Scottish Charity number SC045038
-
LRS Messages of the Day:
4 Nov 2026- GMRT Report by Bill Dent GM8RBT – see below.
Wed 4 Nov 2026 – LRS Net 211 – 20:00h 144.350MHz SSB – all welcome.
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 larger Buckstone Bar, next to the Braid Hills Hotel.
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
-
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 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
-
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
-
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
-
8 Nov 2023 – Sophie the Strutter – Gerard Lohan
Gerard Lohan Following an LRS talk 2 years ago (click) by Bob Thompson of the APSS (Aircraft Preservation Society Scotland), Gerard Lohan gave us an update on their “late production” Sopwith 1½ Strutter, named “Sophie”. Over the last 20 years they have built to the original drawings an (almost) exact replica of Sopwith’s WW1 bi-plane, The…
-
Winter / Spring LRS Pub Nights
The committee has decided that, in addition to the Summer Pub-Nights, we shall also hold them during the winter and spring, on non-meeting Wednesdays in months with Five Wednesdays (believe it or not)! Wed 29 Nov 2023, Wed 31 Jan 2024, Wed 3 April 2024, Wed 29 May 2024. Meet as usual at 8:00pm…
-
18 Oct 2023 – LRS Autumn Surplus Equipment Sale
The LRS Autumn Surplus Equipment Sale 2023 was held as usual at St Fillans Church in Buckstone. The items for sale consisted of a very large number of very small items! And the sale was followed by a raffle. Click for full report. ======================================
-
22 Oct 2023 LRS Members at Galashiels Rally
A number of LRS members attended the Gala Rally. This is Pete GM4BYF’s table. Tnx Colin HWO for photo. Click for more. =======================================
-
11 Oct 2023 – The First Restricted Service Broadcast Licence – Peter Laverock GM8GHQ.
Peter Laverock GM8GHQ talked about the UK Government’s Restricted Service Broadcast Licences. In 1983/4 he was instrumental in setting up the first station with this licence arrangement from the then “Home Office” and DTI – a two headed monster! Peter is a retired BBC Broadcast Radio Journalist who worked for the BBC World Service and…
-
2-8 Oct 2023 – Terry Robinson GM3WUX “73-Cubed” Fundraiser for Cancer Research.
2-8 Oct 2023 – Terry Robinson GM3WUX “73-Cubed” Fund-Raiser for Cancer Research. (Photo from fund-raising page). Our good friend Terry Robinson GM3WUX (Glasgow), who has operated with GM3HAM/P on 50MHz / 70MHz a number of times at VHF NFD, did a fund-raiser in memory of his friend Jeremy Browne G3XZG who died of cancer last year.…
-
20 Sept 2023 – Visit to MoC, and BBC talk by James Gentles GM4WZP
20 Sept 2023 – LRS Annual Visit to the Museum of Communication and talk by James Gentles GM4WZP on his BBC experiences. “Personal recollections of working for BBC Scotland in the early 1980s, the halcyon days of analogue TV” – James GM4WZP. We then toured the MoC 2023 exhibition “The first 100 years of broadcasting…
-
17 Sept 2023 – Malcolm Hamilton GM3TAL Kiltwalk Fundraiser for Prostate Scotland
Malcolm Hamilton GM3TAL took part in the Edinburgh Kiltwalk on Sunday, 17 Sept 2023 (with handheld). “Its the first time that I’ve ever done this sort of fundraiser and I only heard about it late the previous week. I signed up for a 5 mile walk – a “Wee Wander” – and it’s not very far compared…
-
13 Sept 2023 – President’s Address – Contesting – Colin Wright GM4HWO
13 Sept 2023 – President’s Address Colin Wright GM4HWO started the new club year with a great talk “VHF & UHF Contesting – past and present”, with a turnout of 22. The talk described the history of VHF / UHF contesting in the LRS and included a film of GM3PSP/P on the summit of West Kip…
-
3 Sept 2023 – RSGB 2m Trophy
3 Sept 2023 – RSGB 2m Trophy Brian Howie GM4DIJ operated GM3HAM/P at Caldons Hill, IO74MU, 5m south of Stranraer. Condx were the best he’d seen for a long time. Some stations had over 1000 QSOs. GM3HAM/P: QSOs: 141 Best DX: DF0MU, JO32pc, 866km. Result: 5th in Single Operator Open Section – certificate. Click for full…
-
14 Aug 2023 – Cockenzie Mini-Rally
James GM4WZP at the LRS table where he provided LRS information and copies of the program for the new club year. Pete GM4BYF greets Norrie GM1CNH. Click for more photos by Colin GM4HWO.. ===========================================
-
23 Aug 2023 – Pub Night 4 (last)
John GM8OTI, James GM4WZP, Peter GM4DTH, Colin GM4HWO. Alan GM3PSP, Mike GM8KCS, John GM4JRT, Andy MM7MOX, Pete GM4BYF. ===========================================