SARL NEWS SUNDAY 1 JUNE 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 visit www.sarl.org.za, click on ARMI and follow the links for details. PLEASE NOTE! For audio via Echolink, connect to ZS0JPL-R.
You can download this and previous bulletins from www.sarl.org.za and you can subscribe there to receive future bulletins by email.
Your newsreader this morning is (name), (call sign), 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:
QSL BUREAU NEEDS VOLUNTEERS
YOUTH DAY SPRINT TO GET THE YOUTH TALKING
SARL FAX NUMBER PLEASE USE THE FULL 13 DIGITS
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more detail on these and other important and interesting news items.
QSL BUREAU NEEDS VOLUNTEERS
Join the QSL bureau team two days a month and experience great fellowship with other members of the sorting team. With only two people sorting incoming QSL cards, there are currently some delays in forwarding cards to members. The team members look forward to a few more members joining them.
For those who wish to collect cards and or discuss QSL matters with the QSL bureau team, attendance days for the next 2 months are on 3 and 17 June and again on 1 and 15 July.
Please contact Francois, ZS6BUU, at 011 679 5260 to join the QSL bureau and assist in speeding up the service while having an interesting time in working with cards from some of the most exotic locations in the world. By putting something back into amateur radio will make your hobby so much more rewarding. Call Francois now.
YOUTH DAY SPRINT TO GET THE YOUTH TALKING
The Youth Sprint on 16 June 2008 is aimed at getting the youth talking to each other but you can be the catalyst to make it happen. The event will run for two hours from 10:00 – 12:00 CAT on the 40 metre band. Set up a station in a public place or invite some young people into the shack. The exchange is a RS report and the operator's age.
The point structure is 5 points for contacts between two operators under 25 years. Only 2 points if is one of the operators is 26 and older and one point if both operators are 26 years or older.
There are some fun prizes to be won by participants under 25 years old, not only for the highest score but also on a lucky draw basis as well as a certificate for every participant under 25.
From next Tuesday, visit www.sarl.org.za and click on Youth activity for details and other fun events.
Non licensed youth under 25 can also participate by operating the station of a licensed operator who has registered as an educational station. To register visit www.sarl.org.za, click on SARL forms and scroll down the list.
HIS KEY NEVER WENT SILENT
Some times a slip of a letter or figure can cause a serious gremlin when the message conveys a silent key that never became silent. We are pleased to confirm that the key of Colin McNall, ZS6MAC, did not go silent and that he is alive and well. Our sincere apologies to Colin and his family and friends, we are pleased that he is alive and well. The Editor of Radio ZS, who gets the information about silent keys from SARLNEWS adds his voice of apology.
SARL FAX NUMBER PLEASE USE THE FULL 13 DIGITS
The SARL fax number has 13 digits, please dial all. The fax number is 088 011 675 2793. The email address is admin@sarl.org.za. If you would like to write to Council, the address to use is secretary@sarl.org.za
CONTEST NEWS
AWA HF QSO PARTY
The following are the results of the AWA HF QSO party held on the 10th and 11th of May:
In the AM section:
1st Jan, ZS4JAN, 130 points;
2nd Andre, ZS2ACP, 124 points;
3rd Rad, ZS6RAD, 72 points.
In the SSB Section:
1st Andre, ZS2ACP, 224 points;
2nd Mitch, ZS2DK, 210 points;
3rd Rad, ZS6RAD, 209 points.
A total of 9 logs were received for each section. On the AM side there were 67 participants and on the SSB side there were 101 participants. A full list of results will be published on the SARL Web Forum and in the AWA Newsletter.
The AWA committee thanks all those who participated and those who sent in logs.
ZS HAMS TAKE TOP PLACES IN ARRL 10 METRE CONTEST
Vidi le Grange, ZS1EL, took top honours in the Single Operator Mixed-Mode High Power class with 47 838 points.
Rhynhardt Louw, ZS6DXB, achieved the second place in the Single Operator Phone-Only High Power class with 39 888 points.
Well done to Vidi and Rhynhardt.
2007 CQ WPX RTTY CONTEST
Three Eastern Cape hams participated in the 2007 CQ WPX RTTY contest. Barry Murrell, ZS2EZ, participated in the Single Operator Assisted class and made 354 720 points.
Donovan van Loggerenberg, ZS2DL, made 302 152 points in the Single Operator, All Band, High Power class and Thian de Jager, ZS2Y, made 6 450 points in the Single Operator, All Band, Low Power class.
RESULTS OF THE ZS3/ZS4 SPRINT
The contest committee has released the results of the ZS3/ZS4 Sprint held on Sunday 4 May 2008. Eight contest logs and 1 check log were received.
1st Jan Botha, ZS4JAN, 149 points;
2nd Bloemfontein RAC, ZS4BFN ,83 points;
3rd Johan Roos, ZS4KB, 75 points;
4th Sasolburg ARC, ZS4SRK, 70 points.
VHF/UHF SPRINT
This afternoon the second VHF/UHF Sprint takes place from 16:00 to 17:00 CAT on 2 metres and 70 centimetres. Get into you car and drive around activating various grid blocks. Score two points per contact and see how many grid blocks you can work. The rules are to be found in the SARL Contest Manual. Logs must be sent to hfcontests@netactive.co.za, do not use the address in the Contest Manual.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the expected solar activity will be very low. The geomagnetic field is expected to be mostly at quiet levels. The expected Effective Sun Spot number for the coming week will be less than 5. DX conditions will generally be good to the North and poor in the general North-Westerly directions.
15 m and 20 m will provide best opportunities for DX. There is a possibility of weak 15 and 20 m openings towards India from about 14:00 CAT. Conditions to Australia will be very challenging. From 14:00 there may be good 15 and 20 m openings towards Europe. Contacts with the USA are going to be very challenging.
10 MHz is looking promising after dark for the CW and digital enthusiasts.
Local conditions are going to be good on 40 m during the day time. 80 m may perform well during the mornings and late afternoons over the shorter distances.
80 m is the frequency of choice in the evenings, thunderstorms and static permitting! Not too long from now 160 m will be quite usefull again.
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
1 June - VHF/UHF Sprint;
8 June - Closing date for entries for the Kempton Park Amateur Radio Technical Society logo competition;
16 June - Youth Day Sprint;
18 to 23 June - SARL Top Band QSO Party.
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
