SARL NEWS - SUNDAY 18 SEPTEMBER 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 'Amateur Radio Today' 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.
SILENT KEY
It is with deep regret that it must be reported that the key of Theo Mcdulling, ZS1JM, went silent on the 2nd September 2011 at the age of 77 years.
Our sincere condolences to the relatives and friends of Theo.
(PAUSE)
In the news today:
SARL RADIO TECHNOLOGY IN ACTION HEADS FOR GAUTENG SATURDAY THIS WEEK
SARL GIVES FEEDBACK TO ICASA
INTERESTING BOOK FOR AMATEURS IN FLATS AND GATED COMMUNITIES
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more details on these and other important and interesting news items.
SARL RADIO TECHNOLOGY IN ACTION HEADS FOR GAUTENG SATURDAY THIS WEEK
The 2011 SARL Radio Technology in Action Symposium will be held in Gauteng on Saturday 24 September at the National Amateur Radio Centre and the Sentech auditorium. The programme features some interesting discussions and presentations. There are also some great prizes to be won by simply attending. Entrance cost is R60 which includes refreshment an a finger lunch. Students and scholars who pre-book enter fee of charge.
SARL Vice President, Mark Zank, ZS6YES, will talk, in line with national heritage day, about the Heritage of Amateur Radio and where to next. In the panel discussion the debate will be about “what if we could have an advanced Amateur Radio license in South Africa, what should it look like”? Chairmen of the Gauteng Club have been invited to participate in the debate.
John Willescroft will be taking about FPGA’s and Hannes Coetzee about application of Software Defined Radio in Amateur Radio. He will take a practical approach and demonstrate his design that won the innovation competition.
Full details will be on the web this weekend at www.sarl.org.za.
SECOND LEG OF THE SARL VHF/UHF CONTEST THIS WEEKEND
The second leg of the SARL VHF/UHF contest is in full swing this weekend. There are still a few hours left to make contact with stations in rare grid squares.
VHF/UHF contests should be the test of operator ability and station design but the overriding aim is to get away for the weekend and have fun. But next after that, the aims are: To promote activity on the VHF/UHF and microwave bands, to encourage amateurs to work greater distances than usual by operating portable and/or improve antenna systems, to provide opportunities for people to activate or work new grid squares. Look about for 7P8EME they are on the air from Lesotho.
SARL GIVES FEEDBACK TO ICASA
This past week the SARL has given feedback to ICASA on a number of issues around regulations including minimum age for a class B licenses and receivers with continuous tuning. The SARL is of the opinion that there should be no minimum age for persons wishing to become a radio amateur provided they pass the relevant examination and practical test. The SARL made suggestions to ICASA how the regulation dealing with receivers with continuous tuning can be changed to accommodate the requirements of radio amateurs. The SARL also had the opportunity to check the table of Amateur frequency spectrum allocations which are now correct and ready for publication in the Government Gazette.
INTERESTING BOOK FOR AMATEURS IN FLATS AND GATED COMMUNITIES
The ARRL has published an interesting new book entitled “Small antennas for small spaces”. It is a valuable resource for amateurs who live in apartments, condominiums, or houses on small lots. Filled with practical advice, this book guides you to finding the right antenna design to fit whatever space you have available. In the book you’ll find ideas and projects that will get you on the air regardless of where you live! The book includes a collection of limited-space antenna ideas from well-known amateurs, including the innovative Folded Skeleton Sleeve 40 and 20 Metre Dipole Antenna by QST Technical Editor Joel Hallas, W1ZR.
The book is available in South Africa from the SA Amateur Radio Development Trust at R300 plus R30 packaging and posting. For more details about this and other books visit www.amateurradio.org.za/books.htm.
SARL MEMBERSHIP CLOSE TO THE 1 300 MARK
The membership of the SARL stood at 1 272 this Friday and we hope to break the 1 300 mark during the coming week.
If you have not yet renewed you will still have a few more days before your membership benefits will end. Pay by cheque, by bank deposit or electronics transfer. Details are on the invoice you received or call Mariska on 011 675 2393.
7P8EME DXPEDITION FUNDING
The SARL 7P8EME DXpedition appeal campaign is still in full swing. The target is R10 000. As of today the fund stands at R5 200. Go to www.amateurradio.org.za/7P8.htm for details. Please remember to send an email to artoday@sarl.org.za so that your contribution is recognised.
PLANNING TO WRITE THE RAE ON 20 OCTOBER?
RAE students are reminded that the closing date for registration for the 20 October Radio Amateur Examination is on 25 September. No late entries can be accepted. The various forms to be completed can be found on www.sarl.org.za or follow the link on the SARL Today news item on the home page.
NEED A QSL ROUTE?
