SARL NEWS – SUNDAY 16 JANUARY 2011
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 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 bulletin and previous ones from www.sarl.org.za and also subscribe to receive future bulletins by e-mail.
Your newsreader this morning is (name), (call sign), on 145,725 and 7,066 MHz from Pretoria, with relays on 7,066 and 3,695 MHz SSB.
In the news today:
SARL MEMBERSHIP TOUCHES 1500
NOMINATIONS FOR SARL COUNCIL
IS YOUR CLUB CALLSIGN STILL VALID?
SARL NATIONAL CONVENTION ON VAAL
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more details on these and other important and interesting news items.
SARL MEMBERSHIP TOUCHES 1 500
The SARL membership this week stood at 1 492, touching the 1 500 mark. If you have not yet joined, we invite you to take up the six-month R200 membership offer. Get the details on www.sarl.org.za or call Mariska at 011 675 2393. Just think of the additional benefits members enjoy, like a discount on courses. For example, SARL members pay only R350 for the PIC Programming course instead of the R500 paid by non members. Another two exciting courses are coming, namely Programming in Windows and Advanced Home Construction.
NOMINATIONS FOR SARL COUNCIL
Members are reminded that the closing date for nominations to the SARL Council and motions for the AGM is drawing close. The final date for acceptance of nominations and motions is 31 January 2011. Get the details on the home page of the members only section at www.sarl.org,za. Select ‘Members Only’ at the top right-hand of the home page and enter your PIN.
SARL NATIONAL CONVENTION ON VAAL
The Sasolburg and Vaal Triangle Radio Clubs present: The SARL National Convention 2011. This year it takes place on 15 and 16 April. Come and enjoy the beauty of the Vaal. There is an exciting line-up, starting on the Friday evening with a wonderful Vaal River cruise down Millionaires’ Bend. Enjoy a fantastic dinner and the company of good radio friends until late that evening!
On Saturday morning the SARL AGM takes place at the Vaal University of Technology. A huge flea market will be held for radio enthusiasts, while a nature drive at Emerald Casino Resort will keep non-amateur partners suitably entertained. The two clubs are aiming to make the Convention the biggest get-together of radio amateurs in years. Saturday afternoon has been earmarked for a visit to the Bloemendal medium wave radio broadcast station near Meyerton. Come and experience what a 500 kW RF transmitter is capable of doing, and see how the systems for such a shortwave broadcast station operate and service the world from South Africa.
The Convention’s highlight is on the Saturday evening at the Riviera Hotel. This year, the SARL Gala evening is going to be a formal black tie affair. Our guest speaker is Prof. Alwyn Louw from VUT, a fantastic speaker! Gerald Klatzko, ZS6BTD, will be giving a riveting presentation on his satellite contact experiences. The annual prizegiving will be hosted by Tjerk Lammers, ZS6P. Thereafter the Broken Stream band fires up the dance music and the party begins.
Registration for the Boat cruise and the Gala evening is essential as there are limited seats available. Bookings should be done through the club secretary of ZS4SRK by visiting www.qsl.net/zs4srk to complete the forms.
IS YOUR CLUB CALLSIGN STILL VALID?
Clubs are reminded to check if the licence fee for their club callsign has been paid. Although the licence is registered in the Club’s name, one of the club members is the sponsor and is responsible for the callsign and its use. Remember to inform ICASA in writing after your club committee elections who the new responsible person is and the address where the account must be sent to. Send the information by email to dkuhrau@icasa.org.za.
BOOK NOW FOR PIC IN GAUTENG
Booking for the PIC course to be held at the National Amateur Radio Centre on 29 January is now open. Do not miss the last opportunity to attend this popular course in Gauteng. The course is filling up fast! Get details on www.sarl.org.za and select RTA.
FREE RADIO AMATEUR COURSE IN PRETORIA
The Pretoria Amateur Radio Club (PARC) is presenting a free course to all persons interested in becoming radio amateurs. The course is three months, and lectures will be at the University of Pretoria. Tuition and study material are free of charge.
The course starts on Thursday 20 January at 19:30 at the University. The lecture room is situated on the south-eastern corner of the campus, corner University Rd and Lynnwood Rd. Use the entrance in University Rd and follow the route markers from there. It is not necessary to register before starting the course.
