Scottish Charity number SC045038
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LRS Messages of the Day:
Wed 27 May 2026 – 19:30h – LRS 160m D/F Hunt – from the Tardis on Braid Hills Rd.
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 27 May – 19:30h – Top Band D/F Hunt – Peter Dick GM4DTH.
Wed 10 June – 19:30h – LRS Pub Night at Wee Bennet’s Bar, Morningside Stn.
Wed 17 June – 20:00h – LRS AGM, Braid Hills Hotel.
Wed 24 June – 20:00h – LRS Summer Barbecue at Bates Motel – QTH-GM4BYF.
RALLIES AND OTHER EVENTS
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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.
https://gmroundtable.org.uk/
Speakers to present microwave related talks are urgently needed – contact Colin gm4hwo@gmail.comDetails will be available nearer the date.
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9 May – 30 Sept – Weds & Sats – MOC Exhibition 2026
CONTEST CALENDAR
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Pete GM4BYF has confirmed that the Lothians Contest Group will participate in VHF NFD on 3 – 5 July 2026 and is looking for more members to come along for the weekend and help set up the station and operate. The group is also looking for help with transporting equipment to the site at Gatehouse of Fleet in Dumfries & Galloway. Rough camping is available on site; public toilets, shops and an excellent pub / restaurant are nearby- There will be a team meal as usual on the Friday night in the Masonic Arms in Gatehouse.If you are interested, please contact Pete GM4BYF = gm4byf@blueyonder.co.uk
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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, 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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5 May 2026 – 600km Troposcatter Limit on 144MHz – GM4DIJ
Brian GM4DIJ, operating from near Stranraer on 5 May 2026 in the 144MHz UKAC contest, plotted his results to illustrate the 600km Troposcatter limit on this band.
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Sat 27 June 2026 – BBC to close Radio-4 198kHz Long-Wave Service.
The BBC will close its Radio-4 198kHz Long-Wave service on Saturday 27th June 2026. Click for info.
2. RECENT MEETINGS
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13 May 2026 John Cooke GM8OTI – EME on a Shoestring – Receiving & Decoding 70cm.
John GM8OTI described his efforts over the years to achieve reception of… Read more
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22 April 2026 – Microwave Energy Generation Advances Which Enabled the Development of WW2 Airborne Radar – Prof Peter Grant, University of Edinburgh.
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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26 Apr 2026 – Bencher BY-1 Dual Paddle for Sale by Andy GM4LLD.
Bencher BY-1 dual paddle key. Chrome mechanics on black base. Used and slightly worn but in very good condition otherwise. Pictures available on request. Price £125 or offer. Andy Sinclair GM4LLD (formerly MM0FMF
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10 Mar 2026 – For Sale: Sigma 2010 Skip Master 25-30MHz am/fm/ssb, fibreglass home base antenna
John GM4JRT has for sale this aerial a Sigma 2010 skip master 25-30MHz am/fm/ssb , fibreglass home base antenna , works well without an ATU on 10 m and 11m band I have the aerial at my QTH , photo attached – collection from QTH GM4HWO @ Liberton Sigma 2010 skip master 25-30MHhz am/fm/ssb , fibreglass home base antenna, power handling 1000 watts, length 5.48 m/ 18 feet, Gain 9.9 dB, impedance 50 ohms, frequency 25-30MHz (with tuning), construction fibreglass, swr 1:1.3, Mounting bracket pole, the sigma euro-comm ½ wave skip master 2010 is a high performance base station antenna.…
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29 Jan 2026 – Items for Sale by Norman MM0BMG (Reduced Prices).
Norman has reduced the prices of many of the items on his list: GM1CNH Equipment Sale Updated: 29 January 2026 Item Description Price Alinco HF Mobile Whip Antenna 2.7 m mobile whip; antenna mounting bracket and spring; adjustable vehicle mounting bracket; heavy duty; boxed. NEW – £150 Anritsu MT8820A Radio Communication Analyser 30 MHz to 2.7 GHz, spectrum analyser, 2G/3G mobile phone tester, output power, modulation, RF signal generation, £300 Badger Boards HF Antenna wideband folded dipole antenna with balun N(f) connector; heavy duty centre spacer; termination resistor; 1.5 MHz to 30 MHz; supplied with 2 x 50 ft antenna…
Lothians Radio Society activities – latest reports
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22 Jan 2014 – Life at Sea as a Radio Officer in the 1960s & 70s – Eric Lamb
At the LRS meeting on 22nd January 2014 Eric Lamb described his experiences as a ship’s Radio Officer in the 1960s and 70s and brought a number of interesting demonstrations. The photo is of Eric in his last position, on the MV Providence Bay. Full report.
