SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE
SARL NEWS SUNDAY 23 SEPTEMBER 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.
Your news reader this morning is 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).
SILENT KEYS
It is with deep regret that we have to announce the passing of two radio amateurs recently.
George Cooke, ZS1JD, on 5 September due to heart failure in the age of 81 years. Our deepest sympathy is extended to his life partner Aileen and family and his many friends.
Jock Perrett, ZS1ZI, went silent key on Thursday 13th September 2007. Also to his relatives and friends, our deepest sympathy.
(PAUSE)
In the news today:
TAKE YOUR HAND-HELD TO WORK
REVISION OF THE SARL STUDY GUIDE
DISCUSSION ON BACAR INCLUDED IN SA AMSAT SPACE SYMPOSIUM
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more detail on these and other important and interesting news items.
TAKE YOUR HAND-HELD TO WORK ON OCTOBER 5
Friday 5 October 2007 is the SARL National Take Your Hand-held to Work Day. The objective of the event is to create public awareness for amateur radio and the technology that it embraces.
Many repeaters will be linked through IRLP, the Internet Radio Linking Project, to create activity across the country. At this stage the following areas will be included: Pretoria, Johannesburg, Sandton, Kempton Park, Middelburg Mpumalanga; Nelspruit/White River, Durban, Harrismith and Cape Town.
IRLP is a reliably and inexpensively linking amateur radio system without the use of RF links, leased lines, or satellites. The IRLP uses Voice-Over-IP (VoIP) custom software and hardware. Coupled with the power of the Internet, IRLP links repeater sites or simplex stations to the world in a simple and cost effective way. IRLP operates a worldwide network of dedicated servers and nodes, offering very stable worldwide voice communications between hundreds of towns and cities.
If you are not at work on 5 October or are retired, come on the air and share your experiences with other radio amateurs talking from work.
RTA PRESENTATIONS NOW AVAILABLE ON THE WEB
The first of the presentations made at the SARL Radio Technology in Action days are now available on the web. The presentations are in PDF format and can be downloaded for printing or viewing on screen. Visit the RTA section of the web regularly as presentations will be added over the next two weeks. The URL is www.sarl.org.za, click on activity and then on RTA.
REVISION OF THE SARL STUDY GUIDE
The SARL is in the process of making some corrections to the SARL Radio Examination Study Guide. The objective of the edit process is to update details about the license conditions, spelling corrections and the inclusion of a section on digital communications.
Lecturers are invited to send in their comments and any changes they would like to be considered in the revised edition to be made available on the SARL web by the end of this year. Before making your input, please acquaint yourself with the HAREC syllabus available on the web.
Please send comments to Colin de Villiers with Study Guide in the subject line. Your input will be acknowledged and forwarded to the editing team. Colin's email address is devilc@mweb.co.za. The closing date for comments is 30 September 2007.
DISCUSSION ON BACAR INCLUDED IN SA AMSAT SPACE SYMPOSIUM
A discussion on the re-introduction of the BACAR project will feature on the SA AMSAT Space Symposium Agenda. The symposium will be held on Saturday 6 October at the SARL National Amateur Radio Centre. BACAR is the acronym for Balloon Carrying Amateur Radio, a project that resulted in great fun and excitement some years back. A BACAR project is planned for early next year.
There are many other presentations and discussions of interest. Book now by completing the registration form available on www.amsatsa.org.za. The registration fee includes refreshments and lunch.
SARL/HMO BEACON PROJECT TO THE DISCUSSED AT NEXT INTECNET
The next Intecnet will be held on Sunday 7 October starting at 20:00 CAT. Dr Lee-Anne McKinnell, ZS2LAW, and John Willescroft, ZS6EF, will discuss the ins and outs of the SARL/HMO beacon project to be going live soon. They will focus on the design of the beacons and some of the research aspects. Learn how you can contribute to propagation research. A PowerPoint presentation will be used during the Intecnet. The presentation will be available on the SARL Web later this week.
