SARL NEWS - SUNDAY 15 JULY 2012
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. 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 MHz FM from Pretoria with relays on 7 066 and 3 695 kHz SSB. (Other news readers change to suit).
IN THE NEWS TODAY:
BOOK NOW FOR THE RTA IN DURBAN ON 21 JULY
FORUM MODERATORS APPOINTED
PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED WITH LOAD CONTROL SYSTEM IN WESTERN PROVINCE
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more details on these items and other important and interesting items.
BOOK NOW FOR THE RTA IN DURBAN ON 21 JULY
Bookings have been coming in steadily and it looks like we are heading for a bumper Radio Technology in Action Symposium next Saturday. Listen to Amateur Radio Today later this morning for a preview by Tony Voorveld of his presentation "Tuning into nature". Full details of the symposium to be held in Durban on 21 July are available on line at www.sarl.org.za.
You can pre book and take part in an additional prize draw for the ARRL Book "Basic Antennas". If you like a programme to be sent to your inbox send an email to rta@sarl.org.za with RTA Durban in the subject line and a PDF copy will be mailed to you.
Pre-booking closes on Thursday 19 July. After that you can register at the venue from 08:30. Only cash or cheques will be accepted. The symposium starts at 09:00. The venue is the University of KwaZulu-Natal School of Engineering, use gate 8 at Rick Turner Avenue (used to be Francois Road) . You will find the GPS coordinates on www.sarl.org.za select RTA. Note that this is a new venue.
FORUM MODERATORS APPOINTED
The Council of the SARL has approved the appointment of three moderators to assist the SARL Councillor responsible for the SARL Forum portfolio, Pierre van Deventer, ZS6A. They are:
Brad Philips, ZS5Z
Vincent Harrison, ZS6BTY
Roger Conroy, ZR3RC
Please give them your full support.
PROBLEMS EXPERIENCED WITH LOAD CONTROL SYSTEM IN WESTERN PROVINCE
Problems are experienced and all radio amateurs in the Paarl and Stellenbosch Municipal areas where the load control system is currently being installed (this is the system installed to switch the geyser off during peak hours) please take note. This unit causes disturbances right through the HF spectrum. ICASA has investigated a complaint and are currently having discussions with the Municipal officials and the South African Bureau of Standards.
This morning they were wondering whether there were more amateurs experiencing disturbances, and would welcome feedback from you. The investigating official is Brennan Marais and can be contacted on 021 431 9811 or on his cellphone 082 569 8774. E-mail is bmarais@icasa.org.za.
In the meantime please be advised to decline the installation of this unit at your premises. If you want to hear how this unit sounds please phone Theo, ZS1BO, at 082 855 5623.
FUN CONTEST ON SUNDAY 22 JULY
The Boland Amateur Radio Club will be holding its 40 metre sprint phone contest on Sunday 22 July from 15:00 - 18:00 CAT. This is a fun activity to promote contacts on 40 metres between radio amateurs in Southern African countries. It is also an ideal opportunity for Mobile stations, Field stations and RaDAR stations to participate.
In this contest only wire or mobile antennas may be used and a maximum output of 100 watt. The following frequencies may be used 7 060 – 7 100 and 7 135 -7 200 kHz. Only three [3] contacts per frequency are allowed before you have to change frequency. You may only return to a previously used frequency after five [5] contacts.
Only Excell logsheets will be accepted and can be sent to zs1bak@bark.org.za or by post to BARK, P.O. Box 273, Strand, 7139.
Full details can be found on page 43 and 59 in the 2012 contest manual at www.sarl.org.za.
URL on for printed version: www.sarl.org.za/public/contests/SARL_2012_Contest_Manual_issue_10.pdf)
IARU HF WINTER CHAMPIONSHIP
The SARL is taking part in this contest with the call sign ZS9HQ. So to all of you out there, here is an opportunity to get a new call sign in the log. It will be the first time that this call sign is used. The shack at NARC is going to be used for the Phone operators. The following operators will be flying the ZS9HQ flag:
CW Operators:-
ZS1EL - Vidi La Grange
ZS1AAX - Allan Smith
ZS6C - Joop Hesp
ZS6A - Pierre van Deventer
Phone Operators:-
ZR6NGB - Nigel Burgess
ZS6RLM - Roy McKay
ZR6DX - Noel Hammond
ZS6GRL - Geoff Levey
ZS6RIC - Rikus Joubert
We thank all the operators who have come to the party.
SARL WINTER QRP COMPETITION
The SARL Winter competition is a fun activity to promote contacts between radio amateurs in Southern Africa. The use of self constructed equipment and operation of a portable/field station and the use of temporary antennas are encouraged, but is not a requirement.
The winter QRP competition will be on the air from 12:00 to 15:00 UTC on Saturday 21 July with CW and Phone activity on 40 metre. An RS(T) report and 6 character grid square will be exchanged. Each SSB contact counts 1 point and each CW contact 2 points. Each prefix worked counts as a prefix multiplier.
Logs must be submitted within 7 days after the competition and can be e-mailed to contest@sarl.org.za or posted to West Rand Amateur Radio Club, P.O. Box 5344, Weltevredenpark , 1725.
EAST RAND RADIO BRANCH TO HOST OCTOBER RAE COURSE
The East Rand Radio Branch will again offer a course leading to the Radio Amateur's Examination to be held in October 2012
The classes will start on 17 July 2012 at 18:00 (which will also be the registration) and every Tuesday evening there after and will be taking place at the clubhouse in Plantation road in Springs behind the Civic Centre
For any further info please don't hesitate to contact Judy, ZS6JDY, 079 730 2030 or email zs6jdy@vodamail.co.za.
COMPETITION NEWS
SARL TOPBAND QSO PARTY RESULTS
7 logs were received. There were about 56 stations on the air during the 4 days of the contest. More statistics and the full results will be published in HF Happenings.
Results are:
1st - Lukas Holtzhausen - ZS6LH - 232 points
2nd - Phillip van Tonder - ZS6PVT - 155 points
3rd - Johan van Zijl - ZS4DZ - 153 points
Congratulations to Lukas and the runners up.
Thanks to all who submitted their logs.
HF PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the week's expected solar activity will be at moderate levels. Behemoth sunspot AR1520 unleased an X-class flare on July 12th. The sunspot still harbours enough energy for another X-class explosion.
If you want to do your own frequency predictions, the expected effective sunspot number for the week will be around 119.
All the bands from 20 to 10 m will provide lots of DX fun with 15 m providing the best openings with 20 m not far behind. 10 m openings will be more frequent due to the higher solar activity.
Please visit www.spaceweather.co.za for further information
DIARY OF EVENTS
15 July - IARU HF Winter Championship closes today at 12:00 UTC.
21July – Do pre-booking for the Radio Technology in Action Symposium next Saturday in Durban till Thursday 19 July. Request program from rta@sarl.org.za.
21 July - SARL QRP Winter competition on the air from 12:00 to 15:00 UTC on Saturday.
22 July - The Boland Amateur Radio Club 40 metre sprint phone contest from 15:00 - 18:00 CAT.
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 17 760 kHz. There is also a podcast by Dick, 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 17:30 UTC 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 Johan ZS4SS, and edited by George Honiball, ZS6NE.
Thank you for listening. 73.
/EX
