SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE
SARL NEWS SUNDAY 13 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).
In the news today:
SUMBANDILASAT ON ITS WAY TO RUSSIA
RADIO TECHNOLOGY IN ACTION EVENT IN PORT ELIZABETH WILL BREAK NEW GROUND
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more detail on these and other important and interesting news items.
SUMBANDILASAT ON ITS WAY TO RUSSIA - AMATEUR RADIO BEACON SOUNDS GOOD
SumbandilaSat was given an official sent off on Friday from Sunspace in
Stellenbosch enroute to Russia where it will be taken to the Russian Naval
base at Murmansk for integration with the launch vehicle. From there it will
be loaded on the submarine off the coast of Russia for launch into a 500 km
polar orbit. The launch campaign is between 18 and 25 June, much dependent
on weather conditions. Once in orbit SumbandilaSat will pass over South
Africa mid morning and mid evening.
"The amateur radio beacon and parrot repeater are operating well", Hendrik
Burger, project engineer at SunSpace told SA AMSAT. " It was good to hear
the satellite responding to "hello SumbandilaSat " by repeating the
greeting loud and clear. It gave us a warm feeling when the beacon
transmitted the message recorded by Anton Coetzee, a learner at the
Kimberley Technical High School who won the competition for the launch
beacon message.
111 CANDIDATES TO SIT THE RAE ON THURSDAY
On Thursday May 17, 111 candidates will sit the Radio Amateur Examination at 17 examination centres around South Africa The examination is set and administered by the South African Radio League, the national body for amateur radio in South Africa. 32 Candidates will write the entry level examination for a ZU license while 79 will tackle the class A examination. The single largest number of entry level license candidates comes from the John Vorster Technical High school in Pretoria where the Magalies Radio-Amateurklub recently launched a radio club.
The South African Radio league wishes all candidates success in the examination and looks forward to hearing them on the air soon.
Examination numbers were mailed to candidates and are also available on the SARL web at www.sarl.org.za. Candidates are reminded that each candidate must complete a license application form which was mailed with the examination details.
RADIO TECHNOLOGY IN ACTION EVENT IN PORT ELIZABETH WILL BREAK NEW GROUND
The SARL radio technology in action programme to be held in Port Elizabeth
next Saturday, 19 June, will break new ground with a presentation and
demonstration by Chris Scarr, ZS2AAW, of the proposed PEARS WiFi network. The
initiative will provide far reaching benefits to the Port Elizabeth amateur
radio community and is expected to draw the attention of IT professionals
which may well be encouraged to join the amateur radio fraternity.
All the presentations are touching on cutting edge technologies and
activities and should not be missed. The SARL has issued an open invitation
to all persons interested in communication technologies to attend the RTA,
which will be held at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University. Entrance
fee is R20, which includes entry into the attendance draw. Learners and
students attend free. The full programme is available on www.sarl.org.za,
scroll down to RTA at the bottom left hand side of the home page.
SPACE GURU MARK SHUTTLEWORTH WILL ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM LEARNERS ON YOUTH
DAY
Help local youth to ask questions from space guru, Mark Shuttleworth, when
he joins an Intecnet type setup on 16 June 2007 from 10:00 - 11:30 by
setting up an amateur radio station at a school, scout hall or a shopping
mall.
Clubs are asked to book a link to the conference facility this week so
that the necessary arrangements can be made. Various other competitions are
being worked on and details will be announced in the near future. The basis
of the competitions is for participating amateur radio stations that have
young people operating under the supervision of licensed amateurs to make as
many QSO's as possible, before and after the Mark Shuttleworth link up.
To book the link send a mail to armi@sarl.org.za giving details of the
telephone number and repeater information. Send also details of the public
event you are staging so that it can be included in the publicity campaign
kicking off on 21 May.
