 28th March. Get your booking in asap. See Rallies etc 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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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.
RECENT MEETINGS
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11th March 2026 – What Way is Up? – 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
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, 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. SILENT KEYS
There are no current silent key notifications. Click on the heading to see the silent key archive.
3. 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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9 June 2025 – GB3RMK 50MHz Beacon Back-on-Air nr Muir of Ord
GB3RMK Beacon-Keeper Chris GM3WOJ with GB3BI Beacon-Keeper Kenny MM0GKB. The 50MHz beacon GB3RMK, located on a hilltop near Muir of
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2 July 2025 – SAQ Grimeton 100th Anniversary 17.2kHz VLF Transmissions. Report by Brian GM4DIJ.
Brian GM4DIJ listened for SAQ and reports: On July 2nd, 1925, 100 years ago, the Swedish Grimeton Radio Station SAQ
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Sat 14 June 2025 – Musical Evening with The Hi-Hats at Prestonfield GC.
Sat 14 June 2025– LRS members were invited by Mike Brunsdon GM8KCS to a musical evening by his wedding band
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Sun 15 June 2025 – Secret Listeners interview at Borders Book Festival in Melrose
Bruce McCartney GM4BDJ was interviewed by Alistair Moffat about the WWII Secret Listeners at the Borders Book Festival in Melrose
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31 May 2025 – Peebles Get-Together
Brian GM8BJF and Colin GM4HWO met up in Peebles for dinner & a pint with Brian’s friend Andrew Dozier visiting
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28 May 2025 – LRS 2025 D/F Hunt
Summary report on D/F Hunt 2025 by Peter GM4DTH (Fox – GM3HAM/P). Photos by James GM4WZP (tnx). Starting from
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18 May 2025 – Braehead Rally, Glasgow.
LRS members Colin GM4HWO, Peter GM4DTH, Iain GM1MSS & Colin GM4EAU. For full report with many photos, click.
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19 May 2025 – GB3EDN 1296MHz Beacon in Edinburgh spotted in Sweden
The GB3EDN beacon on 1296MHz in Edinburgh has been spotted on 2025-05-19.It was spotted on 1296.99MHz at 08:27 UTC by
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Andy MM0FMF/P on Stuc a’Chroin in RSGB RadCom June 2025 p.59
Congrats to LRS President Andy Sinclair MM0FMF on the publication of his SOTA /portable photo on Stuc a’Chroin in Radcom,
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14 May 2025 Engineering Challenges: Microwave Preamps for 70cm and 23cm by Pete Bates GM4BYF.
14 May 2025 Engineering challenges: Microwave Preamps for 70cm and 23cm by Pete Bates GM4BYF. There was a turnout of
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23 Apr 2025 – Special Meeting: The Future of our Amateur Radio Hobby by Chris Tran GM3WOJ.
23 Apr 2025 – LRS Special Meeting: The Future of our Amateur Radio Hobby by Chris Tran GM3WOJ For this
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12-13 Apr 2025: Norbreck (Blackpool) Rally.
Photos tnx Colin GM4HWO: LRS group shot at end of rally. Norman Stewart GM1CNH, Peter Dick GM4DTH, Rob Humphrey MM0RHU,