SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE
SARL NEWS SUNDAY 01 JULY 2007
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 that is transmitted every Sunday at 08:15 CAT in Afrikaans and at 08:30 CAT in English. To listen to a web stream or Echolink by ZS6FCS visit www.sarl.org.za, click on ARMI and follow the links for details.
This, and previous bulletins, can be downloaded from www.sarl.org.za and you can also subscribe there 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 newsreaders please change to suit).
In the news today:
SARL PRESIDENT TO DISCUSS SOME MAJOR CHANGES ON TONIGHT'S NET
SA AMSAT CHANGES ITS CONFERENCE DATE AGAIN
HELP US SAVE ON OUR TELEPHONE BILLS
GET READY FOR THE IARU HF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, JULY 14-15
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more detail on these and other important and interesting news items.
SARL PRESIDENT TO DISCUSS SOME MAJOR CHANGES ON TONIGHT'S NET
At last weekend's strategic session the Council of the SARL agreed on some major changes that will enhance the development of Amateur Radio and increase the benefits that will accrue to members. Graham Hartlett will during this evening's President’s Net discuss the new proposals and implementation dates. Some changes will be implemented almost immediately while others will be phased in over the next 6 - 9 months. Join Graham at 19:00 this evening on a repeater near you.
The President’s Net will be followed at 20:00 by the INTECNET featuring a discussion on the SARL transceiver project by Andrew Roos. The objective is to design and industrialise an entry-level HF transceiver that can be produced at low cost to facilitate access to HF by new amateurs, including the youth. Join Andrew as he takes the lid off this exciting project.
Visit www.sarl.org.za and click on ARMI for full details, frequencies and a link to internet streaming and echolink. Clubs are encouraged to link up to the conference bridge. Send telephone number and details of the repeater to be used to armi@sarl.org.za by not later than noon today, 1 July.
SA AMSAT CHANGES ITS CONFERENCE DATE AGAIN
Due to venue constraints SA AMSAT had to change the date of its 2007 Space Symposium. It will now be held on 6 October. More details can be found on the web at www.amsatsa.org.za. The September date announced last week clashed with another conference being held at the Sentech venue.
A synopsis for proposed papers are invited and should be of a technical or operational nature and cover any of the following subjects: satellite communication, weak signal communication, orbital mechanics, software applications and exploration of space such as SETI. Other related subjects will be considered. The deadline for the submission of a synopsis is 15 August 2007.
HELP US SAVE ON OUR TELEPHONE BILLS
The SARL Treasurer has highlighted the dramatic increase in our monthly communications cost which on analysis points to outgoing cellphone calls. Please, when leaving a message at the NARC, leave your landline number or if it is a request for information your email address. The saving is almost three fold per call which, when calculated over a month, amounts to a substantial sum of money which could be better utilised for other amateur radio projects and member services.
The office telephone is answered between 09:00 and 13:00 Mondays to Fridays which are our public office hours. The rest of the time the office administrator is attending to administrative matters. Emails and faxes can be sent at any time, day or night. Also remember to use the full 13 digit number 088 011 675 2793 when sending a fax.
GET READY FOR THE IARU HF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, JULY 14-15
According to the Secretary of the IARU, Dave Sumner, participation in the IARU HF World Championship has grown steadily over the past four years, despite solar activity trending in the wrong direction. The creation of Low Power and QRP categories has contributed to increasing both the popularity and the competitiveness of the event.
The ARRL administers the HF World Championship on behalf of the IARU. At its May 2007 meeting the IARU Administrative Council discussed various issues related to the event and asked that the ARRL devote the resources necessary to maintain a high standard of adjudication.
A condition of entry in the IARU HF World Championship is that each entrant agrees to be bound by the provisions of the announced rules, by the regulations of his/her licensing authority and by the decisions of the ARRL Awards Committee acting for the IARU International Secretariat. Leading competitors should expect their entries to be carefully scrutinized. If exceptional results are claimed, entrants must be prepared to explain how they were achieved.
