SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE
SARL NEWS SUNDAY 26 AUGUST 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 the 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, and 51,400 MHz as well as 438,825 and 1 297 MHz in the Pretoria area. (Other newsreaders please change to suit).
In the news today:
INTO SPACE WITH AMATEUR RADIO TO CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL SPACE WEEK
PRESIDENT’S NET AND INTECNET FOR TONIGHT POSTPONED
TWO AMATEURS TO PROMOTE 6 METRE OPERATION
HANNES COETZEE WINS THE HF CONSTRUCTION COMPETITION
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more detail on these and other important and interesting news items.
INTO SPACE WITH AMATEUR RADIO TO CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL SPACE WEEK
Learners in South Africa under the age of 18 are invited to participate in a special project to celebrate 50 years of man's endeavours in space. In October it will be 50 years ago that the first satellite, Sputnik 1, was launched by the Russians.
To celebrate the event several joint activities have been planned by the SARL, SA AMSAT and the South African Amateur Radio Development Trust. The youth event is called "Into Space with Amateur Radio" and features the following:
. A state of the art laptop to be won;
. 10 learners will win a SARL 40 Metre DC Receiver kit;
. 30 Learners will get an opportunity to speak with South Africa's first astronaut, Mark Shuttleworth via Amateur Radio on 10 October 2007 and ask questions about Mark's experiences in space.
. Every participant will receive a certificate to commemorate the event
There are two categories of entry
. School Group entry
. Individual entry
Both categories require the participant to write an essay about "The future of Space in support of mankind". The essay must be the original work of the learner and be between 400 and 600 words.
Full details are available on the sponsoring organisations' web pages : www.sarl.org.za, www.amsatsa.org.za and www.amateurradio.org.za
Only 10 schools will be able to participate and must be in reach of the following repeaters in Greater Cape Town, Port Elizabeth, Durban and Gauteng. Schools must send their requests to register before 5 September to youth@sarl.org.za. The closing date for essays entries is 25 September 2007
PRESIDENT’S NET AND INTECNET FOR TONIGHT POSTPONED
The President’s Net and Intecnet will not take place this evening but will be on the air next Sunday 2 September. Join SARL President Graham Hartlett next Sunday at 19:00. Graham will discuss a major SARL propagation research project in which SARL members with access to a receiver capable of receiving the 7 MHz amateur band can participate. Intecnet follows at 20:00 with Tjerk Lammers, ZS6P, as the guest speaker. Tjerk will discuss SARL awards and QSL-ing. Both programmes promise to be of great interest.
Clubs wishing to link to the teleconference bridge should send an email to armi@sarl.org.za with the telephone number to be linked and details about the repeater to be used.
TWO AMATEURS TO PROMOTE 6 METRE OPERATION
Want a QSO on 6 metres FM or SSB? Join ZS4SM and ZS6DJD on the last Friday of the month at 20:00 CAT for a contact. The team will start on FM and later change over to SSB. The frequency to be used is 51,160 MHz. Give them a call this Friday 31 August.
HANNES COETZEE WINS THE HF CONSTRUCTION COMPETITION
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BPZ, won the HF construction competition with his entry of a direct conversion receiver for 40 metres. The project is called the "SARL 40 Metre DC receiver” and is intended as a ZR to ZS upgrade project that has lasting value. After the paper design was selected by the South African Amateur Radio Development Trust, Hannes was awarded R1 000 to develop and build a prototype. The receiver, which is housed in a neatly engraved cabinet, was presented at the Radio Technology in Action day in Gauteng last weekend. Hannes was also awarded a YAESU dual band mobile VHF transceiver sponsored by Verstay.
PARTICIPATION IN THE SARL DIGITAL CONTEST WINS ZS4SS A DUAL BAND HAND-HELD TRANSCEIVER
Johan Steyn, ZS4SS, was the outright winner in the SARL Digital Contest and won a YAESU VX-2R 2 m/ 70 cm micro handheld transceiver.
The SARL Digital Contest took place on 24 June on the 40, 6 and 2 metre bands. The contest is sponsored by the Lichtenburg Amateur Radio Club and is aimed at promoting the use of the PSK mode in South Africa.
"PSK is an interesting mode". Piet Badenhorst, SARL VHF Manager, said. "In many circles it is regarded as successor to RTTY. Congratulations to Johan. He won the contest with 280 points, way ahead of his nearest rival”.
Another hand-held transceiver can be won in the VHF/UHF contest on 22-23 September. The transceivers were donated by Kobus Conradie, ZS1DC/ZS6UZ, of LetsPlayRadio.
