Scottish Charity number SC045038
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LRS Messages of the Day:
Wed 11 Nov 2026 – 7:30PM – LRS Open Meeting – Need to book your place – The end of the BBC 198kHz Radio 4 long wave service – Mark Hughes GM4ISM. Note that this meeting will be held in the Buckstone Bar, next to the Braid Hills Hotel, if the current maintenance work on the Gathering Bar is not completed.
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.
LOCATION: if the current maintenance work in the Gathering Bar at the rear of the Braid Hills Hotel is not complete, this meeting will be held in the Buckstone Bar next to 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.
RALLIES AND OTHER EVENTS
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31 Oct 2026 – Scottish Microwave Round Table GMRT 2026
The 2026 Scottish Microwave Round Table was held, appropriately, on Halloween this year. The event was sold out and the lecture room at the MOC/Burntisland was full. There were interesting talks – several from LRS members, including Andy (GM4LLD) on portable microwave operating (lugging dishes up some cold Scottish mountains), Peter (GM4BYF) and Brian (GM8BJF) on tricks and techniques on SM component soldering (with lively participation and experiences from the audience). Also Martin (GM8IEM) talked about his sequencer design for the IC9700, and Mark (GM4ISM) gave some ideas about modding commercial microwave gear for amateurs (aka ‘bodging’). There were some cool bits of identifiable (and unidentifiable) microwave goodies for sale, some fancy test gear for GHz visitors, and tasty food for lunch. A good day out and meet up with other microwavers from Scotland and south of the border.
The room was full! 
Andy introduced Brian GM8BJF talking about SM soldering tricks 
Mark/GM4ISM talked about bodging commercial microwave equipment for amateur use. 
Some interesting microwave bits for sale 
Fancy testgear available (not for sale) 
Speakers: Mark/GM8IEM, Peter/GM4BYF, Brian/GM8BJF, Martin/GM8IEM, and Andy/GM4LLD 
More pictures at https://gmroundtable.org.uk/gmrt-2026-photos/
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
3. SILENT KEYS
There are no current silent key notifications. Click on the heading to see the silent key archive.
4. 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 July 2025 – Pub Night 1 at Wee Bennet’s Bar
L-R: Vic GM3OWU, Colin GM4HWO, Mike GM8KCS, Colin GM4EAU, Melvyn GM4HYR, Pete GM4BYF, Alan GM3PSP, Peter GM4DTH, Andy MM7MDX.
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25 June 2025 – LRS 2025 Barbecue
Guests gathering for the meal. The 2025 Summer Barbecue was again held at the QTH of Pete GM4BYF and Kay Bates GM6KAY, better known as “Bates Motel”. There was a good attendance of about 22 people. The weather was dry but cloudy and a little cool but most people enjoyed their meal outside in Pete…
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18 June 2025 – Nicholas Gretzinger WN2G – 1st International Winner of the Andre Saunders GM3VLB Scottish Islands Award
18 June 2025 – WN2G Nicholas Gretzinger – 1st International Winner of Andre Saunders GM3VLB Scottish Islands Award Photo – tnx WN2G / QRZ.com “We continue with the Andre Saunders GM3VLB Scottish Islands Award which rewards activity in Scottish Islands. The award has had its first international recipient, Nicholas Gretzinger, WN2G (in NY State), which…
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18 June 2025 – AGM – Summary.
The AGM was chaired by LRS President, Andy Sinclair MM0FMF. There was a good turn-out of 18 members and one visitor. 1. On election, the new committee is: President Andy Sinclair MM0FMF Secretary: Colin Wright GM4HWO Treasurer: John Taylor GM4JRT Program: James Gentles GM4WZP Charitable: …
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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 Ord, is back on the air on 50.002MHz and 50.460MHz. The reason for the two frequencies is that it is a synchronous beacon. The keying cycle is over a 5-minute period starting 0, 5, 10,…
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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 was officially inaugurated. In 2025 there was a celebratory event including 2 transmissions using the unique Alexanderson alternator on 17.2kHz. https://alexander.n.se/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Jubileumsdagen_Grimeton100_en.pdf I was away from home on the 2nd, but I’m running a Web SDR…
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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 The Hi-Hats at Prestonfield Golf Club. Among those attending was Melvyn Bond GM4HYR, who took these photos of the band in action:
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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 on Sunday 15th June 2025. The second edition of Bruce’s book was available there. See www.bordersbookfestival.org for details. There was an excellent double-page (pp 26-27) article with photos in the Scotsman, Monday 9th June 2025.
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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 from USA.
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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 “The Tardis” on Braid Hills Road, the Fox station GM3HAM/P was located in the Roseburn Woods near to the Roseburn Bar. Four hunters were at the start and were welcomed and briefed by Coordinator James…
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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 SM6VTZ locator JO58UJ27 distance 939km. Comment:- jo58uj<tr>io85jv 539 n 0.