Reminder: In addition to the zone and "HQ station" multipliers there are four additional multipliers available per band by contacting members of the IARU Administrative Council and the regional IARU executive committees. Administrative Council members may send "AC" instead of their zone, while regional executive committee members may send "R1," "R2" or "R3" as appropriate.
CONTEST NEWS
The Durban ARC Midwinter 80 metre Sprint will be run on Wednesday 4 July 2007 starting at 19:00 CAT and ending at 20:00 CAT. It is a phone and CW/PSK sprint and the exchange is a RS or RST report and your age, ladies may use 21.
Contacts with stations in the same ZS call area or Southern African country is worth 2 points and contacts with stations in different ZS call areas or Southern African countries are worth 4 points. Log sheets must be sent by e-mail to zs5lp@sharksden.co.za or by snail mail to the Durban Amateur Radio Club, 17 Brownlee Place, Bluff, Durban, 4052.
On Sunday 22 July, the Boland ARC 40 Metre Contest will be on the air from 15:00 to 18:00 CAT.
The SARL HF Phone Contest will be run on Sunday 5 August 2007.
Provisional Contest Results:
The 80 Metre QSO Party Contest Committee has notified SARL News that the name of Jan, ZS1VDV, must be added to the results of the April leg of the 80 Metre QSO Party. Jan made 480 points which places him in second place with the East Rand ARC.
There was a typing error in the English results of the SARL Hamnet Contest. For the Single Operator Stationary Mobile category, Theunis, ZS2EC, and not Barry as reported took the second place. The results in the Afrikaans version are correct.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the expected solar activity will be at low to very low levels. The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet in general while reaching active levels on 11 till 12 July. The expected Effective Sun Spot number for the coming week will be less than 10.
20 m and 40 m will provide best opportunities for DX. There is a possibility of 20 m openings towards India from about 15:30 CAT. 40 m may open towards Australia from 18:00. From about 17:00, there may be 20 m openings towards Europe. At about 16:00 short 20 m openings towards the West Coast of the USA are possible. Otherwise contacts to the USA are going to be very challenging. For the CW and digital enthusiasts it will also be worth monitoring 10 MHz.
Locally 40 m is going to be the band to be on for the PSK31 contest with good propagation throughout South Africa till at least 16:00. It is once again time to work on your 80 m WAZS award in the evenings. Remember that 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.
Please visit www.spaceweather.co.za for further information.
CLUB NEWS
The Port Elizabeth Amateur Radio Society (PEARS) held its AGM on Saturday 23 June, and the following members were elected to the committee:
Chairman: Donovan, ZS2DL;
Vice-Chairman: Chris, ZS2AAW;
Treasurer: Clive, ZS2RT;
Secretary: Beavan, ZS2RL;
Members: Anthony, ZS2BA, Barry, ZS2EZ, Bill, ZS2ABZ, and Eric ,ZS2ECH.
The meeting was followed by the traditional bring-'n-braai,
The Hibiscus Coast ARC also held the AGM recently and the following members were elected to serve on the committee:
Chairman: Garnett, ZS5ZT;
Secretary /Treasurer: Brian, ZS5AZH;
Committee Members: Jan, ZR5JAN, Sid, ZS5AYC, Peter, ZS5SK, Gawie, ZS5R, Mervyn, ZS5QI and Rob, ZS5XS.
DIARY OF EVENTS
1 July, tonight - President's Net and Intechnet;
4 July – Durban ARC Midwinter 80 m Sprint;
14 – 15 July – IARU HF World Championship;
22 July – Boland ARC 40 m Contest;
5 August – SARL HF Phone contest;
15 August - Last day to submit synopsis of proposed papers for SA AMSAT Space Conference;
23 August - Class B RAE;
6 October - SA AMSAT Space Conference;
18 October - Class A RAE.
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 17 695 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.
Today's South African Radio League news bulletin was compiled by Roger Conroy, ZR3RC ,and transmitted by (your name and call sign)
Thank you for listening. 73.
/EX
