Ham Radio Horizons Magazine

The vintage amateur radio magazine Ham Radio Horizons has been archived for posterity and PDFs are available for download 

The magazine, targeted at newcomers, was published by Communications Technology, Inc. who also produced Ham Radio magazine. It ran from March 1977 to 1981 when it was incorporated into Ham Radio magazine which in turn ceased publication in 1990. 

Ham Radio Horizons - https://archive.org/details/hamradiohorizons

Australia's First Ham Radio Satellite

University students in Australia have convinced NASA to launch the Australis OSCAR 5 Amateur Radio satellite. 

In 1967, a group of students from the Melbourne University Astronautical Society came up with an idea to build a small amateur radio satellite.

It was just 10 years after the world's first satellite, Sputnik 1, was launched and Australia had yet to enter the space race. But it was the hard work and persistence of the young students that convinced NASA to launch the Australis OSCAR 5 into space.

Now based in Adelaide, the project's coordinator Owen Mace said the technology at the time was "cutting edge".

"[The satellite would] transmit details about itself — how it was tumbling, the temperature and the like," Mr Mace told ABC Radio Adelaide's Nightlife program.

"It carried the first command system of an amateur radio satellite; for the first time we could control the satellite."

Australis OSCAR 5 was launched by NASA on 24th January 1970.

Media Story -  
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-06/how-uni-students-got-nasa-to-launch-australias-first-satellite/8421480

AMSAT-VK Yahoo Group - https://groups.yahoo.com/group/AmsatVK

144 MHz Activity Afternoon Video

Edmund Spicer M0MNG took part in last Saturday's 2m Activity afternoon from Detling Hill, North Kent 

On Saturday 25th March 2017 and with an uncharacteristically heavy cold, M0MNG drove to Detling Hill in the north of Kent to take part in the fifth 2 meter activity afternoon.

This excellent initiative is the brainchild of the Thurrock Acorns Amateur Radio Club. Much of the activity is in FM and via the GB3DA repeater at Danbury. However there is also activity using CW, SSB, SSTV and other digital modes.

If you have not taken part before, please may I encourage you to do so. I hope this video will be a source of encouragement and inspiration.

There are normally two 144 MHz activity afternoons per year, in the spring and in the autumn.