CONTEST NEWS
SARL 40 metre Mobile Competition.
The results of this competition that took place on 12 August are as follows:
1st Gerhard, ZS3TG - 438 points;
2nd Deon, ZS1AFU - 197 points;
3rd Koos, ZS1KWV - 181 points;
4th Paul, ZS6PR - 141 points;
5th Jan, ZS4JAN - 111 points.
A check log was received from Eddie, ZS6BNE.
SARL HF CW Contest.
The committee received seven logs for this contest. The results are as follows:
1st Allan, ZS1AAX and Vidi, ZS1EL with 64 points each;
2nd Hans, ZS6KR and Ed, ZS6UT with 60 points each;
3rd Jan, ZS4JAN with 58 points;
4th Gary, ZS5NK with 50 points;
5th West Rand ARC with 36 points.
In the Club competition for CW, Pretoria ARC takes first place with 120 points, followed by the Cape Town ARS and Overberg ARC with 64 points each, Bloemfontein RAC with 58 points, Highway ARC with 50 points and the West Rand ARC with 36 points.
The complete set of results have been published in HF Happenings 268.
SARL VHF/UHF Contest. Please make a note of the correct address for your log submission. By e-mail send it to zs6pjb@gmail.com and for snail mail use PO Box 4452, White River, 1240. DO NOT USE the address in the 2007 Contest Manual.
SARL CONTEST MANUAL
The SARL Contest Manual must be reviewed for use during 2008. The contest manager is awaiting comments and suggestions from members and clubs on the various contests as well as suggestions for any new contests to be included. This is for SARL as well as Club contests. Maybe some provincial QSO Parties, and more VHF sprints.
Send your suggestions and comments to hfcontests@netactive.co.za by 20 October 2007.
SAATI AGM
The Annual General Meeting of SAATI will take place on Saturday 6 October at 14:00 CAT in the club house of the Centurion Amateur Radio Club at the corner of Duncan and Prospect Streets, Pretoria. All are welcome and the meeting will be followed by a bring-and-braai for which SAATI will provide the consumeable RF.
PROPAGATION CONDITIONS
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, being away for two weeks, the following was submitted by Hans, ZS6AKV.
The current geomagnetic conditions are unsettled. A coronal hole on the solar disk is rotating into a geo-effective position which means that HF conditions can be disturbed.
Current predictions show an interesting tendency with late afternoon and early evening openings to Europe on 10, 15 and 20 metres. Australia seems to come into focus around 06:00 CAT when openings on 20 metres look promising. Around 20:00 openings can be expected on 40 metres but as that is in the middle of the night in most of Australia one will only find the most dedicated Dxer around.
From around 14:00 the 20 metre band is likely to open towards India. The USA West Coast may provide some interesting DX opportunities from around 14:00 on 20 m and an hour or two later on 15 metres.
Amateur Radio Mirror International received some interesting shortwave listener reports on the 10:00 transmission on 17 590 kHz with good signals into Israel and Italy. Mind you the transmitter used runs 250 kW, but with the antenna favouring Africa.
The HF bands are at variable at the best of times. When you get an opportunity, call CQ DX, you may never know, the person on the other side of the world may just be listening. If we all just listen, we will never know if the bands are opening. For more predictions visit www.spacewaether.co.za.
DIARY OF EVENTS
23 September, today till 12:00 – Last opportunity to still score or give points away in the VHF/UHF contest;
29 September – Ladies Only ZU RAE course by Kempton Park RATS;
29 September – Pretoria ARC Flea Market and AGM;
30 September – Last day for comments on SARL study guide;
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;
6 October – SAATI AGM;
7 October – Intechnet;
18 October - Class A RAE;
20 October – Comments on SARL 2008 Competition Handbook to be in.
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 sponsors the ARMI transmissions on the non-amateur frequencies.
Today's South African Radio League news bulletin was compiled by George, ZS6NE, and transmitted by (your name and call sign).
Thank you for listening. 73.
/EX
