SARL NEWS SUNDAY 20 JANUARY 2008
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 newsreader this morning is Hans, ZS6KR, on 145,725 and 7,066 MHz from Pretoria with relays on 28,325, 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:
RADIO AMATEURS ARE URGED TO STICK TO ISO STANDARDS
JOIN THE 2008 BACAR TEAM
NEW CATEGORY IN PEARS NATIONAL VHF/UHF CONTEST
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more detail on these and other important and interesting news items.
RADIO AMATEURS ARE URGED TO STICK TO ISO STANDARDS
In the world are many languages but many concepts are common and although only a small percentage of the world's population can understand, or speak the language of another language group, it is of tremendous help if we can use the same terms for many common concepts such as mass, dimensions, time, temperature, voltage, current etc. to enable us to understand what is said or written in another language. It also eliminates the need for conversion factors and lessens the possibilities of making mistakes.
ISO is the International Organization for standardization. It is made up of national standard institutes from countries large and small, industrialized and developing in all regions of the world. ISO develops voluntary technical standards which add value to all types of business operations. They contribute to making the development, manufacturing and supply of products and services more efficient, safer and clearer. They make trade between countries easier and fairer. ISO standards also serve to safeguard consumers, and users in general, of products and services - as well as to making their lives simpler.
What is the SI
SI denotes Systeme International d'Unites i.e. the International System of Units. The letters SI are used in all languages to denote this system. The SI is built in such a way that only one unit is used for each kind of quantity.

This makes the number of units less and the system becomes easier to learn and to use.
The use of the SI in the RSA has been made mandatory by Government Notice No. 4 326 published in the Government

Gazette of the 5th July 1974, now 34 years ago. It contains all the definitions and rules that we need to know.
Join George Honiball, ZS6NE, on Amateur Radio Mirror International this morning at 10:00 and learn more about SI. His full article will also be on the member's section of the SARL web.
JOIN THE 2008 BACAR TEAM
SA AMSAT invites all interested radio amateurs and shortwave listeners to join the 2008 BACAR team. The first meeting to discuss a 2008 BACAR launch will be held on Saturday 26 January at the NARC starting at 11:00.
BACAR is the acronym for Balloon Carrying Amateur Radio, an activity that provided lots of fun for many radio amateurs and their families in the eighties and nineties. Visit www.amsatsa.org.za for more information.
NEW CATEGORY IN PEARS NATIONAL VHF/UHF CONTEST
This year sees the introduction of a new category in the PEARS National VHF/UHF Contest, which takes place next weekend. For the first time there is a Limited Category in the contest. This allows for a 4 hour continuous period of operation, and is aimed at those folk who are unable to participate in the full contest.
PEARS is making a special request to all VHF enthusiasts to participate in the category of their choice and keep the bands active. Full Contest rules are posted on the SARL website and on the PEARS website, www.zs2pe.co.za. See you there and good luck with the contest.
FINAL RESULTS OF PEARS HF QSO PARTY held on 9 December 2007
CATEGORY WINNERS:
NOVICE : 1st place ZU4CM, Christo Van Der Merwe 267 pts;

2nd place ZU2CS, Claire Scott 124 pts.
RESTRICTED : 1st place ZR6BM, Brendan Smith 70 pts; 2nd place ZR2VAN, Otto Van Rooyen 64 pts.
UNLIMITED : 1st place ZS6PJ, Peter Smith 64 pts;
2nd place ZS2AJ, Andre Mulder 49 pts

3rd place ZS2OC, Ken Victor 43 pts.
DX : No Entries.
A complete list of entries and scores can be found on the PEARS website -

http://www.zs2pe.co.za.
The Port Elizabeth Amateur Radio Society wishes to thank everyone who participated in this contest.
NEWS FROM CLUBS
CLASS B RAE IN KEMPTON PARK
The Kempton Park Amateur Radio Technical Society will be hosting a class B exam on the 21st of February at 19:00. The closing date for enrolments is on the 31st of January 2008. For more information contact Hannes, ZS6LW, on 073 180 3506.


BLOCKHOUSE PROJECT.
The Sasolburg Radio Club, ZS4SRK, desires to launch a project which could possible lead to the preservation of the Angle Boer War Blockhouses.
They have devised a method to put focus on these heritage sites but need input from fellow amateurs.
Please visit the General Section of the SARL Forum at www.sarl.org.za/forum and follow the link called General and then Blockhouse Project and give your comments.
The Sasolburg club would like to thank you in advance for your comments.
NEW CLUB COMMITTEE
The following committee members were elected at the recent AGM of the Secunda Amateur Radio Club (ZS6SRC):
Chairman: Tom Groenewald, ZS6TMO;

Secretary: Lucas Swart, ZS6ACT; Treasurer: Gert Botha, ZS6GC; Additional member: Anna Groenewald.
PROPAGATION CONDITIONS

Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the expected solar activity will be very low. The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet. The expected Effective Sun Spot number for the coming week will be less than 5.
DX conditions will generally be good on the North-East and the North-West paths and poor in the general Northerly directions. 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 12:00 CAT. There may be short, weak 20 m openings to Australia from 06:00. From 18:00 there may be short, weak 20 m openings towards Europe. From 18:00 there may be 15 and 80 m openings towards the USA.
10 MHz is looking very promising after dark for the CW and digital enthusiasts.
Locally conditions on 40 m is going to be good during the day. 30 m may perform well over the longer distances. 80 m is the frequency of choice in the evenings, thunderstorms and static permitting!
Remember that this is only a prediction and that HF always has the capability to surprise you. Who knows, maybe the new year is going to provide bags full of contacts for you, but you will never know unless you switch your rig on, listen and also call CQ.
Please visit www.spaceweather.co.za for further information.
DIARY OF EVENTS
20 January - Last day of the 30 Metre digital event;
21 January SARL-HMO competition closes;
25 to 27 January - PEARS National VHF/UHF Contest;
26 January BACAR meeting at NARC ay 11:00;

27 January - President's Net and Intechnet;
31 January - Closing date for enrolments for Kempton Park Class B RAE;
9 and 10 February - SARL HF Field Day;
16 February - Closing date for nominations for SARL awards;
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.
Thank you for listening. 73.
/EX