SARL NEWS SUNDAY 8 JUNE 2008
You are listening to ZS6SRL, the official Radio Station of the South African Radio League, the National Body for Amateur Radio in South Africa, with a news bulletin that is transmitted every Sunday at 08:15 CAT in Afrikaans and at 08:30 CAT in English. To listen to a web stream visit www.sarl.org.za, click on ARMI and follow the links for details. PLEASE NOTE! For audio via Echolink, connect to ZS0JPL-R.
You can download this and previous bulletins from www.sarl.org.za and you can subscribe there to receive future bulletins by email.
Your newsreader this morning is (name), (call sign), on 145,725 and 7,066 MHz from Pretoria with relays on 28,325, 14,235, 10,130, 7,066 and 3,695 MHz SSB as well as 51,400, 438,825 and 1 296 MHz FM in the Pretoria area. (Other newsreaders please change to suit).
In the news today:
HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT AMATEUR RADIO - ASK THE SARL ELMER
SARL TO ATTEND PLT PUBLIC HEARING
SARL YOUTH SPRINT 16 JUNE
INTECNET ON 22 JUNE TO FOCUS ON SETI
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more detail on these and other important and interesting news items.
HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT AMATEUR RADIO - ASK THE SARL ELMER
The SARL Elmer is back in the person of Fred Scheepers, ZS1FCS. If you have a question about amateur radio, whether it is regulatory, DX-ing or technical, send it to elmer@sarl.org.za. Fred will do the necessary research to get you the correct answer.
You may be wondering where the term Elmer found its origin? The term "Elmer" - meaning someone who provides personal guidance and assistance to would-be amateurs - first appeared in QST in a March 1971 "How's DX" column by Rod Newkirk, W9BRD. Newkirk called them "the unsung fathers of Amateur Radio”. While he probably was not trying to coin a term at the time, here's how Newkirk introduced "Elmer" in his column and, as it turned out, to the rest of the Amateur Radio world:
"Too frequently one hears a sad story in this little nutshell: ”'Oh, I almost got a ticket, too, but Elmer, W9XYZ, moved away and I kind of lost interest”.
As you can see, the term is not very old. Prior to the first use of Elmer as the one who guided and encouraged us, what were these folks called? Teacher, mentor, tutor, guide, may be just helper?
SARL TO ATTEND PLT PUBLIC HEARING
ICASA has given notice that the Authority intends holding public hearings in respect of the draft regulations published on 7 February 2008 for Technical Standards for Power Line Telecommunications. The hearings will be held on 18 and 19 June 2008. Both the SARL and HAMNET will be present on the first day.
After the publication of the draft PLT regulations in the Government Gazette, the SARL and HAMNET submitted objections to certain aspects of the draft regulations. The main objections include lack of compulsory notching of amateur frequency allocations, limits which are too low to offer adequate protection and the dispute resolution process. The draft regulations and the SARL and Hamnet objections are available on www.sarl.org.za, click on PLC/BPL.
SARL YOUTH SPRINT 16 JUNE
Have you made arrangements for young people in your area to participate in the SARL Youth Sprint? You can get full details by visiting www.sarl.org.za, click on activities and select youth activity. Full details and an operating guideline have been posted on the web. Every participant under 25 will receive a certificate and will go into the draw from some great prizes.
To facilitate the promotion of amateur radio to the youth and to encourage hands on activity, the SARL President, Rassie Erasmus, ZS1YT, said that all stations who are hosting unlicensed youth under 25 years of age during the Sprint Contest will be automatically regarded as educational stations. These stations are however obliged to assist their young operators to submit logs in the sprint contest.
Should you however wish to outreach to the youth more often it is necessary to register as an educational station. Forms are available on the web. Registration remains valid for one year.
INTECNET ON 22 JUNE TO FOCUS ON SETI
The next Intecnet will be held on 22 June at 19:30. The guest speaker will be the President of the SETI League, Dr Paul Shuch. He will explore the concept of "We know we are not alone" - the search for extraterrestrial intelligence". Make a note of the date 22 June at 19:30, you don't want to miss it.
QSL BUREAU NEEDS MORE VOLUNTEERS
We were serious when we last week called for more volunteers to assist with the sorting and mailing of QSL cards. Call Francois Botha on 012 679 5260 to offer your services.
PORT ELIZABETH RTA A HIT
The SARL Radio Technology in Action Symposium held in Port Elizabeth on Saturday last week was attended by a record number of delegates. Over 70 radio amateurs and enthusiasts attended the event held in the auditorium of the Department of Electrical Engineering at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University.
