SARL NEWS - SUNDAY - 14 SEPTEMBER 2008
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 transmitted every Sunday at 08:15 CAT in Afrikaans and at 08:30 CAT in English. To listen to a webstream, 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 and previous bulletins from www.sarl.org.za and 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 28,325, 14,235, 10,130, 7,066 and 3,695 MHz SSB, as well as 51,400, 438,825 and 1 296 MHz FM in the Pretoria area. (Other newsreaders please change to suit).
SILENT KEY
It is with regret that the Secunda and OTL ARCs announce that the key of Hannes Ferreira, ZS6JPS has became silent on 3 September 2008. Our sincerest condolences to his wife Joan, ZR6JF, family and friends.
(PAUSE)
In the news today:
SARL PRESIDENT INVITES YOU TO JOIN AMATEUR RADIO VERSION 2008
CONSTRUCTION COMPETITION WINNER ANNOUNCED
VAAL HAMS COMMEMORATE HERITAGE DAY
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more detail on these and other important and interesting news items.
SARL PRESIDENT INVITES YOU TO JOIN AMATEUR RADIO VERSION 2008
In his opening address at the Radio Technology in Action Symposium held at the SARL National Centre in Gauteng, SARL President Rassie Erasmus, ZS1YT, invited Radio Amateur to join Amateur Radio Version 2008. He highlighted the many changes that amateur radio has undergone in recent years and that amateur radio is once again at the forefront of technology. He said that the Radio Technology in Action programme is doing much to expose radio amateurs to these new developments.
He said Amateur Radio version 2008 is vibrant and should appeal to today's generation with enough traditional activities for the older amateur to remain comfortable with the hobby.
He also touched on recruiting young people. Why is it so difficult to promote amateur radio particularly to young people? He said the answer is quite simple. We tend to think that what turned us on when were young, will turn on young people today. Big mistake! In our days radio was romantic? Today it is a cell phone with SMS, Mixit and all the other mod cons. They live in the era of instant gratification! So we need fast track the clock and get with what is fun today.
SARL MEMBERSHIP STILL GROWING
On Friday the SARL membership reached 1 186, close to the 1 200 mark which with your help we should break by the end of next week.
A large number of new members have joined our ranks since July. In the next few bulletins we will recognise the new members and officially welcome them. This week we welcome:
S J Searle, ZR1ACM, Jan P F Randewijk, ZR1EB, Gavin Danial Belstead, ZR2BG, David P. J. Vorster, ZR3A, Warren Snyders, ZR5WOZ, Alf Moffatt, ZR 6ADS, Johan J Hoffman, ZR6AJK, Kim L Smith, ZR6ML, Lang, ZR6TRI, Andries J Duvenhage, ZS1AD, John E Haycox, ZS1AGH, Adventure Radio Club, ZS1ARC, C. Miller, ZS1FIS, Shaun N K Overmeyer, ZS1RA, Robert Cook, ZS1RJC and Dirk A Lotz, ZS1X.
May you enjoy being part of the winning team.
CONSTRUCTION COMPETITION WINNER ANNOUNCED
Christo Pelster, ZS6AHQ, is the winner of the South African Amateur Radio Development Trust 2008 construction competition. His entry is a combined Audio/RF Signal Generator capable of generating stable sine wave signals from 1 Hz to 30 MHz with a 1 Hz resolution which with a Direct Digital Synthesizer (DDS), an optical encoder and large 8-digit LCD readout under control of a PIC16F628A together with minimal analogue electronics which provides a versatile test instrument. The judges commended him on the design, proto-type and documentation. Icom presented Christo with a two-band VHF/UHF transceiver and the Trust presented him with a hard cover 2008 ARRL handbook.
Details of the project will be published on www.amateurradio.org.za next week and in a future edition of Radio ZS.
PRESIDENT’S NET ON THE AIR NEXT SUNDAY
The next SARL President's net will be on the air next Sunday, 21 September 2008 starting at 19:30. Join Rassie Erasmus, ZS1YT, for a discussion on SARL awards and an update on other SARL activities.
VAAL HAMS COMMEMORATE HERITAGE DAY
The two Vaal Triangle area Amateur Radio Clubs, Sasolburg, ZS4SRK, and Vaal Triangle, ZS6VTB, seek support for their Heritage Day functions.
Sasolburg ARC, ZS4SRK, will be holding a Field Day at the Witkop Blockhouse on the R59. Qualified SSB and competent Heliograph operators are invited to demonstrate codes and military manoeuvres at the countrywide get together. Attendance at this well-known landmark south of Johannesburg is to become an annual family amateur event. Attendees are most welcome to wear 'Anglo-Boer War' dress and clear up after their horses. HF antennas will be visible from the roadway.
