SARL NEWS - SUNDAY 17 OCTOBER 2010
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 'ARMI' and follow the links. PLEASE NOTE: for audio via Echolink, connect to ZS0JPL-R.
You can download this bulletin and previous ones from www.sarl.org.za and subscribe to receive future bulletins by e-mail.
Your news reader 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. (Other news readers change as applicable).
SILENT KEY
It is with regret that we have to announce that the key of Ivan Lister, ZS6AUT, became silent on 9 October in the age of 79 years. Our sincere condolences to his daughter Cathy, grand children, great grand children other relatives and friends.
(PAUSE)
In the news today:
THE PRESIDENT'S NET TONIGHT COVERS THE DRAFT RADIO FREQUENCY SPECTRUM REGULATIONS
RADIO AMATEURS PROVIDE COMMUNICATION SUPPORT DURING THE CHILEAN MINE DISASTER
SARL MEMBERSHIP
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more details on these and other important and interesting news items.
THE PRESIDENT'S NET COVERS THE DRAFT RADIO FREQUENCY SPECTRUM REGULATIONS
The draft Radio Frequency Spectrum regulations will be discussed tonight at 19:30 on the President's Net. The SARL Council discussed the draft regulations meticulously and has identified some areas of concern that will be discussed during the Net.
The draft response by the SARL to ICASA will be available this morning at www.sarl.org.za. The final response will be concluded by 31 October and submitted to ICASA.
The Net will be transmitted on 2 m from repeaters in Cape Town, the Port Elizabeth repeater network, Durban and Pretoria. There will also be a relay on the Lowveld repeater network. On HF it will be broadcast on 3 718 kHz. It will also be streamed on the Internet and on Echolink by ZS6FCS. For more information visit www.sarl.org.za and click on ‘ARMI’.
RADIO AMATEURS PROVIDE COMMUNICATION SUPPORT DURING THE CHILEAN MINE DISASTER
The heroic rescue of the 33 miners who were trapped in the San José Mine, from more than 700 m deep, captured the imagination of the entire world. The miners, who were trapped underground for 69 days (5 km from the mine entrance), were all in remarkably good health when they were brought to the surface in a specially designed capsule, the Fenix. This is the longest time ever that miners that have been trapped, were rescued alive.
According to the Radio Cub de Chile (RCCH), that country's IARU Member-Society, radio amateurs of the Radio Club Copiapó, CE1CPI, provided communication support between the authorities and emergency equipment operators inside the San Jose Mine complex, as well as with family of the trapped miners and authorities in Copiapó. The mine is approximately 43 km from the Chilean town Copiapó in the Atakama desert.
“There are no other means of communication at the scene," said Radio Club Copiapó President Jose Maldonado Lazo, CE1RXY, during the rescue mission. "The group is working in the area of the mine with three telephones, while radio amateurs in Copiapó are covering the needs of SENCO (a construction company), SAMU (ambulances and EMT), and the Interior Administration, the fire and police departments. We do this with pleasure.”
Some of the 80 members of the Radio Club Copiapó installed amateur equipment in the mine complex. Volunteers from the club took shifts from the moment the mine collapsed on 5 August to provide communication support. This, together with additional mobile police stations, hospitals and fire battalions, kept everyone abreast of all the needs and urgent requirements. The specialised drills were provided by the South African firm Murray and Roberts.
SARL MEMBERSHIP
The current membership of the SARL is 1 348 which is still 112 short of our target of 1 460. If you have not yet paid your membership do it now. Contact Mariska on Monday at 011 675 2493.
CORRECTION
In last week’s English bulletin it was mentioned, in the item referring to the President’s Net and the changes to the radio regulations, that ZR licensees would be allowed 29 dBW of output power. This should have read 20 dBW. We apologise for any misunderstanding that this might have caused.
