SARL NEWS SUNDAY 14 OCTOBER 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.
You can download this and previous bulletins from www.sarl.org.za and you can also subscribe there 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).
In the news today:
DON'T LET THE QSL BUREAU BE CLOGGED UP WITH YOUR CARDS
CAN YOU HOST A SARL/HMO BEACON?
ANOTHER SUBSCRIPTION REMINDER FOR MEMBERS WHO HAVE NOT YET RENEWED
CLUBS INVITED TO REGISTER TO BECOME A REGIONAL ZU EXAMINATION CENTRE
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more detail on these and other important and interesting news items.
DON'T LET THE QSL BUREAU BE CLOGGED UP WITH YOUR CARDS
This is an urgent message for members of the SARL: please don't let the QSL bureau be clogged up with your incoming QSL cards. Send a self addressed stamped envelope to the QSL bureau so that cards can be despatched to you on a regular basis. Please take careful note of the following. If you send DL size envelopes, a standard mail postage stamp is sufficient. A DL size envelope will accommodate up to 10 cards. If you are an avid DXer, send a larger envelope. The postage requirements are as follows: For a B5 envelope also referred to as a C5, the postage is R3,90. For a B4 envelope, also referred to as A4, the postage is R4,89. Remember that postal rates are increased on April 1 each year, so, if you require your cards to be mailed to you monthly, send 12 envelopes in April each year or as required. After April each year the envelopes can no longer be used as they will carry insufficient postage.
The QSL bureau is part of the services a member receives. The outgoing QSL service is only available to SARL members.
The address of the QSL bureau is SARL QSL Bureau, P O Box 1721 STRUBENSVALLEI 1735.
CAN YOU HOST A SARL/HMO BEACON?
Radio amateurs are needed to host beacons in a number of rural towns. If you live in one of the following areas, please consider joining the beacon programme.
Swellendam, Western Cape;
Lamberts Bay / Graafwater, Western Cape;
Queenstown, Eastern Cape;
Umtata, Eastern Cape;
Sutherland, Northern Cape;
Pofadder, Northern Cape;
Kenhardt, Northern Cape;
Kokstad, KwaZulu Natal;
Louwsburg / Vryheid, KwaZulu Natal;
Mmbatho, North West;
Klerksdorp, North West;
Bothaville, Free State.
To qualify for hosting a beacon you need to be licensed and be a member of the SARL. Please email Lee-Anne at beacon@hmo.ac.za if you would like to be part of the programme. There is no cost involved as the beacon is supplied free, complete with antenna, power supply and lightning protection.
The beacon service will be of great value in confirming actual propagation conditions in real time for research and prediction of the ionosphere. The Space Physics Group of the HMO includes an active ionospheric component, and provides ionospheric data for the purpose of Space Weather predictions, which includes HF propagation prediction. The HMO has recently become the Space Weather Regional Warning Centre for Africa, which includes amongst other parameters the provision of HF propagation predictions.
A number of volunteer radio amateurs will host beacons at their stations. A centralized database will be maintained that contains a record of each beacon, its host amateur and its time slot. A test beacon is in operation from the Krugersdorp area. Listen to it on 7 023 kHz. More details and useful links are on www.sarl.org.za.
ANOTHER SUBSCRIPTION REMINDER FOR MEMBERS WHO HAVE NOT YET RENEWED
As reported in last week's SARL News, membership invoices were mailed in June, with follow-up reminders in August and September. If you have not yet renewed your membership, please do it as soon as possible. Members who have not remitted their dues by the end of October will no longer receive Radio ZS or have access to the member-only section of the SARL web. Your membership is important for Amateur Radio; it is our collective voice through the SARL, the national Body for Amateur Radio, which needs to be strong and representative. Your membership makes that difference. If you are not a member yet, it is never too late to join. Application forms are available on www.sarl.org.za.
CLUBS INVITED TO REGISTER TO BECOME A REGIONAL ZU EXAMINATION CENTRE
Clubs affiliated to the SARL are invited to become regional ZU examination centres. After registration a club may arrange examinations for the entry level amateur radio license as frequently as required. Full details are available in the members' only section of the SARL web. Visit www.sarl.org.za, click on member button on the top left of the home page and enter the callsign and password.
The current arrangements to hold examinations nationally for all classes twice annually remain unaltered.
CQ HOU KOERS ON SATURDAY THE 20TH OF OCTOBER
CQ Hou Koers, the Voortrekkers' annual radio communications day, is taking place on Saturday the 20th of October. More than fifteen stations will be active countrywide. Please support this initiative and spare a few minutes to talk to the enthusiastic youngsters. All contacts are welcomed and a special QSL card is available.
If you are able to provide assistance to your local Voortrekker group, please contact Gerhard, ZS6GSC, at e-mail address gerjan@absamail.co.za or Andries, ZS6VL, e-mail andries.visagie@natref.com. For the latest news, see the forums section on the SARL website.
CLUB NEWS
The Pretoria Amateur Radio Club held their 77th AGM on Saturday the 29th September 2007. The new committee was elected with Almero du Pisani, ZS6LDP, as chairman. Almero will be assisted by the following members:
Johan de Bruyn, ZS6JHB;
Richard Peer, ZS6UK;
Craig Symington, ZS6RH;
Pierre Holtzhausen, ZS6PJH;
Co-opted committee, members:
Graham Reid, ZR6GJR;
Johann de Beer, ZR6YV;
Johan Lehman, ZS6JPL;
Hans Kappetijn, ZS6KR;
Willie Greyling, ZR6GJR.
Roy Newton, ZS6XN;
Tjerk Lammers, ZS6P;
Andre van Tonder, ZS6BRC;
Molly Peer, ZR6MOL;
Doreen de Bruyn, ZR6DDB;
Thobile Koni, ZS6TDK.
Thank you to the outgoing committee and welcome to the newly elected committee.
The Midlands Amateur Radio Club is planning to establish, on Saturday, 13th October, 2007, at 09:00, a ten week course in basic electronics. The venue is the Clubhouse, situated at the Natal Carbineers Drill Hall, in Geere Street, Pietermaritzburg. This plan has been widely advertised in the local press. Students will be charged R80 for the complete course, a sum which includes a free Course Manual. Those interested in this programme should contact Bert Cornell, ZS5MQ, on telephone number 033 344 3659.
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 increasing to unsettled levels on 17 till 20 October. The expected Effective Sun Spot number for the coming week will be less than 5. Fortunately with the arrival of summer DX conditions are also warming up a bit, that is if there is enough electricity to power your rig!
15 m and 20 m will provide best opportunities for DX. There is a possibility of 15 and 20 m openings towards India from about 14:00 CAT. There may be 20 m openings to Australia from about 06:00. From 15:00 there may be 15 and 20 m openings towards Europe. You may also give 10 m a try. From 18:00 there may be 15 and 80 m openings towards the USA.
For the CW and digital enthusiasts it will also be worth monitoring 10 MHz.
Locally conditions on 40 m are going to be good during the day and even 30 m may perform well over the longer distances.
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
13 October - Midlands Amateur Radio Club’s Basic electronics course begins;
18 October - Class A RAE;
20 October - Deadline for comments on SARL 2008 Competition Handbook;
20 October - Voortekker’s CQ Hou Koers;
20 and 21 October - JOTA and JOTI.
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 Roger, ZR3RC, and transmitted by (your name and call sign).
Thank you for listening. 73.
/EX
