60th Anniversary of Launch of First Ham Radio Satellite

/

Groups like the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation (AMSAT), an international confederation of ham radio operators, have been flying small private satellites for years, well before the first CubeSats flew in 2003.

“CubeSats actually started with AMSAT, but they didn’t get a lot of credit for it, unfortunately.”
— Former Lockheed satellite technician and ham radio enthusiast Lance Ginner K6GSJ tells Inverse.

Ginner would know. He was there at the very beginning, 60 years ago, for the design and launch of OSCAR 1, which was history-making in a few ways. It was:

  • The first smallsat

  • The first private, non-government spacecraft

  • The first spacecraft to hitch a ride on another launch

It took a while, entire professional lifetimes, but virtually everything that enabled the commercial small satellite industry of the 2020s was there in an embryonic form on a Vandenberg Air Force Base launch pad on 12th December 1961.

Media Report - https://www.inverse.com/science/60-oscar-1-presaged-the-cubesat-era

Wikipedia OSCAR-1 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OSCAR_1

RSGB National Radio Centre to Close Temporarily

/

Having considered the rapidly increasing Covid cases and the high transmission rates, the RSGB has reluctantly decided to close the RSGB National Radio Centre (NRC) at Bletchley Park until further notice. This is a temporary measure.

The NRC will close at 3pm on Friday 17 December 2021 and the closure will run throughout the Christmas and New Year period. The situation will be reviewed in the New Year and announcements made via GB2RS News, the RSGB website and social media about reopening.

During the closure, the RSGB Members’ voucher (for free entry to the NRC) will be taken off-line. The RSGB apologies for any disappointment or inconvenience the closure may cause but believe it is best for the wellbeing of both volunteers and visitors.

RSGB National Radio Centre - https://rsgb.org/main/about-us/national-radio-centre-gb3rs/

First GI-QRP Convention

/

Advance Notice! The first-ever GI-QRP convention will take place on the 25th June 2022 at the Tandragee Golf Club, 11 Markethill Road, Tandragee, Craigavon BT62 2ER, doors open at 9 am.

Presentations start at 10 am there will be Lectures/Seminars, a Buildathon, Special Interest Groups, Talk-In, Trade Stands, Prize Draw/Raffle, Catering, Licensed Bar with ample parking and disabled access.

As well as this being the first-ever QRP convention in GI there will be an opportunity to work the GQRP Club callsign GI5LOW for the first time on the week leading up to the convention and the weekend of the Convention.

The GI-QRP Convention is being held in association with the GQRP Club.