SARL NEWS - SUNDAY - 13 JULY 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), (callsign), 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 on 51,400, 438,825 and 1,296 MHz FM in the Pretoria area. (Other news readers please change to suit).
SILENT KEYS
It is with regret that we must announce that keys of two radio amateurs went silent recently. They are:
Peter Carey, ZS6JT, went SK the morning of the 11th July after fighting a long illness. Peter was a great experimenter, technician, operator and award winning amateur and as ZE5JJ in the then Salisbury, was the first radio amateur in Africa to work EME. He achieved it in 1974 on 432 MHz.
Kobus Olivier, ZS6SIX, went SK on 1 July 2008.
To the remaining relatives and friends of the SK’s, our deepest sympathies.
(PAUSE)
In the news today:
PRESIDENT’S NET TO FOCUS ON SARL HF CONTESTS
TRUST INTRODUCES STUDY GRANT FOR YOUNG RADIO AMATEURS
ELMER LINK NOW FULLY ACTIVE
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION TO THE SARL IS NOW DUE
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more detail on these and other important and interesting news items.
PRESIDENT’S NET TO FOCUS ON SARL HF CONTESTS
Join SARL President Rassie Erasmus, ZS1YT, on Sunday 20 July on the President’s Net. In addition to his report back on events over the past 6 weeks, he will be joined by Dennis Green, ZS4BS, to discuss the SARL HF Contests which will take place on 3 and 31 August.
Clubs are invited to link their repeaters to the teleconference network and provide an interactive link for radio amateurs in their repeater coverage area to join the discussion. The President’s Net starts at 19:30.
To book a teleconference link send an email request to armi@sarl.org.za by 15 July 2008 giving details of the Telkom landline to be connected to the conference. The President’s Net will also be transmitted on 3 782 kHz by Marten du Preez, ZS6ZY, and streamed by Chris, ZS6FCS, on the internet and echolink. Visit www.sarl.org.za for details.
TRUST INTRODUCES STUDY GRANT FOR YOUNG RADIO AMATEURS
The South African Amateur Radio Development Trust is introducing an annual study grant for young licensed radio amateurs who wish to enter a University or University of Technology to study electronics and communication. The study grant will contribute R15 000 towards the first year of study. The aim of the study grant project is to encourage young radio amateurs to enter a career in communication and electronics.
Most young people find it difficult to raise enough funds to enter a University or University of Technology for the first time. Once the first year has been completed successfully, there are more opportunities to obtain another bursary or bank loan.
The Trust is inviting Radio Amateurs and companies to make a contribution to the study fund. The Trust has started the fund with its own R7500 contribution and hopes to raise a further R7500 to be able to award the first bursary for the 2009 academic year. The aim is to raise more funds to be able to award more than one study grant each year.
Donors to the fund will be acknowledged on the Trust Study Grant webpage at www.amateurradio.org.za. Donors who contribute R15 000 will have a study grant named after them or their company.
Contributions to the study grant fund can be made by direct deposit into the South African Amateur Radio Development Trust account at ABSA, Menlyn Branch, account number 560 142 722. Please mark the deposit STUDY GRANT and send an email to saardt@intekom.co.za.
ELMER LINK NOW FULLY ACTIVE
The SARL Elmer link is now fully active. If you have a technical question about amateur radio or need advice on participating in a contest, an RFI problem or need information about an antenna, send an email to elmer@sarl.org.za. SARL Elmer Fred Scheepers, ZS1FCS, will seek an expert answer to your question. You will not find the word Elmer in many dictionaries. It is a typical amateur radio term meaning mentor, a person who assists newcomers to amateur radio. Whether you are a newcomer or an old hand, your questions are welcome.
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION TO THE SARL IS NOW DUE
Invoices for SARL membership have been mailed to all members. Subscriptions are due now. On the invoice there are two amounts. The first amount is a discounted R305 if paid before 31 August 2008. The second amount is the full subscription fee for the 2008/2009 year, which is R320. The fees for senior members are R184 if paid before 31 August 2008 and R200 if paid after that date. Please also note the new SARL bank account at ABSA. When paying electronically, please include your call sign and use the advice option to send an email to admin@sarl.org.za. If you are paying at the bank, please include your call sign on the deposit slip and fax the slip to 088 011 675-2793. All members receive an annual membership certificate.
