SARL NEWS SUNDAY 24 FEBRUARY 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:

INTECNET TO DISCUSS DRAFT PLT REGULATIONS

PRESIDENT NET TO FOCUS ON ICASA-SARL MEETING

SARL NATIONAL CONVENTION GET THE DETAILS TONIGHT

You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more detail on these and other important and interesting news items.

INTECNET TO DISCUSS DRAFT PLT REGULATIONS

The Intecnet this evening at 20:00 will be discussing the draft Power Line Telecommunication Regulations and the objection that the SARL will be filing with ICASA by the 6 March due date.

Here is an opportunity to understand the seriousness of the new regulation and the impact that PLT, when rolled out in terms of the proposed regulation, will have on HF reception and in particular on Amateur Radio Communication.

The draft regulations are available on www.sarl.org.za, click on info and select PLC/BPL. Please study the draft regulation and make your input into the objection document this evening.

PRESIDENT’S NET TO FOCUS ON ICASA-SARL MEETING

Graham Hartlett, ZS6GJH, will on the President's net this evening review the outcome of a meeting between the SARL and the chairman of ICASA, Paris Mashile. During the net he will be joined by Dennis Green to talk about the programme for the SARL National Convention which will be held in Bloemfontein from 11 to 13 April 2008.

Clubs wishing to join their local repeaters to the network to interactively participate in both the President’s Net and the Intecnet should send an email before noon today to armi@sarl.org.za giving details of their repeater and telephone number to be linked.

Join us this evening on a repeater near you, via Echolink or our webstream.

SARL NATIONAL CONVENTION: GET THE DETAILS TONIGHT

The Bloemfontein Radio Amateur Club will be hosting the SARL National Convention from 11 - 13 April in the City of Roses. The programme featuring exotic titles will ensure a great amateur radio weekend that even the family will enjoy. Events such as "A feats of Stars", "A feats of Decisions" and "The Feast of the Invited" are on the programme. Diarise the date now. As announced earlier in SARLNEWS Dennis Green, ZS4BS, will join the President’s Net this evening with all the details. You can also visit www.sarl.org.za for the full programme details and booking form.

CONTEST NEWS

2008 SARL CONTEST MANUAL

Dennis, ZS4BS, requests members to ensure that they have a copy of the 2008 SARL Contest Manual. Please do not use the 2006 or 2007 Contest Manuals. Some of the log sheets and summaries have been updated. Copies of all these documents have been sent to the SARL webmaster for uploading to www.sarl.org.za. The documents can also be downloaded from www.zs4bfn.co.za/contesting.asp or obtained from Dennis, ZS4BS at zs4bs@netactive.co.za.

VHF/UHF SPRINT

This afternoon from 16:00 to 17:00 CAT the first VHF/UHF Sprint will be run on 2 metres and 70 cm. It is a fun event to encourage activity on these bands. All modes may be used and the exchange is a RS or RST report and the Maidenhead locator. Each QSO counts 2 points and the total points are calculated by multiplying the QSO points by the number of grid squares worked. The closing date for log submissions is 10 March.

SARL HAMNET 40 METRE SIMULATED EMERGENCY CONTEST

The annual SARL Hamnet 40 metre contest will be run from 14:00 to 16:00 CAT on Sunday 2 March. It is a phone only contest between radio amateurs in Southern Africa. Southern Africa has been divided into 8 zones for this contest. There are five classes of participation - Single operator stationary mobile, Single operator portable;,Multi-operator portable, Single operator base station and Shortwave Listener.

The exchange and scoring depends on the class of participation. The complete rules for this contest as well as the VHF/UHF Sprint can be found in the 2008 SARL Contest Manual.

PROPAGATION REPORT

Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the expected solar activity will be very low. The geomagnetic field is expected to be quiet in general. 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 14:00 CAT. There may be short, weak 20 m openings to Australia from 08:00. From 16:00 there may be short, weak 15 and 20 m openings towards Europe. From 20:00 there may be weak 15, 20 and 80 m openings towards the USA.

10 MHz is looking promising after dark for the CW and digital enthusiasts.

Locally conditions are going to be good on 40 m during the day. 30 m may perform well during the middle of the day 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, 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

24 February - VHF/UHF Sprint;
24 February – President’s Net and Intechnet;
2 March – Hamnet 40 m simulated emergency ccontest;
8 March – RTA in Cape Town;
8 March – Pretoria Club’s Mega flea market;
31 March - Closing date for first stage of 2008 construction competition;
11 to 13 April – SARL AGM in Bloemfontein.

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.

Thank you for listening. 73.

/EX