SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE NEWS SUNDAY 21 DECEMBER 2014
Good morning and welcome, you are tuned to a newscast of the South African Radio League read by __________________________ (Name and Callsign) from _____________________(QTH). You may tune in to a SARL newscast on Sunday morning at 08:15 local time in Afrikaans and at 08:30 local time in English on HF, VHF and UHF frequencies around the country. Echolink listeners may connect to ZS0JPL for a relay and a podcast is also available from the official SARL webpage www.sarl.org.za.
You may find this and previous bulletins in text form on the SARL webpage under the news link on the left. While you are there you may also sign up to receive future bulletins via e mail.
** We start this mornings newscast with news of a silent key.
The Border Radio Club announce with sadness the passing of Ken Wood, ZS1KEW previously ZS2KW - Honouree life member of the Border Radio Club in East London. Condolences to Ken's XYL Val ZR2VW and family members.
Ken was instrumental in growing the Ham community in the Border area, as a RAE lecturer and examiner for many years, he will be sorely missed by all.
IN THE NEWS TODAY
STUDY THE DRAFT REVISION OF NEW RADIO REGULATIONS
SSSP ON 50 MHz AROUND OUR SUMMER SOLSTICE
TRANSATLANTIC TESTS BETWEEN NAMIBIA AND BRAZIL ON THE CARDS
ZS9YOTA ON THE AIR THIS DECEMBER
First we have a very important announcement:
** The Christmas message from Geoff Levey, ZS6C, the President of the South African Radio League, will be broadcast in Amateur Radio Today, which starts at 10:00 central African time this morning.
Our leading story this morning
** Why it is important to study the draft revisions of the entire set of regulations
Judging from comments received there is a tendency to only look at the section that covers amateur radio in specific. It is however important when commenting and making input to the SARL to assist the national body to develop its response to ICASA to study the entire document as there are other sections that impact on amateur radio operation. It is also important to keep in mind that ICASA in formulating regulations follows the directions given by the ITU radio regulations and the purpose of each service they are regulating. In the case of amateur radio it is ITU Radio Regulation 1.56 and 1.57 which define the amateur and amateur satellite service.
1.56 amateur service: A radiocommunication service for the purpose of self-training, intercommunication and technical investigations carried out by amateurs, that is, by duly authorized persons interested in radio technique solely with a personal aim and without pecuniary interest.
1.57 amateur-satellite service: A radiocommunication service using space stations on earth satellites for the same purposes as those of the amateur service.
Earlier this year the ITU Radiocommunication Bureau published the "Handbook on Amateur Radio and amateur-satellite services". When considering commenting on regulations this handbook give a good insight into the aspect of regulation. It is available for download from the SARL web.
Please send comments to sarlregwg@sarl.org.za by 15 January 2015
** SSSP ON 50 MHz AROUND OUR SUMMER SOLSTICE
The Short-path Summer Solstice Propagation (SSSP) was discovered by Han Higaso, JE1BMJ, when he contacted European stations on 50 MHz from Japan in the month of June around the summer solstice in the northern hemisphere. The VK and ZL amateurs have also exploited this new mode of propagation when they worked South American stations during their southern hemisphere summer solstice in December. Last Year Bob ZL1LS ran skeds with South African VHF amateurs, and traces of his signal were heard by Paul ZS6NK. The best time to listen for SSSP signals from the East is from our sunrise until their sunset. Read more in "SSSP on 50 MHz to VK & ZL" on the VHF Forum.
** TRANSATLANTIC TESTS BETWEEN NAMIBIA AND BRAZIL IN THE CARDS
Pieter Jacobs, V51PJ, of Rosh Pinnah, Namibia, who is a very keen VHF amateur, is planning to bridge the Atlantic Ocean to Brazil on 144 MHz. On the other side of this 6000 kilometre sea path another keen VHF amateur is anxiously waiting, his name is Orlando Neto, PY2ANE at Sao Paulo.
When Pieter was still located at Cape Town, as ZR1AEE, he ran skeds with Orlando, but they only heard traces of a signal from each other on 144 MHz digital via Tropo Ducting. Now Pieter has applied for permission to use 2 kilowatts of power for this research experiment. So far all previous attempts by other VHF amateurs have failed to establish a two-way contact across the Atlantic on 2 metres
You are listening to a newsbulletin of the South African radio league.
** Application for membership of the SARL has been received from Redewaan Edries,ZSL1120.
Any objection against the acceptance of the application must reach the Secretary before or on the Tuesday after this bulletin.
Membership of the SARL currently stands at 1598 plus 35 affiliated clubs.
** December is Youngsters on the Air month! Here is your chance to get a young person hooked to amateur radio
The South African Radio League has been granted a special call sign, ZS9YOTA, to be used by young amateurs during YOTA month from 1 to 31 December 2014. If you are 25 years old or younger, you are invited to apply to use the special call sign either as an individual or as a club station operated by young people. Send your request to Nico van Rensburg, ZS6QL at zs6ql@mweb.co.za. Get more details on www.hamradio.org.za
** Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the solar activity will at moderate levels. Active regions 2241 and 2242 have a complex magnetic configurations and may produce M- or X-class solar flares.
If you want to do your own frequency predictions, the expected effective sunspot number for the week will be around 130.
The 20 to 10 m bands will provide lots of openings with 15 m especially providing lots of DX fun on sunlit paths.
Please visit the website spaceweather.sansa.org.za for further information.
Diary of events
1 to 31 December - Youth on the Air with ZS9YOTA
31 December – your proposals for papers for Hamradio Africa 2015 to rta@sarl.org.za
1 January 2015 – ZS90SARL goes on the air
15 January 2015 – your input to the South African Radio League about the draft amendments to the radio regulations
16 to 18 January 2015 – PEARS National VHF/UHF Contest
We end this bulletin with a quick recap of the leading story.
** Judging from comments received on the current draft regulations, there is a tendency to only look at the section that covers amateur radio in specific. It is however important when commenting and making input to the SARL to assist the national body to develop its response to ICASA to study the entire document as there are other sections that impact on amateur radio operation.
And that brings us to the end of this news bulletin.
You are invited to submit news items of interest to the SARL by following the newsinbox link on the SARL webpage. Newsitems should reach the new steam not later than the Thursday preceding the bulletin date for inclusion in the bulletin.
You may also join us every Sunday morning for the weekly amateur magazine program Amateur Radio Today at 10:00 local time.The programme may be heard on VHF and UHF repeaters countrywide and also on 7082kHz lower side-band and on 7205kHz and 17660kHz AM.There is also a podcast by Dick ZS6RO.A replay may be heard on Monday evening’s 18:30 local time on 3230kHz AM. Theradio transmissions on the non amateur frequency bands are sponsored by Sentech.
You have listened to a news bulletin compiled by Johann ZS6PSS and edited by DawieZR6DHC. , Thank you for listening, from me _________________________ (Name) and the entire news team,best wishes for the week ahead, 73’s.
/EX
