SARL NEWS, SUNDAY 23 JUNE 2013

You are listening to ZS6SRL, the official radio station of the South African Radio League, the national body for amateur radio in South Africa. The SARL broadcasts 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 there to receive future bulletins by e-mail.

Your news reader this morning is (name and call sign), on 145,725 from Pretoria, with relays on 7,066 MHz and 3,695 MHz SSB. (Other news readers change to suit).

IN THE NEWS TODAY:
MOON BOUNCE FROM ANTARCTICA TO ENGLAND
FCC LICENCE SESSION
WILL WE SURVIVE IF A SUPER CME HITS THE EARTH?

You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more details on these and other important and interesting items.

MORE NEWS FROM ICASA ON 5 YEAR LICENSE

ICASA informed the SARL that they have analysed all payments for licenses. Two hundred and nine Radio Amateurs paid R501 in 2012 but did not notify ICASA that they were applying for a 5 years license. This year, 2013, there were 34. ICASA will next week mail five year licenses which will be valid until 2017 and 2018 respectively. Please allow time for the mail system.

The investigation also showed that this year 823 radio amateurs did not renew their licences. These licences will be cancelled and ICASA will make arrangements for the urgent sealing or confiscation of the equipment if payment is not made immediately.

Radio Amateurs are urged to check their own payment records. It is the licence holder's responsibility to pay the annual license fee whether an invoice is received or not. If you have not paid your 2013/2014 license fee, do so without delay. A one year license costs R120. A five year license costs R501. Please indicate if you are paying for a one year or 5 year license. Also include your licence number and your call sign with your payment.

MOON BOUNCE FROM ANTARCTICA TO ENGLAND

The exploits of Craig Hayhow, VK0JJJ, in bouncing radio signals off the moon from Antarctica has been written about in the Australian Antarctic Division science newsletter.

VK0JJJ achieved a 742,000 kilometer hop when he made an EME contact with Peter Taylor G8BCG at Cornwall in England, on May 4th. Two nights later he contacted Bo Nilsson, SM7FJE, in Sweden through another EME contact.

The newsletter hailed these as a first from an Australian Antarctic station. It also notes that the equipment and software has now been proven and that more EME contacts will be made.


LAND BASED TELEGRAPH IN INDIA ENDS JULY 15

News line reports that it is the end of an era for an old but reliable form of communications in India. The newspaper the Hindu reports that on July 15th the telegraph service will come to an end.

India's first telegraph message was transmitted live between Calcutta and Diamond Harbour on 5 November 1850. That was a distance of about 50 kilometres. The service was opened for use by the general public in February 1855 with a Radio-telegram system between the UK and India established in 1927. It appears as if more modern technology such as Instant Messaging and social media sites have taken their toll on another communications technology of times gone by.

FCC LICENCE SESSION

The FCC, the agency that regulates the radio frequency spectrum in the USA, issues amateur radio licences to residents and non-residents alike. An American licence is useful for reciprocal licences in many countries that do not have an agreement with South Africa.

The C82DX operation in October provides an opportunity to hold a licence exam, as the crew includes enough Volunteer Examiners to conduct a licence session. If there is enough interest, the session will take place in the Pretoria area in mid-October.

There are three licence classes: Technician, General and Extra. A candidate can sit all three exams in one session. Each examination consists of technical and regulation questions applicable to the respective licence class. A candidate can take one, two or three exams depending on the licence class required. Several vendors, including the ARRL, provide suitable study material. An existing South African licence holder should have no difficulty mastering material.

If you are interested, please contact Tjerk Lammers ZS6P or Chris Burger ZS6EZ. Candidates will be advised timeously of schedule and venue information.

WILL WE SURVIVE IF A SUPER CME HITS THE EARTH?

Our Sun is a yellow star that consists of a giant ball of superheated plasma, its magnetic field oscillates and acts as a dynamo that creates the sunspots, solar flares and strong magnetic storms in the solar system. When a Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) appears from the corona of the Sun and travels to the Earth then the magnetic field of the Earth would deflect it, and create auroras in the form of ovals around the magnetic poles of the Earth.

Scientists claim that if a super CME should hit us then this magnetic storm will penetrate the Earth's magnetic field and cause devastation. First of all the satellites would be destroyed and all satellite telecommunications and DSTV would go off the air. Then it would generate extremely high voltages in the power lines and blow up all the transformers in the substations causing complete blackouts in cities and towns. Since water pumps won't function cities would dry up over night.

A solar storm hit the Earth on 13 March 1989 and caused blackouts in the entire province of Quebec, Canada. Scientists are currently keeping a very close eye on the Sun with a dedicated satellite, while trying to develop shielding that could protect transformers during such an event.

HAMNET WINTER CHALLENGE

The Hamnet winter Challenge is this year a national event. It will be held from 12:00 on Saturday 3 August till 12:00 on Sunday 4 August. One of the frequencies to be used is 5260 kHz. It should be noted that only Hamnet teams may participate. Others who are monitoring the frequency are encouraged to log all the activity and send the log to propresearch@sarl.org.za as input to the propagation research project.