AUGUST EDITION OF RADIO ZS BURSTING WITH INTERESTING ARTICLES
The July-August edition of Radio ZS is in the post and now available on the web. It is bursting full of interesting articles and features. In an ongoing series under the heading Ham Pride: Legacies and Traditions, Dave Ingram, K4TWJ, tackles the issue of Morse code: "now that it is no longer compulsory, is it becoming a more popular mode? "
Karl Canitz, ZS1KC, takes readers on an expedition to the Hell and shares the Boland Amateur Radio club's experiences in this unique valley of the Western Cape.
Learn more about Software Defined Radio with ZS6BUJ and get that PC listening to the world - a must read!
Mike Bosch, ZS2FM, in his canny way asks the question "Is there still a future for Amateur Radio in this Modern Space Age? Has Amateur Radio lost some of it’s magic?”.
Eddie Leighton writes about the Kenwood TH-D7, an APRS enthusiast's dream. He shows the way to get going on this APRS painlessly.
ZS4JAN takes us out with a field station and ZS6AAW gives new meaning to Radio Scouting.
The web version can be downloaded in PDF and is only available to SARL members.
This edition of Radio ZS alone is enough reason to join the SARL, if you have not already done so. Get a membership application form on the web or call the office Monday to Friday between 09:00 and 13:00 at 011 675 2393 or send a mail to admin@sarl.org.za.
SARL 40 m MOBILE SPRINT - SUBMISSION OF LOG SHEETS
Log sheets for this competition, that was held on the 12th of August, must be e-mailed to zs1bak@mailbox.co.za or sent by snail mail to BARK P.O. Box 2105, DENNESIG, 7601.
Due to a technical error with the submission address, the cut off date for submissions has now been extended until 3 September 2007.
CLUB NEWS
The Adventure Radio Club held their AGM at Cape Columbine over the Light House weekend.
The following members were elected to the committee:
Chairman Koos, ZS1KWV;
Vice chairman/webmaster Jan, ZS1VDV;
Secretary/treasurer Martin,ZS1SM.
The Highway Amateur Radio Club(HARC) held its AGM on Tuesday 21 August, and the following members were elected to the committee:
Chairman: ZS5BBO, Edwin Musto;
Vice/Chairman: ZS5GMW, Garth Wheeler;
Secretary: ZS5GR, Tony Mayall;
Treasurer: ZS5FAB, Anne Bean;
Members: ZS5JO, Jo Boes, ZS5ARS, Rudi Smook, ZR5SEP, Sean Pritchard & ZR5SDB, Sheldon Brown
The meeting was followed by the traditional snacks table.
Congratulations to the new committee members and a big thanks to the old committee for all the hard work.
The EAST RAND FLEA MARKET will take place on Saturday 6 October 2007 at 08:00 - 12:00 at the club house in Springs. Members will be QRV on 145,675 MHz, the East Rand repeater. Tables are R 20-00.
The flea market will followed by the 60th AGM of the East Rand Radio Club (Est. 1947) from 12:00 - 13;00.
See you at the flea market.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the expected solar activity will be at very low levels. The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet in general while reaching minor storm levels on 3 September. The expected Effective Sun Spot number for the coming week will be less than 5.
20 m and 40 m will provide best opportunities for DX. There is a possibility of 20 m openings towards India from about 15:00 CAT. There may be weak 20 m openings to Australia from about 08:00. From 16:00 there may be 20 m openings towards Europe. For the early birds there is the possibility of weak 80 m openings towards the East Coast of the USA at about 04:00. 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 conditions on 40 m is going to be good for this afternoon's SARL CW Contest. 80 m may be best for the shorter distances for example between Pretoria and Durban and Cape Town and Durban.
It is once again time to work towards your 80 m WAZS award in the evenings. Remember that this is only a prediction and 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.
DIARY OF EVENTS
1 September - SARL@HOME;
1 September – West Rand ARC Flea market;
2 September - President’s Net and Intecnet (postponed from 26 August);
1 – 2 September – Midlands Amateur Radio Club operational at Underberg Farmers Association Annual Show;
3 September – Cut off date for submissions of logs for BARK Mobile Sprint
20 September – Closing date for registering for October RAE;
4 - 10 October - Special space programme;
5 October – Take your handheld to work day;
6 October - SA AMSAT Space Conference;
6 October East Rand Flea market and AGM;
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 17 590 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 sponsor the ARMI transmissions on the non-amateur frequencies.
Today's South African Radio League news bulletin was compiled by Gustav,ZS6BWN, and transmitted by (your name and call sign)
Thank you for listening. 73
/EX