Amateur radio is a fascinating hobby. Radio amateurs make radio contacts all over the world and also provide radio communication services to the civil authorities during emergencies.
The aspiring radio amateur writes an elementary exam on radio theory and regulations (purpose of this course) and receives a call sign and a licence to go on the air. Licences are issued only to persons that have passed the exam and are at least twelve years of age.
More information on amateur radio is available at the website of the SA Radio League, www.sarl.org.za, or on the website of the Pretoria Amateur Radio Club, www.parc.org.za. You can also call Fritz Sutherland, 012 811 3875 or 083 304 0028 or Pierre Holzhausen, 082 575 5799 or 012 655 0726.
AMATEUR RADIO TODAY TO FEATURE A WEEKLY TECHNOBYTE
Amateur Radio TODAY, the programme replacing Amateur Radio Mirror International, will feature TechnoBYTE, a weekly technology cameo written and presented by John Willescroft, ZS6EF. Today John discusses the PL259 connector. The audio file will also be available for downloading on Sunday evening and may be rebroadcast on local nets with acknowledgement to SARL Amateur Radio TODAY.
US CONGRESS TO CONSIDER AMATEUR RADIO BILL
The Amateur Radio Emergency Communications Enhancement Act, which ceased at the end of the 111th Congress, has been reintroduced in the 112th Congress as HR 81. The sponsor is Representative Sheila Jackson Lee. The new bill – which was introduced on January 5 – has been referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. "We are hopeful that this early start will lead to success in the new Congress," commented ARRL Chief Executive Officer David Sumner, K1ZZ.
The bill is supported by the ARRL. The Secretary of Homeland Security will study the uses and capabilities of amateur radio communications in emergencies and disaster relief. Impediments to amateur radio communications, such as the effects of private land use regulations on residential antenna installations, will also be addressed.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the solar activity is still at low levels. The face of the sun is nearly spotless as Sunspot 1140 has rotated onto the western limb and Sunspot 1146 is struggling to remain visible. The effective sunspot number is expected to be less than 20 for the coming week.
15 m will provide the best opportunities for DX followed by 20 m. Conditions to India will be good from the afternoon till after sunset. During the afternoons conditions will be fair towards Europa on 15 m, later to be followed by fair 20 m openings. Early evening 15 m contacts with the USA are possible. Contacts with Australia are possible on 20 m at sunrise and during the afternoons. 15 and especially 20 m openings to Brazil and South America are possible during the afternoons. With the good 15 and 20 m openings 17 m will also be full of surprises.
For the CW and digital enthusiasts 30 m may be very rewarding with openings to many parts of the world.
Locally is 40 m the work horse for contacts around the country with 20 and 30-m also being very useful for contacts over the longer distances. 80 m will be best during the early mornings and late afternoons as well as over the shorter distances.
80 m is the frequency of choice during the evenings.
Please visit www.spaceweather.co.za for further information.
DIARY OF EVENTS
20 January 2011 – Closing date for submission for application for the May 2011 RAE bursaries; visit www.amateurradio.org.za for application forms.
20 January – Closing date for submission of proposals and synopses of papers for 2011 SA AMSAT Space Symposium to saamsat@intekom.co.za.
20 January – Free amateur radio course at University of Pretoria.
21/23 January – PEARS VHF/UHF contest.
30 January 2011 – Closing date for phase 1 of the construction competition.
SARL News invites clubs and individuals to submit news items of interest to radio amateurs and shortwave listeners. Submit news items – 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 Amateur Radio TODAY every Sunday morning at 10:00 CAT on 145,750 MHz in the Pretoria area, with relays on 7 082, 7 205 and 17 560 kHz. There is also a podcast by ZS6RO.For a web-stream and Echolink by ZS6FCS, visit www.sarl.org.za, click on 'ARMI' and follow the links. A repeat transmission can be heard on Mondays at 22:05 CAT on 3 215 kHz. Sentech sponsors the ARMI transmissions on the non-amateur frequencies.
You have listened to a bulletin of the South African Radio League, compiled by Hester van der Walt.
Thank you for listening, 73.
/EX