Hamnet groups who would like to participate should send the following information to the exercise co-ordinator, Pierre Tromp, ZS1HF, zs1hf@hamcity.co.za not later than close of business Friday 19 July 2013:

. Intended location (name and co-ordinates or 6-letter grid square)
. Name of team
. Full names and call signs of participants (preliminary list for entry, changes to be sent through to the exercise co-ordinator before the exercise)
. Indication of which team members are NOT Hamnet members, if any
. Which of the exercise channels you intend operating on

The exercise co-ordinator may veto your entry if your chosen location is too close to another team or one of the recognised Emcomm centres. Those who enter earlier have a better chance to be granted their choice of location. Since there is significant preparation required once the list of teams is known, no late entries can be accepted. Final instructions, including the messages required to be transmitted, the locations of the other teams and the channels they intend using, will be sent to all teams during the week before the exercise.

LEAGUE NEWS

MEMBER QSL CARDS
The SARL has produced a generic QSL card which you can personalise by writing in your own call sign. The cards are available in batches of 100 at R50 per batch, including postage. To order pay in the amount for the required number of QSL cards into the SARL account. Full details and an illustration of the card can we found on the members' only section of the web.

IARU HF CHAMPIONSHIPS
The SARL will be participating in the HF championship on 16 and 17 July from the National Amateur Radio Centre. ICASA has approved the special call sign ZS9HQ for the two-day event. Operators are needed. Call Geoff on 082 546 5546 or send him an email to contest@sarl.org.za to offer your participation.

CLUB NEWS

SANDTON RAE COURSE
The Sandton Amateur Radio Club will be conducting its RAE course for the second semester of this year. The course will begin this Thursday 27th June at 19h00 at the National Amateur Radio Centre with an introduction to amateur radio presented by Colin ZS6COL. RAE classes will begin on the following Thursday - 4th July at 19h00 at the National Amateur Radio Centre. For more information or to register for the course please contact Greg Maynard (ZS6NY) - Chairman of Sandton Amateur Radio Club on 079 111 2850 or email sandtonclubrae@mweb.co.za.

WESTRAND FLEA MARKET
The Westrand Amateur radio club is hosting its next flea market 12:00 on Saturday 29 June 2013 at their clubhouse in Kroton street, Weltevredenpark, Roodepoort. Everybody is welcome. For more information contact Phillip ZS6PVT, 083 267 3835 or Geoff ZS6GRL 082 546 5546.

CONTEST NEWS

THE IARU HF CHAMPIONSHIPS
The IARU HF Championships takes place on the second full weekend of July, beginning 12:00 UTC Saturday and ending 12:00 UTC Sunday (13 and 14 July 2013). Both Single and Multi operator stations may operate the entire 24-hour period. The object is to contact as many other amateurs, especially IARU member society HQ stations, around the world as possible using phone and CW on the 160, 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 metre bands.

The exchange for IARU member society HQ stations is a RS or RST report and official IARU member society abbreviation. IARU International Secretariat club station, NU1AW, counts as a HQ station. Members of the IARU Administrative Council and the three IARU Regional Executive committees send a RS or RST report and "AC," "R1," "R2," and "R3" as appropriate. All others send signal report and ITU zone and a complete exchange must be logged for each valid QSO.

RESULTS OF THE SARL DIGITAL CONTEST
Seven logs including 1 check log were received for the SARL Digital contest held on the 26th May and the results are as follows:-

1st - Jaco ZS6PX - 183 points
2nd - Lukas ZS6LH - 141 points
3rd - Shaun ZR2SAP - 120 points
4th - Eddie ZS6BNE - 108 points
5th - Theunis ZS2EC - 51 points
6th - Francois ZS6FDX - 12 points

Check log Geoff ZS6GRL

Thanks to those who submitted logs and congratulations to Jaco

RESULTS OF THE ARRL 10 METRE CONTEST
Sixteen Southern African stations are listed in the results of the 2012 ARRL 10 Metre Contest. Moreover, some of them did very well in their Class of Participation.

Andrew Thompson, V51YJ, is the continental leader - Africa: CW only low power and achieved a second place in the Top Ten - DX: CW only low power Karel Bezuidenhout, ZS6WN, is the continental leader - Africa: Mixed modes low power and achieved a second place in the Top Ten - DX: Mixed modes low power Barry Nugent, ZS2NF, achieved 9th place in the Top Ten - DX: Mixed modes low power Vidi la Grange, ZS1EL, is the continental leader - Africa: Mixed modes high power and achieved a 5th place in the Top Ten - DX: Mixed modes high power Gary Potgieter, ZS5NK, is the continental leader - Africa: phone only high power Noel Hammond, ZR6DX, is the continental leader - Africa: Multi-operator low power

HF PROPAGATION REPORT

Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the solar activity is expected to be at low levels. There is a chance of C-Class flares and a lower threat for an isolated M-Class event.

If you want to do your own frequency predictions, the expected effective sunspot number for the week will be around 72.

All the bands from 20 to 10 m will provide lots of DX fun with 20 m providing the best openings with 15 m not far behind. There can also be some 10 m openings on sunlit paths.

Please visit www.spaceweather.co.za for further information.


DIARY OF EVENTS

20-24 June – QSO Party runs from 00:00 UTC on Thursday 20 June 2013 to 00:00 UTC on Monday 24 June.
22/23 June - Second weekend of International Museums Weekend special event.
1 July - QSO Party log sheets must be submitted.

SARL News invites clubs and individuals to submit news items of interest to radio amateurs and short-wave 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 17 660 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 16:30 UTC on 3 230 kHz. The website also lists various other retransmissions. Reception reports, comments and suggestions are invited. Send an email to artoday@sarl.org.za. Sentech sponsors the transmissions on the non-amateur frequencies.

You have listened to a bulletin of the South African Radio League compiled and edited by Louis Kirstein, ZS1LK.

Thank you for listening, 73.

/EX