Scottish Charity number SC045038
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LRS Messages of the Day:
Sun 25 Oct 2026 – Galashiels Rally – 11:15am – Volunteer Hall, Galashiels. LRS table. 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
There are no RADIO NEWS ITEMS. Click on the heading to see the radio news archive.
2. RECENT MEETINGS
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Sat 24 Oct 2026 – MOC Goudie Lecture: Vision 1926: Baird, Early Television and Museum Legacy, presented by Iain Logie Baird, grandson of John Logie Baird.
Sat 24 Oct 2026 -MoC Goudie Lecture – Vision 1926: Baird, Early… 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
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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 20th October – Junk Sale
The LRS autumn Junk Sale was held on Wednesday 20th October at St Fillan’s Church Hall, Buckstone Drive, arranged by Pete Bates GM4BYF. There was a good turn-out of members and visitors from other clubs. Lots of good “stuff” was sold, producing useful income for club funds. A report with photographs can be accessed by clicking here. Chairman John GM8OTI welcoming…
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6th October – GB3EDN 23cm Beacon by GM8BJF
Dr. Brian Flynn GM8BJF talked about “The GB3EDN 23cm Beacon – History and Update” on 6th October. A full report with photographs is available in “Meeting Reports“. Brian GM8BJF with the hardware for the new GB3EDN beacon.
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September 22nd Meeting – Visit to Museum of Communication
The Lothians Radio Society made its annual visit to the Museum of Communication, 131 High Street, Burntisland, Fife on Wednesday 22nd September. The current exhibition at the MOC is More Great Scots – Mary Somerville, the 19th century astronomer, mathematician, artist, georgrapher translater and “local hero”. Members also had access to the museum’s large collection of radio- and…
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2m Trophy 2010 at Gatehouse of Fleet – 4/5 September 2010
Photographs of this event by Peter GM4DTH are now available for viewing under Society Activities – Contest-Portable. Norrie GM1CNH hard at it in the 2m Trophy contest
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New LRS Archive Section on Website
A new Archive section has been created on this website and the Editor – Alan GM3PSP – is working to fill it with photographs and historical data of the Lothians Radio Society. Feel free to send him any photographs etc from the early (or not so early) days of the LRS that illustrate our history…
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President’s Address – 8th September 2010
New LRS President Dr. John Cooke GM8OTI presented his President’s Address “Home-brew /P” on Wednesday, 8th September at the Braid Hills Hotel. John’s main interests in Amateur Radio are VHF and up, simple “home-brew” radio equipment, and portable operation. He talked about some of his recent projects, including linear amplifiers, antennas, and a 23cm transverter. He…
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Galashiels Rally – 17th October 2010
The Lothians Radio Society had a table at the Galashiels Rally on Sunday 17th October to promote the club and seek new members. It was manned by Alan GM3PSP and LRS President John GM8OTI. The new LRS promotional programme of photographs of recent meetings, DF Hunt, social events and portable contests was shown continuously on a…
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Cockenzie Junk Night – 13th August 2010
The Lothians Radio Society had a promotional table at this event with the new GM3HAM banner on display and staffed by LRS President John GM8OTI. A number of positive enquiries about LRS membership were received. At least 12 LRS members attended. An album of photographs has been posted under Society Activities.
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GM3HAM/P – VHF Field Day 3-4 July 2010
L-R: Stuart MM3TZP (operator) and SWL MIchael (logger) did a great job on 2 metres. VIEW MORE PHOTOS OF THIS EVENT BY GM4DIJ & GM3PSP IN ‘SOCIETY ACTIVITIES’. Using the LRS club callsign GM3HAM/P a small but dedicated group of members of the Lothians Radio Society took part in VHF NFD from our usual site…
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30 June 2010 – Barbecue
30 June 2010 Annual Lothians Barbecue The annual Barbecue of the Lothians Radio Society was held on Wednesday 30th June at the QTH of Pete GM4BYF and Kay Bates GM6KAY and was enjoyed by all who attended. Our thanks go to Pete and Kay for their kind hospitality. For more photographs of this event by GM4DTH and GM3PSP, go…
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Annual General Meeting – Report
9 June 2010 Annual General Meeting 2010 The Annual General Meeting of the Lothians Radio Society was held in the Braid Hills Hotel, 134 Braid Road, Edinburgh EH10 6JD on Wednesday 9th June 2010. The following Committee members were elected (for all photographs, go to the Committee page on this website): President: Dr. John Cooke GM8OTI…
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DF Hunt
26 May 2010 DF Hunt The 2010 DF Hunt was a big success. A report with photos and list of competitors is in the Photographs & Reports section.