SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE
SARL NEWS SUNDAY 6 MAY 2007
You are listening to Amateur Radio Station ZS6SRL of the South African Radio League, the National Body for Amateur Radio in South Africa, with a news bulletin that is broadcast every Sunday at 08:15 CAT in Afrikaans and at 08:30 CAT in English. This broadcast can also be heard on Echolink by connecting to ZS6FCS. To listen to a web stream go to www.sarl.org.za, click on ARMI and follow the links. This, and previous bulletins, can be downloaded from the web site of the SARL i.e. www.sarl.org.za. You can also read or download previous bulletins from there and subscribe to receive future bulletins by email.
This transmission is by Hans, ZS6KR, on 145,725 and 7,066 MHz from Pretoria with relays on 3,695, 10,135, 14,235 and 51,400 MHz as well as 438,825 MHz in the Pretoria area. (Other news readers please change to suit).
SILENT KEY
It is with regret that we have to announce that Willie Steyn, ZS6BCV, passed away on Monday morning 23 April. Our deepest sympathies to his wife Saar, ZS6BVG, daughter Annamarie, ZR6HE, other children, grandchildren, relatives and friends.
In the news today:
CONSTRUCTION COMPETITION REVISED
CALL BOOK ON APRS.
PRESIDENT'S NET AND INTECNET TONIGHT
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more detail on these and other important and interesting news items.
CONSTRUCTION COMPETITION REVISED
The South African Amateur Radio Development Trust has revised the 2007 construction competition to an open competition in which the entrant can decide what he or she would like to design and build.
Enter your idea in as much details as possible. Five entries will be chosen and provided with up to R1000 each to construct the project. The entries must have application in amateur radio. The five projects will compete for one of two FT2800M transceivers sponsored by the Overstay, the distributors of Yaesu. Visit www.amateurradio.org.za for full details.
CALL BOOK ON APRS.
Recently Dick Stratford, ZS6RO, set up a server on APRS which can be used to obtain Call book information from anywhere in the APRS international network. APRS, the acronym for Automatic Position Reporting System, was developed by Bob Bruninga, WB4APR. The system uses amateur radio to transmit position reports, weather reports, and messages between users.
When querying a local South African callsign, the SARL database is used. When a DX callsign is queried via APRS, the QRZ.COM database is used in real-time. The same databases are used when querying from the packet radio network.
As the SARL Call Book is updated weekly, this database is searched first because its South African content would be more accurate. If the information is not found, a search is then made in real-time at QRZ.COM's database on the Internet.
To use this facility when operating APRS and assuming one is using the APRS program - UI-View, open the window to send a message and in the "TO callsign" field, type ZS6RO-WI ("WI" stands for "WHO IS").
Then in the "MESSAGE" area, type "F Callsign" and Enter. (The Callsign being any Callsign you wish to look up). ("F" stands for "FULL Information"). One can just type the Callsign and a one-line summary of information on that Callsign will be received via APRS.
Instead of a Callsign, one can type "F SARL" for example. This will give the phone number and email address of the South African Radio League. Other country's Radio Amateur Leagues' information can also be retrieved - for example, RSGB, DARC, etc.
To update your personal Call Book information, South African amateurs should send updated information to admin@sarl.org.za.
PRESIDENT'S NET AND INTECNET TONIGHT
Join SARL President Hartlett this evening (Sunday 6 May 2007) for a review and update of the SARL activities and information about the Youth Day event on 16 June 2007. The President's Net starts at 19:00.
The Intecnet follows at 20:00 with Chris Scarr, ZS2AAW, of the Port Elizabeth Amateur Radio Society speaking about the extensive repeater network that serves the Eastern Cape and stretches into the Western Cape and Free State.
Clubs wishing to join the link up should send details to armi@sarl.org.za before noon today.
The President's Net and Intecnet are active on many repeaters and on HF on 3 718 kHz, on 7 082 kHz and 14 320 kHz as well as on the web. Visit www.sarl.org.za and click on ARMI for full details. The presentationcan also be downloaded from the ARMI page through a right click and then selecting 'save target as'.
CLUB NEWS
THE KEMPTON AMATEUR TECHNICAL SOCIETY AGM
The Kempton Amateur Technical Society held their AGM on the 21st of April 2007 and the following members were elected to serve on the committee:
Chairman - Hannes Hanekom, ZS6LW;
Vice Chairman - Vivian Dold, ZS6VD;
Secretary - Theo Barkhuizen, ZR6TGB;
Treasurer - Paul Corneluis, ZS6PJC.
Thank you to the previous committee for their leadership and congratulations to the new committee.
If you would like to know more about the Kempton Amateur Technical Society, visit their website on www.kats.za.net.
ERC FOX HUNT
A Fox hunt will be hosted at the East Rand Radio Club at their club house in Springs at 09:00 on 19 May 2007.
For more information visit www.zs6erb.co.za.
The fox hunt will be followed by an APRS Interest Group Meeting at 14:00 at the club house.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the expected solar activity will continue at very low levels. The geomagnetic field is expected to range from unsettled to active levels on 20 May. The expected Effective Sun Spot number for the coming week will be less than 20.
20 m and 15 m will provide best opportunities for DX. There is a possibility of 15 and 20 m openings towards India from about 06:00 and again at 13:00 CAT. Conditions are going to be challenging towards Australia.
From about 16:00, there may be good 15 and 20 m openings towards Europe. Contacts to the USA are going to be very challenging. For the CW and digital enthusiasts it may also be worth monitoring 10 MHz.
Although the predictions may not be too enthusiastic, HF always has the capability to surprise you as was once again demonstrated with the ZS1 and ZS3 expeditions this past long weekend. You will never know what you are missing unless you switch your rig on, listen and also call CQ.
Please visit www.spaceweather.co.za for further information.
DIARY OF EVENTS
Today: 6 May - ZS3/ZS4 40 Metre Sprint and President's Net and Intechnet;
15 May - Closing date for applications for Itchen Valley bursaries;
19 May - ERC Fox hunt;
16 June - SARL Youth day;
30 June - Closing date for updating of SA DX Survey.
SARL News depends on clubs and individuals for news items of importance and interest to radio amateurs. The one and only way to ensure that your contribution will reach the SARL News team, is to place it in www.sarl.org.za/newsinbox.asp not later than the Thursday preceding the bulletin date. It will be appreciated if you will do it in both Afrikaans and English.
The SARL also invites all listeners to listen to the program Amateur Radio Mirror International this Sunday morning at 10:00 CAT on 145,750 MHz in the Pretoria area with relays on 7 082, 7 205 and 17 695 kHz. Audio is also streamed on www.zs6mrk.org and on Echolink from ZS6FCS as for this bulletin. A repeat transmission takes place on Mondays at 21:00 on 3 215 kHz. Telkom and Sentech sponsor the ARMI transmissions on the non-amateur frequencies.
You have been listening to a news bulletin by the South African Radio League, which was compiled by Gustav, ZS6BWN.
A prosperous week to all, 73.
/EX
