This  is not a formal contest, but a way to get young people  on the air and to let them realize that there are hundreds of other peers around the world that feel just the same as they do about the hobby. The main aim is to get our youngsters on the air and for them to make contact with youngsters all over the world. This is an excellent opportunity for clubs to run a demonstration at a local school or church or to gather together with our amateur friends at the club and display this great hobby to our South African youth! 

The SARL  will once again register as a Region 1 Member Society participant and obtain the special call sign ZS9YOTA that will be registered as an educational call sign for use by clubs and individuals during December. Details pertaining to bookings for the special call sign will be made available during November. For any additional information or possible questions please forward your e-mails to Koos, ZR6KF, at koosfick096@gmail.com or alternatively to Nico, ZS6QL, at zs6ql@mweb.co.za. They will provide you with much more information and will answer any questions.

SARLNUUS: SARLNEWS: AMATEUR RADIO TODAY -listen to these programmes on line or download to retransmit on local nets, a SARL service to Radio Amateurs.

Sunday 25 September 2016 

SARLNUUS met  John Keulder ZS6BXL  luister/laaiaf hier

SARLNEWS with Dennis Green ZS4BS download/listen here

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

NINE NEW RADIO AMATEURS - Cameron Eales ZS6CYE (photo insert) the President of the High School Jeugland  Radio Club - ZR6JRC is proud to announce that a group of 9 members passed the class B RAE last week Saturday after attending Saturday classes for a period of 10 weeks.

The high school youth club was founded in March 2016 and this is the first group to pass the class B RAE. Jeugland Radio Club is affiliated to the SARL and the club committee, in its entirety, consists of the youngster’s them-selves managing all activities. The group in no particular order are Nadia Fourie ZU6NF; Maryna Coetzer ZU6MC - Secretary; Tiaan Badenhorst ZU6BAD; Zhaques Labushagne ZU6ZJN; Ulrich Troskie ZU6ULI - Treasurer; Tiaan Harmse ZU6TRH; Cullen Bailey ZU6CUL – Vice-President; Dantè Eliott ZU6DJE and Dewald Harmse ZU6DRH. To the  nine new radio amateurs  welcome to the wonderful world of amateur radio. We wish them all the most enjoyable experiences in discovering all the various aspects of this great hobby and for the future that amateur radio can offer.

THE GEOMAGNETIC BLITZ OF SEPTEMBER 1941: Seventy-five years ago today, a massive geomagnetic storm disrupted electrical power, interrupted radio broadcasts, and illuminated the night sky in a World War II battle theater. The untold story of this remarkable event has just been published in a lively article by two space weather researchers.

Jamboree on the Air 15 – 17 October - Richard Hooper, ZS6RKE is the newly appointed National JOTA JOTI Coordinator for SCOUTS South Africa. JOTA (Jamboree on the Air) is in its 59^th Year, and amateurs and Clubs are needed  to assist with setting up HF stations for either a day or the full weekend for Scout Groups around the country. This great annual event takes place on the 15 - 17 Oct 2016 which really increases youth interest in our hobby. Please contact Richard, ZS6RKE at jotajoti@sandringhamscouts.co.za or on 0828015006 for all related information including a list of Scout groups in your area. 

Spring QRP Contest

On Saturday 1 October, you can participate in the South African Radio League's Spring QRP Contest. The contest will be run from 12:00 to 15:00 UTC with CW and phone activity on 160 to 10 metres using 5 watts or less. During the first hour, stations may only operate on 40 metres; thereafter they may use the other HF contest bands.

The exchange is an RS or RST report and your grid locator. Each QSO counts one point, but please check the rules in the 2016 Blue Book for the multipliers. Send your log and summary sheet by midnight on 9 October to contest@sarl.org.za. Remember the photo of your station in action that must be sent with your log.

2016 ARRL Handbook  one copy available - One copy of 2016 and two copies of the 2015 ARRL Hambook are  available. SARL members take 20% if you order this week. 

The SA Amateur Radio Development Trust online bookstore has tone copy of the  2016 ARRL Handbook in stock. Also amongst new arrivals is the McGraw Hill Arduino Projects for Amateur Radio. Visit www.amateurradio.org.za for details and an orderform  

ICASA RULES ABOUT ZU LICENSES FOR PEOPLE OVER 25 - From  2017 amateurs over 25 years old who hold a ZU license cannot renew their  licence. ICASA recommends that the affected persons enrol for a class A license course and write the next RAE in  October 2016. That will be the last opportunity.

