Radio Hams set up 5,700-mile link

A LONG-standing link between amateur radio enthusiasts at Warrington and a school only a few hundred yards away has led to another link – with another group more than 5,700 miles away.
Members of Warrington Amateur Radio Club are based at Grappenhall Community Centre and each year get together with pupils from nearby St Wilfrid’s CE Primary School during National Science Week.
The club invites pupils to their headquarters and also sets up a radio station at the school allowing the youngsters to understand and experience amateur radio.
This year, St Wilfrid’s teacher Sharon Sarjeant visited South Africa as part of an exchange scheme and met Johannesburg electronics teacher Shipo Mzangwe, who was to be part of a return visit to Grappenhall.
She discovered his hobby was amateur radio so, on returning home, lost no time in contacting the club – and as a result Shipo was invited to attend one of their weekly meetings.
Minutes after arriving at the club, Shipo found himself with a microphone in his hand exchanging greetings with other stations all over the world.
He then gave a talk about his own club, the East Rand Amateur Radio Club.
Coincidentally both clubs are pioneering and experimenting with amateur TV and satellite communication.
The two clubs – approximately 5,778 miles apart – are now to maintain a regular link.
Picture: Shipo is seen with Grappenhall club president Mike Isherwood in contact with an amateur station in Beruit.