Here are some great free sites for you and your friends - http://www.dailydx.com/routes.html.
K2TQC, Bill Gibbons, reports tracking down a QSO, and eventually QSL, for JZ0PH from an August 1961 QSO with Netherlands New Guinea, which was deleted from the DXCC list April 30, 1963. The operator Joop Hesp is now ZS6C.
This was country No. 383 for K2TQC.
YL’S AND XYL’S ON THE GO
Heather, ZS6YE, started a YL Group. She is sends a monthly mail with interesting news to YL’S. A new Ham YL’s Facebook profile has also been created. All YL’s are invited to join the group; there are already several international YL’s who are also friends of the group. Please contact Heather at ylgroupsa@yahoo.com or Anette zr6delta@gmail.com if you want your name also on the mailing list. Any YL and XYL is welcome to forward any interesting news to be included in the newsletter. The group is looking forward hearing from you girls.
FOLLOW A HIKING GROUP
On the 26th of Sept a group of hikers will start a 12 day hike in the Drakensberge range. It will start at Mount Aux Sauces and end at Boesmansnek.
Amateur radio will be used for communication, and to this end Johan Leslie, ZR4CAA, is a member of the group.
Base camp will also be run by a radio amateur, John Longland, ZS6AA. Use will be made of the 40 m, 80 m and the 2 m bands. For quite some time now, tests have been ongoing around the communication procedures and these procedures will be on the website www.crossroadsadventure.co.za by Monday. The procedures are aimed at making compact communications possible between the group and base camp, at certain scheduled times.
Radio amateurs are requested to listen out for these call signs and assist when an emergency situation seems to be arise by following the procedures on the website. Ragchews with the group will not be possible as they have limited battery power, but they aim to have a session at the half way mark.
CLUB NEWS
The Centurion Radio Amateur Club will again commence with technical discussions on the club's two meter repeater on 145,775 MHz. on Sunday evenings, commencing at 19:30.
For this coming Sunday Pine, ZS6GS,T plans to discuss a little known aspect of HF propagation, namely - "Magneto-ionic holes", and also tell a tongue in cheek short story.
If you are in range of the repeater, do come along and listen to these very interesting discussions. Please report in if possible.
The discussion will not take place when there is an Intecnet broadcast that evening.
MAGALIES CLUB COMMITTEE
At the club’s AGM held on 10 September, committee members for the 2011 – 2012 period were elected as follows:
Chairman Thys Maré, ZS6MJM
Vice chairman Johann du Plessis, ZSZ6PSS
Secretary Anette Jacobs, ZS6D
Treasurer Louis Mitchell, ZS6LWM
Technical adviser Sam van Zyl, ZS6JZ
Digital Hannes Enslin, ZS6JDE
Teenspanning: Marco Nel, ZS6MJ
Social Gordon Forbes, ZS6FI
Public relations Chris Smit, ZS6FCS
Youth co-ordinator Johann du Plessis, ZS6PSS
Competition manager Quartus de Witt, ZS6EE.
The retiring committee thanks all the MRK members for their support during the past year and wish strength to the new committee for the activities for the coming year.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that sunspot complex 1 295-1 296 has more than doubled in area and quadrupled in spot count since September 14th and is crackling with C-class flares. Another sunspot appears to be forming on the southeast portion of the sun. An increase in solar activity is further possible during the week.
For the people doing their own frequency predictions the expected effective sunspot number for the week will be around 92, a new high for this cycle.
20 to 15 m will provide the best DX opportunities with some exciting 10 m openings also possible due to the higher solar activity.
Please visit www.spaceweather.co.za for further information.
DIARY OF EVENTS
Still make a financial contribution towards the 7P8EME DXpedition which ends on 26 September.
18 September - Last day to submit logs for the ZS6JVT Youth Spring Sprint Competition.
18 September – Tonight, at 19:30 Centurion Club’s technical discussion on 145,775 MHz. in Pretoria.
23 September – Take your hand-held to work today.
24 September – RTA in Gauteng.
25 September – Last day to enrol for the October RAE.
25 September – Intecnet at 19:30.
26 Sept/7 Oct – ZR4CAA and ZS6AA active with Drakensberge hiking group.
15/16 October – Jamboree on the air.
Till 31 October – ZL-stations with ZM prefixes and ZL4RUGBY and ZL6RWC on the air.
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 17 750 kHz. There is also a podcast by ZS6RO. For a web-stream and Echolink by ZS6FCS, visit www.sarl.org.za, click on 'Amateur Radio TODAY', go down the green column and click on 'LISTEN ON THE WEB'. A repeat transmission can be heard on Mondays at 18:30 CAT on 3 230 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 George, Z6SNE.
Thank you for listening, 73.
/EX
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