SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE HAMNET BULLETIN FOR MONDAY 7 July 2008 This bulletin was compiled and prepared by Francois Botha – ZS6BUU IN THE BULLETIN TODAY HAMNET 40M RESULTS WEATHER WATCH SUSPENDED HAMNET ASSISTS CHINA & CYPRUS AMATEUR RADIO BULL OF AFRICA – OPERATORS NEEDED WESTERN CAPE NVIS EXERCISE The Hamnet Bulletin is distributed once a month to all HAMNET members and is also available in text format as well as an audio clip on the SARL web site. Weekly news items are read on the ARMI (Amateur Radio Mirror International) Sunday transmissions and are also posted on the SARL web site. HAMNET is a voluntary group of amateurs who make their unique communication skills available to assist and help others in distress during and after disasters. HAMNET is represented on the sub-committee of the South African Search & Rescue Organisation. Training Modules are available either from your Provincial Director or from the National director via e-mail. HAMNET forms part of the Constitution of the South African Radio League which means that you have to be a member of the SARL to be a member of HAMNET. All information on HAMNET is available on the web site of the SARL. HAMNET 40m RESULTS Congratulations to all who participated in the recent Hamnet 40 metre contest. I am not going to repeat all the results as they have already been posted on an earlier SARL Sunday Bulletin. However, to those who came first in their respective areas of participation, the winners are as follows:- Single Operator Stationery Mobile - Geoff Levey ZS6GRL with 216 points. Single Operator Portable – Al Akers ZS2U with 2247 points. Single Operator Base Station – Jan Botha ZS4JAN 1332 points. Once again well done under very difficult circumstances as the bands lately have been very flat! WEATHER WATCH SUSPENDED On the point of bands being flat to say the least, it was decided to curtail, for the time being the daily weather watch at 6pm in the 80 metre band until such time as conditions improve. The bands have been very unpredictable with result the call-in has dwindled to just a few people who can hear each other in the 80 metre band of late. We will keep a watch on the current sun spot cycle, which is being done almost on a daily basis, but things still are very quiet with no possibility of improvement in the foreseeable future. Even listening to the Maritime Mobile net, sometimes has become a real problem. HAMNET ASSISTS CHINA & CYPRUS During May and June, HAMNET offered assistance to two countries who gladly accepted the offer to assist in establishing a voluntary amateur radio emergency system in their respective countries. After the massive quake in the Sichuan Province in China on the 14th of May, we offered Michael Chen BD5RV our expertise which was gladly accepted. Michael immediately went about getting units set up in the Sichuan Province of China and we indicated that if he wishes to utilise the material to eventually cover the rest of China, they are more than welcome. We did this with the Olympics in mind which will be taking place in Beijing during August – just a few weeks away. We then had a call from Nestoras Jacivides – 5B4AHZ from the Cyprus Amateur Radio Society. Nestoras is their secretary of CARS and realised that they had no emergency system operational on the Island. He researched some systems that were available on the web and decided to approach us for assistance. We sent them some guidance as well as our training modules that could possibly be adapted to their circumstances. Cyprus is a fairly large Island and Nestoras has already indicated that they are going to divide the Island into 4 units. We wish them well and indicated that they can contact us at any time for further advice. BULL OF AFRICA – OPERATORS NEEDED The Eastern Cape will host a full 7 day event mid August called the Bull of Africa event. As mentioned the SARL Bulletin of Sunday 29 June, this event covers an area that will need communications on all 7 days – preferably from an amateur radio point of view. We have been in contact with Ian Jacobs – ZS6IAN and indicated that we will put this in the July Bulletin. If you are able to assist Ian, please contact him direct at cherian@iburst.co.za or on his cell phone at 083 650 9289. If you live in or near the East London area, please contact Ian for further details. W/CAPE NVIS EXERCISE Bruce Robinson, ZS1FX of the Western Cape Hamnet Group has advised me that they are doing some experimentation on NVIS antennas on Saturday afternoon the 12th of July. The idea is to get members familiar with NVIS or Near Vertical Incidence Skywave antennas for short range HF communication! This test will take place from 12 noon to 3pm on the Saturday to ensure that it does not interfere with those who wish to watch some sporting activities later in the afternoon. The thought is to make as many contacts with other stations that are either using normal antennas or more specifically, NVIS antennas, to record quality of signals, audio or distance. So, remember 12 July from 12 noon to 3pm for some NVIS experimentation in the Western Cape region. FINAL COMMENT. Chris Gryffenberg, ZS6COG passed on to me a brochure on a two day seminar to be held in Midrand on the 13th and 14th of August. This two day workshop will discuss the topic “Enhancing Service Delivery in Emergency Management” and will be hosted by at least 8 guest speakers who are specialists in their respective fields. The seminar is rather pricy but Chris indicated that it may be worth our while to attend. The feeling is to use this opportunity to both make known our HAMNET structure as well as learning from the workshop that can be passed on to Hamnet operators. Your comments on attendance will be appreciated. That is all for today. Comments and suggestions to: jfbotha@iburst.co.za or zs6buu@hotmail.com or at 011 679-5260 or 083 585-3847. For more information on Hamnet, click on the following web address; http://www.sarl.org.za/public/hamnet/hamnet.asp Bulletin Ends.