The revised regulation stipulates that persons under 20 years old can write the class B examination and if successful can hold a ZU or class B license until 25 years old after which, if they would like to continue with Amateur Radio, have to sit the class A examination to qualify for a class A (ZS/ZR license).

During the discussion stage of this new regulation the SARL was requested to approach ICASA to review their decision, which the SARL did on two occasions when ICASA invited comments on their proposal.  ICASA strongly believes that the class B license prime purpose was to create opportunities for young people to enter Amateur Radio and based on that premises implemented the new regulation. 

The SARL requested ICASA to allow a reasonable period for ZU licences over 25 to upgrade. ICASA agreed to this and set the final date as 31 March 2017.. If you are over 25 and still hold a ZU do not loose out. Write the October examination. Tutorial materials is available free of charge. Download here 

Get your weekly copy of HF Happenings at http://www.sarl.org.za/hf_happenings.asp  

Bouvet Island DXpedition 2018. Press Release - 23 September 2016

The 20-member Bouvet Island DXpedition team is happy to report that our longstanding landing permit (2007) has been updated and revised to conform to current environmental protection regulations, planned landing and helicopter operations, base camp set-up, dates of operation, and operating plans. The updated document has received signatorial approval of the Norsk Polar Institute. Our amateur radio license with the call sign 3Y0Z has also been renewed and will be used during the Bouvet DXpedition 2018.

An international team of pilots has been selected to serve as an interface between the DXpedition team and the DX audience worldwide. They are your voice and will collect your feedback and information during the DXpedition and relay it to the team on Bouvet. Those pilots are:

Chief Pilot – Val, NV9L             

South America Pilot – Siso, HK3W            

Asia-Oceania Pilot – Hiro, JA1WSX          

North America Pilot – Tony, K2SG            

European Pilot – Bjorn, ON9CFG

Africa Pilot – Johan, ZS2I

Foundations, DX clubs, corporate sponsors and individuals have shown enthusiastic support for the Bouvet Island DXpedition. This DXpedition is an expensive project with team members bearing 50% of its total cost. Your financial support is encouraged and welcomed to help us make this happen. Please see our list of donors and sponsors and learn how you can help on our website at www.bouvetdx.org

73, For the team, Ralph, K0IR, Bob, K4UEE, and Erling, LA6VM

GTC CW Cup. The 6th Greek Telegraphy Club CW Cup will be held on 1 and 2 October (06:00 to 12:00 UTC on Saturday and 12:00 to 18:00 UTC on Sunday) on 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 metres. See www.raag.org/displayITM1.asp?ITMID=1029&LANG=EN for all the information.

VP8STI and VP8SGI. David, K3LP, has uploaded to YouTube, a 37-minute video/slide show of the double DXpedition to South Sandwich (VP8STI) and South Georgia (VP8SGI). Visit https://youtu.be/BQKHnxL5Fnk.

Myanmar, XZ. The IOTA DXpedition to Myanmar, which was delayed until after the summer has to be postponed. “There were elections in Myanmar in November 2015 and we had to resubmit all our documentation,” the team says. "The new administration has now been selected but they need time to have new rules established. All domestic logistics are in place through our local Myanmar contact. He is also in weekly contact with three different ministerial departments and has indicated to us that the first weeks of February 2017 seem to be a good time slot for our DXpedition. We cannot push harder. We must be patient.”

The Netherlands, PA. Nine Dutch special call signs will be active between 1 October and 31 December to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the European DX Foundation   (www.eudxf.de). The call signs are PA30EUDXF (17 October to 14 November), PB30EUDXF (1 to 28 November), PC30EUDXF (November to December, the dates to be announced), PD30EUDXF (the dates to be announced), PE30EUDXF (the dates to be announced), PF30EUDXF (1 to 28 October), PG30EUDXF (1 to 28 October), PH30EUDXF (October to November, the dates to be announced) and PI30EUDXF (1 to 28 November). QSL for all call signs is via PA1AW.

Belgium, ON. Special event station ON35CLM will be active between 15 October and 14 November. The suffix stands for Canadian Liberation March, the annual event that celebrates the liberation of the Belgian town of Knokke on 1 November 1944. QSL via ON3AIM, direct or bureau. More information on the activity and the relevant award can be found on www.qrz.com/db/on35clm.