RAE BURSARIES
There are two bursaries available for learners and students under the age of 25 who wish to enter for the October 2008 Class A Radio Amateur Examination. The Itchen Valley Radio Club YARP Bursary covers the examination enrolment fee and one year's junior membership of the SARL upon passing the examination and R150 towards tuition costs levied by local clubs teaching the RAE. Applications for the two bursaries close on 15 August 2008.
For students and learners taking the Class B (ZU) examination, bursaries are available covering the examination fee. Visit www.amateurradio.org.za for details and application forms.
CONTEST NEWS
Boland ARC 40 Metre Contest. The annual Boland ARC 40 metre phone contest will be run on Sunday 27 July starting at 15:00 CAT and ending 3 hours later. The exchange is call sign, RS report and postcode.
Letsplay Radio is sponsoring a Yaesu VX3 HT that can be won by a participant of the BARC 40 metre contest. All log sheets with 20 or more contacts will be entered for the lucky draw.
The following contest results have been released:
2nd VHF/UHF Sprint [1 June]
Marius Preston, ZS4MP, 72 points
SARL Youth Day Sprint [16 June].
Sixteen logs were received for this contest; nine of these logs come from non-radio amateurs!!
1st JP Meijers, ZS1PJM - 52 points [19 years old]
2nd Byron Engler, ZR5KH - 39 points [14 years old]
3rd Francois Herbst [ZS6MHH] - 37 points [23 years old].
SARL Top Band QSO Party [18 to 23 June]:
1st Gary Immelman, ZS6YI - 266 points;
2nd Jacques Vermeulen, ZS1WC - 228 points;
3rd Jan Botha, ZS4JAN - 165 points.
Check logs were received from Vidi la Grange, ZS1EL, and Eddie Leighton, ZS6BNE.
The complete results have been published in HF Happenings 310. A copy can be requested from hfcontests@netactive.co.za
CLUB NEWS
WINTER FLEA MARKET IN PRETORIA
The Pretoria amateur radio club will be hosting a Winter Flea Market on Saturday 26 July 2008. The flea market will be held at the usual place at the South Campus of the University of Pretoria, at the corner of University and Lynnwood roads. The starting time is 08:30.
Both club members and non-club members are welcome to attend. Come and visit the Flea Market in Pretoria. Phone Almero, ZS6LDP, on 012 567 3722 (home) or 082 908 3359 if you want to book a table or if you need more detail about the flea market.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE SUN? NOTHING!
The sun is behaving normally. So says NASA solar physicist David Hathaway. "There have been some reports lately that Solar Minimum is lasting longer than it should. That's not true. The ongoing lull in sunspot number is well within historic norms for the solar cycle”.
This report, that there's nothing to report, is newsworthy because of a growing buzz in lay and academic circles that something is wrong with the sun. Sun Goes Longer Than Normal Without Producing Sunspots declared one recent press release. A careful look at the data, however, suggests otherwise.
The sun is now near the low point of its 11-year activity cycle called Solar Minimum. It is the period of quiet that separates one Solar Max from another. Although minima are a normal aspect of the solar cycle, some observers are questioning the length of the ongoing minimum, now slogging through its 3rd year. It does seem like it's taking a long time. Read the full story on www.sarl.org.za.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the expected solar activity will be very low. The geomagnetic field is expected to be mostly at active levels. 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 the best opportunities for DX. There is a possibility of weak 20 m openings towards India from about 15:00 CAT. There is a possibility of an 80 m opening to New Zealand at 22:00. Contacts with Australia and New Zealand will otherwise be very challenging. 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 daytime. 80 m may perform well over the shorter distances during the mornings and late afternoons. 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, especially now that most of the thunderstorms and static is behind us. 160 m will also perform well during the evenings. It is now a very good time to make a plan with a 160 m antenna, if you haven't got one up already, to experience the thrills and spills of working top band.
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 July – ZS6STN begins RAE classes;
20 July – Presidents Net;
26 July – Pretoria Flea Market;
27 July – Boland 40 m competition.
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 webstream 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 Gustav, ZS6BWN.
Thank you for listening. 73.
/EX
