SARLNEWS  with Dave Reece ZS1DFR  download/listen here

AMATEUR RADIO TODAY with Dawie Conradie ZR6DHC  listen here or visit the Amateur Radio Today page with more details and download links  here  

Power supply specials for SARL Members - 12V 3amp and 10 amp power supplies at a really good prices  They are really tough little units, brand new in the box and carry  a 12-month warranty. Prices are as follows: 12V, 3Amp    R 137.00 Incl VAT and 12V, 10Amp   R 228.00 Incl VAT. Delivery  anywhere in Johannesburg for an additional R 50.00. Contact Warren at PHD Powerhouse Distribution at   011 346 1812. While stocks last.This is a special for SARL members

PAY YOUR AMATEUR RADIO LICENCE NOW -   Your 2017/2018 licence was payable on 1 April 2017. The fee is R134.00.  The fee is for 5 years is R559.00. Advise Dewald  at  DKuhrau@icasa.org.za of your payment for a five year license. 

ICASA is not oblighed to send out invoices.  For full details on licenecs and payment click here

NVIS PROPAGATION  - UNDERSTAND THE  BASICS - Radio Communication via Near Vertical Incidence Skywave propagation  can be used for communication over a wide area. It is very well suited for emergency communication. It uses frequencies between 3 and 10 MHz with amateur allocation in the 5 MHz particularly attractive.  Two propagation researchers, Ben Witvliet  and Rosa Ma Alsina-Pages wrote an interesting paper with lots of reference to  other papers for additional reading.

You can download it here

4 Bursaries available for under 26 to study for class A -  If you are under 26 and planning to study for  the Class A amateur radio examination there are bursaries available.. For more detail and application forms click here. 

RSGB HANDBOOK NOW AVAILABLE IN SA- The new RSGB Radio Communication Handbook is now avaiable in South Africa. Also available are the ARRL 2017 Handbook (hardcover version) and Low Band DXing. For a list of books locally stocked and a mailorder from click here. SARL Members get up to 10% discount .

Advertising in Radio ZS and the SARL Web site

Radio ZS and the SARL web welcomes advertising. It is a source of information for readers. To place an advertisement in Radio ZS, contact Dennis, ZS4BS, at radiozs@sarl.org.za. To advertise on the League web site, contact Hans, ZS6AKV at artoday@sarl.org.za

Advertising Rates

Display (cameo) on home page - R500 pm - R2 500 for 6 months - R4 500 per annum

Commercial Hamad on home page - R60 pm - R300 for 6 months - R500 per annum

Radio ZS Strip advertisement, 10 cm x 2 columns on top of the page - R100 pm - R500 for 6 months - R1 000 per annum

Display (cameo) on home page and Radio ZS Strip advertisement (as above)       - R550 pm - R2 700 for 6 months - R4 900 per annum 

Terms and conditions

All contract advertisements content may be changed monthly on 5 working day notice

The rates are based on the complete supply of material in Jpeg unless otherwise negotiated. For artwork additional charges may apply as agreed

The content of the advertisements must comply with regulations and norms acceptable in South Africa

All advertisements are playable in advance by EFT to SA Radio League, ABSA, account no 4071 588 849 branch code 632 005

All correspondence and material must be sent to admin@sarl.org.za with a copy to artoday@sarl.org.za

# Link to SARL VHF, UHF & MICROWAVES DX TABLE Click here 

FM BROADCASTING STATIONS AS VHF BEACONS – In the USA they have often observed strong signals from distant FM broadcasting stations during Sporadic-E openings beyond the skip distance. This is also possible in South Africa during December and January months, which is our Sporadic-E season. Just keep an eye on those clear spaces on the FM band where distant FM stations are hiding in the noise. FM stations could also act as VHF beacons on Tropospheric modes, as well as indicators of meteor scatter and lightning scatter. ZS2FM at Port Elizabeth studied the propagation from an East London FM station for about a year over a distance of 250 km, while using a four element vertically polarized Yagi in the attic connected to a domestic FM receiver. The FM station was audible daily via Tropo Scatter, but with very deep QSB cycles, and yielded a peak signal of about 2 microvolts as measured at the antenna terminals of the receiver. During Tropo Enhancement, where a temperature inversion was present below 450 metres, the signal increased to around 20 microvolts with full quieting and no QSB. When a cold front approached from the west it created a Tropo Duct ahead of it, which is a temperature inversion at an altitude of 500 metres or higher. This produced a super FM signal that peaked above 50 microvolts, and the maximum that could be measured at the receiver. So give it a try. 

MORE VHF NETS ON 144,300 MHz PLANNED FOR THE WARMER MONTHS – A long distance VHF net is being planned from Port Elizabeth on Thursday evenings starting in the warmer months in August or early September on 144,300 MHz SSB. There will be two sessions at night, one beaming north to Bethulie, Welkom, Bloemfontein and Bethlehem. The second session will point west to cover Knysna, George, Mossel Bay and Cape Town. There is also the possibility of joining an existing net between East London and Durban on Monday evenings. We will alert you when it starts, and hopefully when propagation exists then a VHF link could be established with five different cities. In the meantime get your beam antennas sorted out. 

EHF & SHF NEWS FROM OVERSEAS – New UK Records on 122 & 241 GHz. The RSGB confirmed that the existing 122 GHz and 241 GHz UK distance records were both extended to new distance of 6,8 km with two-way contacts in CW between John Hazell, G8ACE, operating from his home, to Ian Lamb, G8KQW/p located at Shroner Wood, Winchester. The contact took place on Sunday, 21 May. Transmit power levels were around 200 microwatts at both ends on both bands, and the antennas were 30cm dishes with separate 122GHz and 241GHz feed horns. RST was 539 each way on both bands.
 