CLUB NEWS
The Rustenburg Amateur Radio Club has been dormant for quite a while, but slowly they are restoring life back into the club. They would like to get information of all amateurs living in their area. Please log onto their website at www.zs6rtb.co.za and let them know where you are. They look forward to hearing from you, or you can join them by simply sending them your e-mail address via SMS to 072 828 1709.
CONTEST NEWS
The SARL QRP contest will take place on 23 October. Further particulars are available at www.sarl.org.za.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the solar activity is still at low levels. The new Sunspot 1 113 emerged over the sun's north-eastern limb during the week and immediately announced itself with a towering eruption. This region joins existing Sunspot 1 112 on the visible face of the sun. The effective sunspot number is expected to be less than 20 for the coming week.
20 m will provide the best opportunities for DX followed by 15 and 10 m. Conditions to India will be good from the afternoon till after sunset. During the afternoon conditions will be good towards Europe, firstly on 10 m and followed later by good 15 and then 20 m openings. Early evening 15 m contacts with the USA are at last promising again. Contacts with Australia and New Zeeland are possible at sunrise on 20 m and on 40 m after sunset.
15 m openings to Brazil and South America are possible during the afternoons. With the good 15 and 20 m openings 17 m will also be full of surprises.
For the CW and digital enthusiasts 30 m may be very rewarding with openings to many parts of the world.
Locally 40 m is ideal for contacts around the country with 20 and 30 m also being very functional for contacts over the longer distances. 80 m will be best during the early mornings and late afternoons as well as over the shorter distances.
80 m is the frequency of choice during the evenings.
Please visit www.spaceweather.co.za for further information.
DIARY OF EVENTS
17 October - President's Net at 19:30 on draft radio regulations.
23 October - SARL QRP contest.
We end today’s bulletin on a happy note:
The President, the Council and members of the SARL congratulates Bert Howes, ZS6HS, with his 95th birthday today the 17th October 2010.
Bert is no doubt one of the oldest and most active radio amateurs in the world. He was first licensed in 1935 as ZS1AL in Cape Town.
Bert has had unbroken membership of the SARL for 75 years and in 2008 was awarded the President's Award by the SARL.
During his 75 years as a radio amateur, Bert has been most active in the 5 m, 6 m, VHF, UHF and Moonbounce and has been an inspiration, especially to those who are active in the higher frequencies.
As ZS1AL he was the first to pick up the BBC TV sound on 41,5 MHz in 1937 in the Union of South Africa and the longest TV distance at the time as confirmed by the BBC. In earlier days he also pioneered 5 metre transmissions from Table Mountain, and was the first to work a 6 metre DX station when he hooked up with MD5KW in 1947.
Colonel Bert Howes served in the North African campaign in WW2, 1939 to 1945, as the right hand communications man to General Dan Pienaar and only retired as a professional soldier in 1980.
Bert and his XYL Jenny will celebrate their 57th wedding anniversary in December 2010, and still live in their own home.
Bert, our best. wishes to you and Jenny.
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.
The SARL also invites you to listen to Amateur Radio Mirror International every Sunday morning at 10:00 CAT on 145,750 MHz in the Pretoria area, with relays on 7 082, 7 205 and 17 560 kHz. There is also a podcast by ZS6RO. For a web stream and Echolink by ZS6FCS, visit www.sarl.org.za , click on 'ARMI' and follow the links. A repeat transmission can be heard on Mondays at 22:05 CAT on 3 215 kHz. Sentech sponsors the ARMI transmissions on the non-amateur frequencies.
In closing: The editors of SARL news have been struggling for quite a while to obtain an acceptable Afrikaans translation for the word “podcast”. If you have any suggestions, please send them to Jannie, ZR6PHD, with email address janniedb@mweb.co.za or any of the bulletins editors.
You have listened to a bulletin of the South African Radio League, compiled by Gustav, ZS6BWN. The bulletin editor was Jannie, ZR6PHD.
Thank you for listening, 73.
/EX