CALLING ALL CLUB CHAIRMEN
Recently the Itchen Valley Radio Club has made three bursaries available
for students under the age of 25 to become radio amateurs. The bursaries are
each valued at R650 and will assist students to enter the October 2007 Class
A Radio Amateur Examination. The bursaries are known as the Itchen Valley
Radio Club YARP 2007 Bursaries and cover the examination enrolment fee and
one year's junior membership of the SARL upon passing the examination and
R150 towards tuition costs levied by local clubs teaching the RAE.
Club Chairmen are encouraged to identify young students and to assist them
in completing the application form available on www.amateurradio.org.za.
NATIONAL SCIENCE WEEK
As part of the Department of Science and Technology's National Science Week the Hermanus Magnetic Observatory (HMO) will in conjunction with the Overberg Amateur Radio Club (ZS1OAR) be be hosting two open days at the observatory to highlight amateur radio to the public in general and the youth in particular. You are invited to tune up on Saturday 19 May in the morning and participate with calls to the local club and answering any CQ's originating in Hermanus. Special commemorative QSL cards will be sent to all stations logged.
ZS1HELL FEEDBACK
The 12 members of the team that manned the special events station, ZS1HELL, during the weekend of 28 April to 1 May, in “Die Hell” in Gamakaskloof, would like to thank all amateurs who made contact with them. In their attempt to obtain the WAZS-certificate, the team made 343 contacts with South African stations during the 60 hour period.
Within 48 hours after the complete logsheet had been loaded onto the e-QSL web page of the SARL, all the necessary contacts for Divisions 1,2,3 and 4 had confirmed. There are, unfortunately, still quite a number of stations in Divisions 5 and 6 who have not yet confirmed their QSL’s. The team is making an appeal to all amateurs who contacted ZS1HELL to confirm their contact either via e-QSL via the SARL web page or per ordinary post. The postal address is P O Box 273, STRAND, 7140.
INTERNATIONAL MUSEUMS DAY 18th MAY 2007
The Zululand Amateur Radio Club will be operating as ZS5ZLB from the Fort Nongqayi Museum Village, Eshowe on Friday, 18th May 2007 from 08:00 to 15:00 - mainly on 40 metres.
This unique event will be covering a programme in recognition of our universal heritage of the various cultural groups involved in the history of our region. Only one Museum in Kwazulu-Natal is selected each year to host a function of this nature. QSL cards will be sent to all amateurs who work our station.
SUMMITS ON THE AIR (SOTA)
Do you want to participate in the SOTA program but can't mount a mountain? You can be part of the fun by contacting Sid, ZS5AYC, Tom, ZS6TMO, Detlev, ZS6BAB or Lucas, ZS6ACT on Saturday 19 May on 145,500 MHz, 14,165 MHz and 7,065 MHz. Weather permitting, these guys intend to activate Mount-Aux-Sources, SOTA reference ZS/KN-009. They will be active from ±11:30 CAT (09:30 UTC). Please give them a contact and also earn a few points for yourself.
SOTA is an international program that encourages amateur radio operation from the summits of hills and mountains. Activators are people who transmit from the summits and chasers are those who contact the activators from the comfort of their shack. SWL's can also participate by logging the QSO's between activators and chasers. For each of the 3 groups there are guidelines and awards. There are more than 300 qualifying summits in the RSA. This information can be found at www.sota.org.uk and the RSA specific information at www.qsl.net/sotasa or contact Lucas at (+27) 084 509 1477.
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 21 till 23 May. The expected Effective Sun Spot number for the coming week will be less than 5.
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 12:00 CAT. 40 m may open towards Australia from 22:00.
From about 14:00, 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 DX predictions may not be too enthusiastic, HF always has the capability to surprise you. You will never know what you are missing unless you switch your rig on, listen and also call CQ.
Local conditions are going to be excellent and now is the chance to work towards the Worked All ZS award.
Please visit www.spaceweather.co.za for further information.
DIARY OF EVENTS
15 May - Closing date for applications for Itchen Valley bursaries;
18 May – Museum Day with ZS5ZLB on the air;
19 May – Summits on the Air;
19 May – Hermanus Magnetic Observatory open day;
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
