Q. I forgot my members only password. What must I do?
Q. How do I choose my Members Only Password?
Q.
How do I update my information on the SARL call book from the website?
Q.
How do I add
my QTH Locator to my call book entry?
Q.
May I use my two way radio when mobile?
( Cell phone
laws )
Q. When may a ZR station operate on HF?
Q. Why does my name not appear in the Call book, or why are my details incorrect?
Q.
When will the Electronic Call book be updated, and why
can’t I edit my Electronic Call book.
Q. Why must a BBS have a ZS0
call sign?
Q. Does a Weather Satellite / Fax Relay station need to be licensed?
Q. Why is the SARL necessary to communicate with the Radio Regulatory
Authorities?
and why can't I
talk to them directly?
Q.
Why should I help support the QSL Bureau through
my membership if I don't use it?
Q.
How does the SARL protect the Ham in matters of
interference and EMC?
Q.
Why is the Radio ZS magazine printed on "expensive" glossy paper?
Q.
Your Question is
not listed here... Help?
Q.
Where can I get a list of repeaters and
other unmanned devices for South Africa?
Q. I forgot my members only password.
What must I do?
Don't worry, help is at hand. All you need to do is type in your Call sign
as your username and the word HELP as the password. This will instruct the
system to lookup your password and send it to your registered e-mail
address. Once you've sent HELP and it's confirmed that you are a member and
that your password has been sent to you, then all you need to do is check
your e-mail in a few minutes and get your password.
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Q.
How do I choose my Members Only Password?
Very easy... Click
here and simply
supply your old password and the new one you'd like.
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Q.
How do I update my information on the SARL call book from the website?
Step 1: Look your call sign up in the online
call
book.
Step 2: If your details are displayed, you may click the green
"Update"
Step 3: Now use the convenient form to make the necessary changes.
Step 4: Click Update to finish.
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Q. How do I
add my QTH Locator to my call book entry?
Step 1: Look your call sign up in the online
call
book.
Step 2: When your details are displayed, follow the link to add
a your locator.
Step 3: Now use the convenient form to add or update
your locator.
Step 4: Click Submit to finish. Your locator will
now be saved to the database.
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Q. May I use my two way radio when
mobile? ( Cell phone laws )
The short answer is yes. Click
here to read more about
these regulations.
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Q. When may a ZR station operate on
HF?
There is no longer any
difference between the ZR and ZS callsigns. These are both
Class A licences in terms of current regulations.
Click
here for all the
regulations.
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Q: Why does my name not appear in the
Callbook, or why are my details incorrect?
In order for the SARL to maintain the
integrity of the Call Book database we rely on YOU to keep us informed of
changes of address, silent keys from your area, changes of call signs and
new Radio Amateurs licensed in your area. Please remember also to update
ICASA within two weeks of changing address.
However, we are not infallible, and finger trouble can cause
problems. We urge all hams, both members and non-members, to check their
details on the SA Call book and if there are
changes it will only take
5 minutes on the web to ensure that the correct data is sent in.
It is the responsibility of every member to advise the SARL of any changes
to callsigns, addresses or other information.
ICASA occasionally provides the SARL with information from their database, and
this may be used to update our records.
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Q: When will the Electronic Callbook be updated, and why
can’t I edit my Electronic Call book.
Please see the FAQ above re: incorrect data in the Call book.
Each time you use the Electronic Callbook and are connected to
the internet, the program checks for an updated version of the Callbook
database, and offers the user the option to download the new version. As
the online Callbook is updated every business day from the SARL primary
database you should refresh your local database regularly by downloading
the new version.
The primary database can
only be updated by the SARL. However a personal database
is included in the software package where you can make your own entries.
This database is much like other electronic call books which also don't
permit the distributed data to be changed.
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Q: Why must a BBS have a ZS0
call sign?
- A BBS provides community service for the radio amateurs who operate packet radio.
Therefore many amateurs can access the BBS either to download various messages and also
upload messages containing general information for the amateurs at large. Messages to a
specific amateur may also be stored in the BBS for onward transmission to the destined
amateur. From the foregoing it can be seen that a BBS is very different from a mailbox.
- Like a voice repeater the BBS is able to repeat packet signals which are received from a
radio amateur. Since the BBS, like the the voice repeater, is an active unit, its location
and custodian particulars must be known to the authorities in case of interference
problems. Also, frequency co-ordination must be carried out to avoid clashes with other
BBSs.
- In the Radio Regulations the licence fee for a BBS is indicated under the heading
"licences" and is the same as for voice repeaters.
- Therefore all BBSs must be licensed and a ZS0
call sign will be allocated.
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Q: Does a Weather Satellite / Fax Relay
station need to be licensed?
The short answer is YES. The long answer is that all stations that run
Unattended need to be licensed with ICASA. Such a license needs to be
applied for via the SARL band planners, who process the applications and
forward them to ICASA for licensing. This way any interference can be
avoided. Click here for the license
application form.
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Q: Why is the SARL necessary to communicate with the Radio Regulatory
Authorities? and why can't I talk to them directly?
Individual Hams can communicate directly with the Radio Regulatory
Authority (ICASA) on matters related to their particular circumstances. Individuals
however have almost no influence over policy making decisions and matters of an
international nature. Government, Regulators and International organisations generally
only take notice of representative organisations. The SARL is recognised as the
representative of the Amateur Radio Service in South Africa and has the necessary status
to influence decision makers where it affects Amateur Radio.
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Q:
Why should I help support the QSL Bureau through
my membership if I don't use it?
The QSL Bureau is a membership service provided by the SARL.
Members who use the Bureau contribute financially to its operation. All members of the SARL are
entitled to receive incoming QSL cards as part of their membership. In any organisation
such as the SARL it is impossible to decide who derives exactly what benefit from any
particular activity, but in the end ALL members derive benefit from their membership and
overall it would be difficult to say that one member actually receives a greater benefit
than another. Lastly the portion of your subscription that goes to the
running of the bureau is very small indeed.
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Q:
How does the SARL protect the Ham in matters of
interference and EMC?
The SARL plays an active role in the S.A. Bureau of Standards activities.
An EMC committee under the authority of the council analyses proposed legislation and
through their representatives on the SABS technical committee helps shape new regulations
in a manner which protects radio Hams. Without this participation legislation would be
passed that permits much higher levels of emissions from computers and other equipment.
The committee also negotiates with the Regulator to ensure that the interests of Hams are
protected. In a recent case, the SARL succeeded in having the Regulator overturn one of
its own decisions which would have had a detrimental effect on the use of transmitting
equipment in residential areas.
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Have a Question?
Before phoning or e-mailing someone at the SARL please first
check to see if your question has not already been answered on the SARL
website
or in the last news bulletin. 99% of answers can be found on the SARL
website.
Please check the SARL forum,
Site index, Home page and
SARL news.
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