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Wed 8th Jan 2014 – Video Night
There was an excellent turnout of 25 including several visitors for the first meeting in 2014 on Wed 8th January – the annual Video Night in the excellent screening room of the Edinburgh Cine & Video Society, organised by Peter GM4DTH. The programme was: 1. “The Tower of Babble” (1964) – Post Office Tower. 2. “The…
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11 Dec 2013 LRS Christmas Curry
Twenty LRS members and visitors enjoyed our annual Christmas Curry at the Himalaya Tandoori Restaurant at Bruntsfield on Wed 11th December 2013. Full Report with many photos.
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21 Nov 2013 FUNcube-1 AO73 Satellite Launched
The AMSAT FUNcube-1 / AO-73 educational satellite was launched on Thursday 21st November 2013. (Photo courtesy AMSAT-UK) It has already been heard, and data decoded, by LRS member John GM8OTI. John reports it’s very loud on his 5-element yagi. Alan GM3PSP has also heard it using a vertical antenna. The nominal beacon / data frequency is…
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27 Nov 2013 – Home Spun Antennas by Malcolm Hamilton GM3TAL
At the meeting of the LRS on Wednesday 27th November 2013 LRS member Malcolm Hamilton GM3TAL talked on “Home Spun Antennas” including a 5/8λ vertical and a Bobtail Curtain for 10m. Full report.
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18-20 Nov 2013 Special Event Station GM100RSGB
The antenna dismantling crew on Sunday. L-R: Alan GM3PSP, Danny GM6CMQ, Peter GM4DTH, Brian GM8BJF, Vic GM3OWU, Mike GM8KCS, Bill T6/K5WEJ & Norrie GM1CNH. The LRS operated special event station GM100RSGB as part of the RSGB’s Centenary celebrations on Mon 18th to Wed 20th Nov. from a nice quiet site near Armadale, West Lothian, with…
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2nd Nov 2013 – GMRT – Scottish Microwave Round Table
LRS member David GM4ZNX attracted a lot of interest with his Noise Factor measurements. The third Scottish Microwave Round Table (GMRT) was held on Saturday 2nd November 2013 at the Museum of Communication in Burntisland with a number of LRS members involved as organizers and active participants. Afterwards there was an informal dinner at…
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4th Aug 2013 3cm Portable Operations by Pete GM4BYF/P & Brian GM8BJF/P
Pete GM4BYF/P (in natty hat)! Brian GM8BJF/P (who should have been wearing a hat)! Two keen Lothians microwavers Pete GM4BYF and Brian GM8BJF (our two “BF’s”) were out portable on 3cm on 4th August 2013 and posed for the camera. More information shortly.
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Sayonara Vic and Haste Ye Back
L-R: Mike GM8KCS, Peter GM4DTH, Vic JA5VQ, Bill GM8SQM & Malcolm GM3TAL. October 30th was the last LRS meeting for this year for our good friend Vic Imamura JA5VQ / MM0JVQ before he and his XYL Keiko JG5JUS returned to Japan. We look forward to seeing them again next summer.
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Wed 13th Nov – Lighthouse Weekend 2013 – Geoff Crowley MM5AHO
At the LRS meeting on Wednesday 13th November we welcomed back Geoff Crowley MM5AHO for his talk – “International Lighthouse & Lightship Weekend 2013 – the crazy Crowleys sail again!”. He described the cruise this year with his son Matt MM1EUI to exotic islands such as Wee Cumbrae and Ailsa Craig in the Firth of…
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19-20 Oct 2013 – JOTA & Galashiels Rally
It was a busy weekend for LRS, in Jamboree on the Air on Saturday and the Galashiels Rally on Sunday. John GM8OTI with one of the many Scouts who were persuaded to speak into the microphone to send greetings to other JOTA stations from GB0BSS. Looking on is David GM3YMX, a former LRS member who…
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Wed 30th Oct 2013 – “A Tour Round the Solar System” – Ian Sheffield GM3VEI
At the meeting of the LRS on 30th October astronomer and former LRS member, Ian Sheffield GM3VEI gave us a very well described tour of the Solar System, describing the various planets, the sun, meteors, comets and the moon. After the talk there was a chance to get close to the moon (or at least…