A radio amateur received the Cassini spacecraft on 8,429 GHz. The ARRL reported that Paul Marsh, M0EYT, has confirmed reception of the Cassini spacecraft, now in orbit around Saturn.  He copied Cassini on 8.429.247035 MHz during its last radio occultation experiment, where the TX is carrier-only mode on S, X, and Ka bands. Marsh was using his 2,4 metre antenna at the time, while his homebrew downconverter was locked to a 10 MHz station reference, and SDR processing was done with the RF Space kit. 

Launched in 1997, Cassini will crash into Saturn in early September. The research spacecraft, which carried the European Space Agency’s Huygens probe now on the surface of Saturn’s moon Titan, currently is executing about 2 dozen dives through Saturn’s rings. The Huygens probe separated from the orbiter in 2004 and transmitted data to Earth using the orbiter as a relay. This was the first successful landing in the outer solar system. Marsh is heavily involved with satellite tracking and monitoring activities and is a contributor to the Amateur Deep Space Network (Amateur-DSN).

DRCG WW RTTY: The contest takes place on the second full weekend of June each year. Contest Periods: 0000 - 0759 UTC Saturday, 1600 - 2359 UTC Saturday, 0800 - 1559 UTC Sunday. AIM: For amateurs around the world to contact as many other amateurs in as many countries as possible. Bands: 3.5, 7, 14, 21 and 28 MHz. Existing bandplans must be observed. http://www.drcg.de/drcgww/drcg-ww-rtty-english.html

ZS6 Hammies Sprint: This is a fun activity to promote contacts between radio amateurs in ZS6 and radio amateurs in Southern African countries with an emphasis on ZU stations. Date and Time: 14:00 to 15:00 UTC 11 June 2017. Exchange: The exchange is RS and provincial abbreviation. DX for all stations outside South Africa. Frequency and mode: A phone contest on the 40-metre band, SSB: 7 063 to 7 100 and 7 130 to 7 200 kHz. See Blue Book for details

 UKRAINIAN DX CLASSIC RTTY CONTEST:   Date & time: 17-18 of June. 12:00 UTC Saturday to 11:59 UTC Sunday. Bands: 3.5 - 28 MHz (excluding WARC bands). Modes: RTTY (45.45 baud rate). Contest exchange: For Ukrainian stations: RST(RS) + two letters (oblast abbreviation); For all other participants: RST(RS) + serial number starting from 001. http://urdxc.org/rtty/rules.php?english

South African Radio League Top Band QSO Party: Aim: This is a fun activity to promote contacts on 160 metres between radio amateurs in Southern African countries and to encourage radio amateurs to apply for the South African Radio League Top Band Award. Date and Time: 00:00 UTC on Thursday 22 June 2017 to 00:00 UTC on Monday 26 June 2017. Frequency: CW:    1 810 – 1 838 kHz Phone: 1 840 – 2 000 kHz. Exchange: The exchange is a RS(T) report and provincial or country abbreviation. See Blue Book for more details

His Majesty The King of Spain SSB Contest: Dates: SSB: 1200 UTC Saturday till 1159 UTC Sunday (June 24-25, 2017). Bands: 10, 15, 20, 40, 80 and 160 meters.  Exchange: Spanish stations send RST and the Province abbreviation and Special station His Majesty The King of Spain (EA0) will pass the abbreviation (SMR). DX stations send RST and serial number starting with 001. https://concursos.ure.es/en/s-m-el-rey-de-espana-ssb/bases/ 

UKRAINIAN DX DIGI CONTEST: Date & Time:  24/25 June 2017,  12.00 UTC Saturday , through 12.00 UTC Sunday. MODE:  RTTY 75bd and PSK63 only. BANDS:  3,5 – 7 – 14 - 21 - 28 MHz without WARC bands.  http://www.izmail-dx.com/

Direct importer of a wide selection of SWR meters, H.F., V.H.F. and U.H.F. base and mobile antennas. Amateur radio transceivers, antenna analyzers, etc. Affordable shipping costs for out of town customers and subsidized shipping to SARL members. Check out all my amateur radio goodies here. 0720268909.

Light Engineering Works

General engineering, part remanufacturing  turning, milling, drilling.Specialised welding of steel, stainless steel, aluminium and cast iron.Gear repair and remanufacturing.Prototype industrial and automotive  parts and brackets made to specification,  Heavy duty antenna support and Mobile brackets including standoff brackets and antenna parts manufactured.Tower and tower part repairs also undertaken. Contact Willie Wright ZS6WC.0823351356. zs6wc@vodamail.co.za

Tell me more  about Amateur Radio

Radio Amateurs, or "Hams" use two-way radio communication to make contact with other radio amateurs all over the world. They are even able to use satellites and on occasion speak with astronauts. Radio Hams can do this from home or while mobile in cars, boats or on foot.

Radio Hams have a full range or communication modes at their disposal. These include plain voice, Morse code, numerous digital computer modes and even graphical modes like television. As a licensed amateur radio operator you will be able to join in experiments using all these modes.

Amateur radio can be enjoyed by young and old, male and female, even the most severely disabled can make friends around the world from their own home. This hobby knows no boundaries.

 Click here to go to the Kevtronics web