The Netherlands, PD75. Look for special event station PD75JEEP to be active between 3 and 30 November. Activity is to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Jeep® brand. Operator Rene, PD2RKG, informs that he will be on 40 and 20 metres using SSB. QSL only via the Bureau.

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

MICROWAVE EXPERIMENTS – If you are interested in conducting experiments on Microwaves in the SHF or EHF spectrum then you can do it at low cost. Gallium Arsenide Gunn diode oscillators cover 10 – 200 GHz, while the Galium Nitride Gunn oscillators operate as high as 3 Terahertz. You could construct a Gunnplexer comprising a combination of a Gunn diode microwave oscillator, a microwave diode mixer, an audio amplifier with microphone, and a wideband FM receiver. With a DSTV dish you could make some distant FM contacts on 10 GHz (3 cm) from a high site via Line-of-Sight (LOS) or via Tropo propagation. If you would like to listen for EME signals on 10 GHz then try a DSTV dish with LNB and monitor the IF frequency. 

EARLY REPORTS ON SARL VHF/UHF CONTEST – Carl Minne, ZS6CBQ says: “I also want to thank everyone who made an effort to give points. A special thanks to Jaco ZR6CMG for getting the guys in Pretoria active over the past few months, it shows in the amount of contacts I made in that area. I worked 26 stations on 2M FM and a total of 52 stations on 2M. On 70cm I worked 23 stations, much more that previous contests. 23cm was quiet only 2 stations, but I found some stations with equipment for this band but the guys need antennas ...so some work can be done here. My 6M Yagi was faulty and bad weather prevented me to fix the problem. We received about 4 logs so far so it looks like the new logs sheets are working very well. Thanks Pierre ZS6PJH. Bad planning caused that another HF contest was on the same dates as the VHF/UHF contest. 

  “I did it at last managed to work all ZS divisions 1 – 6 on 2 metres. That is a real first for V51 I think. All the years I only needed ZS5. After many tries with ZS5LEE and co I managed to work Lee via EME. By this he got his 80th DXCC on EME and I got my last division for 2 metres! So yes i feel real proud to do that as a VHFer. De V51PJ.” 

TRANSATLANTIC NEWS – Conditions suddenly picked up between PY and V51/ZS, Also towards Bruce ZD7VC whom I have sent an SMS to listen out for any signal on 144,250 MHz USB. Unfortunately he does not have any digital that side. Marcus in Brazil installed a 24 element Yagi with a preamp. Koos ZS3jJPY managed to raise the height of his antennas too, so he will also listen for signals at his QTH at Kleinzee. So yes all back on track again. Will do tests non-stop this side while conditions are there in case there is an opening to St. Helena Island as well. Greetings from the Namib de Pieter Jacobs, V51PJ.” 

THE UNIVERSE IS UNIFORM – Scientists from University College London and Imperial College London have put this assumption through its most stringent test yet and found only a 1 in 121,000 chance that the universe is not the same in all directions. To do this, they used maps of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation: the oldest light in the universe created shortly after the Big Bang. The maps were produced using measurements of the CMB taken between 2009 and 2013 by the European Space Agency's Planck satellite, providing a picture of the intensity and, for the first time, polarisation (in essence, the orientation) of the CMB across the whole sky. Looking out into the night sky, we see a clumpy universe: planets orbit stars in solar systems and stars are grouped into galaxies, which in turn form enormous galaxy clusters. But cosmologists assume this effect is only local: that if we look on sufficiently large scales, the universe is actually uniform.

Technical engineering support services offered to companies in terms of project engineering and management on a consultation basis (short or long term) . I also offer technical training ( in house only)  ( for technicians and project engineers ) in the field of electronics , electrical and instrumentation.I am an licensed professional engineer , Please contact Steve Roux  ( ZS6XRS) , +27(0)72 116 6050 ; http://sroux53.wix.com/consulting-engineers

Jeg Technologies. 
Design and manufacturing of control panels for the industry. Installation of ac drives, soft starters, dc drives. PLC, control stations, mimic panels. Earthing and lightning protection. Back-up generators, commercial, domestic and industrial. Fire, smoke and heat detection. Solar panels, batteries, inverters and regulators. Temperature controllers, RTDs, thermocouples. Gas detection. Hygrometers. Contact Eddie (ZS6DAY) @ 0823303558, or E-mail: jegtechnology14@gmail.com .

ZS2BL's S.A. HAMSHACK

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 

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