SARL NEWS SUNDAY 28 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 28,235, 14,235, 10,130, 7,066 and 3,695 MHz SSB as well as 51,400, 438,825 and 1 296 MHz FM in the Pretoria area. (Other newsreaders please change to suit).
In the news today:
ADVERTISING ON THE WEB WORKS FOR BOTH MEMBERS AND ADVERTISERS BUT PLEASE NOTE THE DIFFERENCE
KATLEGO ZABALA WINS SPACE ESSAY COMPETITION
SARL-HMO BEACON PROJECT LAUNCHED
92 CANDIDATES PASS THE RADIO AMATEUR EXAMINATION
ARDF PROJECT TAKING SHAPE
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more detail on these and other important and interesting news items.
ADVERTISING ON THE WEB WORKS FOR BOTH MEMBERS AND ADVERTISERS BUT PLEASE NOTE THE DIFFERENCE
The SARL is continuously working on increasing its services to members and to achieve this the SARL is looking at innovative ways of financing this. "We also gave an undertaking that we will keep members rates as low as possible" SARL President, Graham Hartlett, ZS6GJH, said. "We are clearly meeting this objective as shown with this year's subscription which is kept at the same level as last year and this despite inflationary pressures from wages, postage, telephone and printing. In addition we have this year introduced a once off discount of 20% for senior members".
The SARL derives some of its income from advertisers in Radio ZS and on the web. This service is of benefit to both the companies buying advertising space and members who benefit from the information supplied by the advertising. Our growing membership and increasing hits on the website, provide increasing value to advertisers.
As a membership service the SARL provides hamads in Radio ZS and a swopshop facility on the web free of charge. These two services are clearly intended for individuals who wish to swap or sell any surplus personal amateur radio and associated items. These services are not for trading of equipment; the paid advertising space has been created for this. Dealers and persons selling amateur radio or any other equipment for gain are referred to the paid advertising section. The SARL will gladly consider any new ideas and will work with advertisers to create the best channels for them. They should however refrain from using the channels created for individual radio amateurs. Vendors with any specific requirements should drop an email to secretary@sarl.org.za and the responsible councillor will make contact with them at the earliest opportunity.
KATLEGO ZABALA WINS SPACE ESSAY COMPETITION
This week the South African Amateur Radio Development Trust judged the competition entries received in the 2007 Space Week event. Learners were given an opportunity to speak with Mark Shuttleworth on 10 October and were selected on the basis of an essay on the subject "The Future of Space in Support of Mankind". A 15-year-old student of the Sekano-Ntoane Secondary School, Katlego Zabala was the winner. He will be presented with a laptop computer at a function at the NARC in early December. The judges are reviewing the other entries and will select 5 runner-ups who will each receive a 40 metre direct conversion receiver kit. Katlego's essay can be read on the SARL web at www.sarl.org.za, click on activities and then on youth.
SARL-HMO BEACON PROJECT LAUNCHED
The SARL - HMO beacon project was officially launched at a function held at the National Amateur Radio Centre in Gauteng last Tuesday. The first beacons have been sent to their hosts and will be on the air soon. The SARL beacon will for the next week include a special message. Tune to 7 023 and listen to the message transmitted in CW. Read the morse code and send the message to armi@sarl.org.za with your name and contact details. The first correct entry drawn on 6 November will become the lucky owner of the 2007 ARRL Handbook.
Visits the new Beacon pages on the SARL web for a full technical description of the beacon. You will find it at www.sarl.org.za under services. Send your comments on the project to armi@sarl.org.za.
92 CANDIDATES PASS THE RADIO AMATEUR EXAMINATION
Of the total of 113 candidates who enrolled, 101 wrote the examination and 91 passed. The results are available on the SARL Web at www.sarl.org.za.
C Reeks, who achieved the highest marks,100%, in both sections of the exam, is now the proud owner of the callsign ZS6BT.
The youngest candidate to pass the examination is 14-year-old Suzette van Wyk, a learner at the Elandspoort High School. Suzette now has the call sign ZR6SVW. She is one of the Itchen Valley Radio Club bursary students, and she now completes the van Wyk family’s radio amateur status.
The oldest person to pass the examination is 74-year-old W C Sygo. His call sign is ZU1SW.
Candidates who passed the examination and who have submitted both the ICASA application form and the HF Assessment certificate to the SARL may go on the air immediately. This is in accordance with an agreement between ICASA and the SARL.
Congratulation to all successful candidates and may this wonderful hobby be a lifelong enjoyment for you. If you did not make it this time, enrol for the next examination.
ARDF PROJECT TAKING SHAPE
The SARL ARDF project is taking shape. SARL President Graham Hartlett ,during a recent President’s Net, announced that the SARL would like to send a South African Team to the European ARDF Championships in the next few years. This means that various teams have to be developed in South Africa to ultimately be able to compete in Europe. The international competition is run in various categories and on advice from the organisers the SARL has selected to work on the youth 80 metre category. The reason for choosing 80 metres is that it is the best entry mode. During the competition the participating team has to locate several beacons operating on the same frequency. In the VHF category the team has to cope with lots of reflected signals, which make it very difficult for newcomers to do well in the competition. The SARL has not excluded VHF ARDF for the future, but sticking to HF will give a SA team a better chance of coming somewhere in the competition.
Clubs and individuals are invited to join the Intecnet on 25 November to discuss the ins and outs of ARDF and plan the next step, which is a demonstration or even a small competition at the SARL National Convention in Bloemfontein next year.
PROPAGATION CONDITIONS
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 active levels on 30 till 31 October. The expected Effective Sun Spot number for the coming week will be less than 5. Fortunately, despite the chilly weather, the DX conditions are warming up a bit, especially the North-South paths.
15 m and 20 m will provide best opportunities for DX. There is a possibility of 10, 15 and 20 m openings towards India from about 13:00 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. From 18:00 there may be 15, 20 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 is going to be good during the day. 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, thunderstorms permitting! 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
25 November – Intechnet about ARDF;
30 November – Closing date for nominations for SARL Councillors.
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