The Vaal Triangle ARC, ZS6VTB, is celebrating the opening of their Radio and Boardrooms, and ZS08TV - 'Treaty of Vereeniging' at the Old Processed Meat Factory in Wedgewood Street, Vanderbijlpark. CW and SSB Special Event transmissions will feature largely during the day. Visitors with decorating skills in suitable protective clothing carrying refreshments, glasses and chairs are most welcome. Various antennas on the roof are clearly visible from the surrounding streets.
CONTEST NEWS
This afternoon, the Spring QRP Contest will be on the air from 14:00 to 16:00 CAT. It is a phone and CW contest on the 40-metre band. The exchange is a RS or RST report and the year first licenced. Only wire antennas may be used.
Next weekend, the second leg of the SARL VHF/UHF Contest will be run from 12:00 CAT on Saturday 20 September to 12:00 CAT on Sunday 21 September. FM, SSB, CW and Digital modes may be used on 6, 4 and 2 metres, 70 and 23 cm and higher frequencies as per the band plan. The exchange is call signs, signal report and six-digit grid locator. The rules in the 2008 SARL Contest Manual are the only official rules. Logs must be sent to The Contest Committee, Box 12104, Brandhof, 9324, or by e-mail to hfcontests@netactive.co.za.
CLUB NEWS
At the recently held AGM of the Highway Amateur Radio Club, the members elected the following committee for the forthcoming year:
Chairman - Keith Lowes, ZS5WFD;
Vice Chairman - Brad Phillips, ZS5Z;
Treasurer - Anne Bean, ZS5FAB;
Secretary - Ian Hunter, ZS5IH;
Members - Craig Hardman, ZR5CD, and Jo Boes, ZS5JO.
Details of the committee portfolios can be found on the club website at http://www.harc.org.za.
At the AGM of the Bloemfontein RAC held on 6 September, the following members were elected to serve on the committee for the coming year:
Chairman: Andre van Rensburg, ZS4APA;
Vice Chairman: Martin Schwella, ZS4MS;
Treasurer: Hennie Greyling, ZS4HG;
Secretary: Dennis Green, ZS4BS;
Member: Victor Reitz, ZS4VR.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the expected solar activity will be very low. The geomagnetic field is expected to be mostly at quiet levels until 29 September after which it will rise to unsettled levels. The expected Effective Sun Spot number for the coming week will be less than 5. DX conditions will generally be good to the North and poor in the general Northwesterly directions.
20 m will provide best opportunities for DX. There is a possibility of 15 and 20 m openings towards India from about 14:00 CAT. There is the possibility of weak 40 and 80 m openings to New Zealand at 20:00. From 07:00, 20 m contacts may be possible with Australia. From 14:00 there may be 15 and 20 m openings towards Europe. Contacts with the USA are going to be very challenging. 10 MHz is looking promising late afternoon and after dark for the CW and digital enthusiasts.
Local conditions are going to be good on 40 m during the day time. 80 m may perform well during the early mornings and late afternoons over the shorter distances, e.g. between ZS5 and ZS6. 30 m may perform well during the middle of the day between ZS6 and ZS2.
80 m is the frequency of choice in the evenings. With summer approaching it is now an excellent time to make those 80 m contacts for your WAZS before the thunderstorms and static start again. 160 m will also perform well during the evenings.
Remember that this is only a prediction and that HF always has the capability to surprise you, but you will never know unless you switch your rig on, listen and also call CQ.
Please visit www.spaceweather.co.za for further information.
DIARY OF EVENTS
14 September - Spring QRP Contest;
15 - 17 September - INSITE 2008 at Sandton Convention Centre;
20 September - Overberg ARC meeting at the HMO;
21 September - President's Net;
20 - 21 September - SARL VHF/UHF Contest;
24 September – Blockhouses on the Air;
03 October - Young Ladies meet SA starts;
08 October - Set up a school station for Space Week activity.
SARL News invites clubs and individuals to submit news stories of interest to radio amateurs and shortwave listeners. Submit news stories 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 the programme Amateur Radio Mirror International, on the air every Sunday morning at 10:00 CAT on 145,750 MHz in the Pretoria area with relays on 7 082, 7 205 and 17 590 kHz. For the web stream and Echolink by ZS6FCS, visit www.sarl.org.za, click on ARMI and follow the links. A repeat transmission can be heard Mondays at 21:00 CAT on 3 215 kHz. Sentech sponsors the ARMI transmissions on the non-amateur frequencies.
Dennis, ZS4BS, compiled today's South African Radio League news bulletin.
Thank you for listening. 73.
/EX