The debate, lead by Vice President Dennis Green, ZS4BS, drew enthusiastic participation from the delegates. The over riding outcome was that more kits are needed to encourage hands on amateur radio and to attract young people to build something electronic of which they can be proud. There was a call for the SARL to establish a data base of projects available from various clubs and to encourage clubs to share projects with other clubs.
All the presentations were well received. There was particular interest in the Spread Spectrum demonstration and talk by John Willescroft, ZS6EF. John told the delegates that he will be back next year with a demonstration on how to build a spread spectrum transceiver. He said that he will have two transceivers in the auditorium to demonstrate the operation and the advantages of spread spectrum.
The main attendance prize, a Yaesu hand held transceiver donated by HRO-SA, was won by Henning Kriel ZR2HRL.
CONTEST NEWS
SARL 80 METRE QSO PARTY
The results of the first leg held on Thursday 3 April 2008 have been released. More than 50 operators participated but only 5 logs were received.
1st Jan Botha, ZS4JAN, 680 points;
2nd Ruaan Schoeman, ZS6RMS, 530 points;
3rd Angeline v/d Merwe, ZU4AN, 470 points;
3rd Philip Esterhuizen, ZU4PE, 470 points;
4th East Rand ARC, ZS6ERB, 195 points.
SARL 160 METRE QSO PARTY
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 SARL Top Band Award. It takes place from 18:00 CAT on Wednesday 18 June 2008 to 06:00 CAT on Monday 23 June 2008, with CW activity on 1 810 – 1 838 kHz and phone on 1 842 – 1 850 kHz. The exchange is a RS(T) report and serial number.
Get the full details in the SARL Contest Manual and in HF Happenings 306 in the coming week. Log sheets must be submitted by 8 July by e-mail to hfcontests@netactive.co.za or by snail mail to The Contest Committee, PO Box 12104, Brandhof, 9324.
CLUB NEWS
The Kempton Park Amateur Radio Technical Society (KARTS) will conduct Class A RAE classes for the October Exam and need candidates. Please send your details to the committee@karts.zar.cc.
Sasolburg Radio Club - Youth Day activities.
Sasolburg Radio Club will be hosting a "Hands-On" presentation at the Tharina Shopping Centre, Vaal Park on Monday, June 16th.
It would be much appreciated if they could receive calls from Hams to ZS4SRK on 145,600 MHz FM, and 40 meters SSB and CW during the course of the day.
Participation in the sprint will mark an important contribution to the demonstration. Full support over the air is eagerly anticipated. Please support their Youth Day display.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the expected solar activity will be very low. The geomagnetic field is expected to be mostly at quiet levels increasing to unsettled levels from 15 till 20 June. The expected Effective Sun Spot number for the coming week will be less than 5. DX conditions will generally be good to the North and poor in the general North-Westerly directions.
20 m will provide best opportunities for DX. There is a possibility of weak 20 m openings towards India from about 15:00 CAT. 20 m contacts with Australia may be possible from eight till ten in the mornings. From 17:00 there may be 20 m openings towards Europe. Contacts with the USA are going to be very challenging.
10 MHz is looking promising late afternoon and after dark for the CW and digital enthusiasts.
Local conditions are going to be good on 40 m during the day time. 80 m may perform well during the mornings and late afternoons over the shorter distances. 30 m may perform well over the longer distances during the middle of the day.
80 m is the frequency of choice in the evenings, thunderstorms and static permitting! Not too long from now 160 m will be quite useful again.
Remember that this is only a prediction and that HF always has the capability to surprise you, but you will never know unless you switch your rig on, listen and also call CQ.
Please visit www.spaceweather.co.za for further information.
DIARY OF EVENTS
16 June - Youth Day Sprint;
18 to 23 June - SARL Top Band QSO Party
22 June – Intechnet about SETI.
SARL News invites clubs and individuals to submit news stories of interest to radio amateurs and shortwave listeners. Submit news stories if possible in both English and Afrikaans to www.sarl.org.za/newsinbox.asp not later than the Thursday preceding the bulletin date.
The SARL also invites you to listen to the programme Amateur Radio Mirror International, on the air every Sunday morning at 10:00 CAT on 145,750 MHz in the Pretoria area with relays on 7 082, 7 205 and 17 590 kHz. For the web stream and Echolink by ZS6FCS visit www.sarl.org.za, click on ARMI and follow the links. A repeat transmission can be heard Mondays at 21:00 CAT on 3 215 kHz. Sentech sponsors the ARMI transmissions on the non-amateur frequencies.
Today's South African Radio League news bulletin was compiled by Roger, ZR3RC.
Thank you for listening. 73.
/EX
