SARL NEWS SUNDAY 15 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).
SILENT KEY
It is with deep regret that the passing of Dirk Geddes, ZR6O, on 18 May is announced. We extend our sincere condolences to his family and friends.
(PAUSE)
In the news today:
YOUTH DAY
CHINESE RADIO AMATEURS ASK HAMNET TO ASSIST
INTECNET DATE CHANGED TO 29 JUNE
BACAR LAUNCH DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON
SARL VHF/UHF/MICROWAVE DX TABLE
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more detail on these and other important and interesting news items.
YOUTH DAY
Tomorrow, 16 June, is Youth Day, celebrating our young people and from an amateur radio point of view what better way than a youth sprint competition enabling the young people of South Africa to make contact with each other.
The Sprint runs for 2 hours from 10:00 12:00. Full details can be found on www.sarl.org.za, click on activities and select youth activities. The web pages include the full rules and an operating guideline. The sprint is held on the 40 metre band.
Stations who wish to host young people under 25 may provide them full operating privileges provided they submit a log to the contest committee and the participant is supervised by a licensed radio amateur. This will be regarded as registration as an education station on 16 June between 10:00 and 12:00. For longer periods or other dates register your station as an educational station. Forms are available on the web. Registration has to be renewed annually.
All youth participating and sending in a log will receive a special certificate and take part in a draw for prizes. Please ensure that his or her name and address appears at the top of the log.
CHINESE RADIO AMATEURS ASK HAMNET TO ASSIST
Following the recent earthquake in China, Chinese radio amateurs have realised the value of an organised Amateur Radio Disaster Communication Organisation and have turned to Hamnet for help. Hamnet National Director, Francois Botha, has already shared training manuals with Michael Chen, BD5RV, and details of how to structure such a disaster management communication organisation. He said that it is gratifying that we can be of assistance to a nation that has suffered so much in the past few months.
INTECNET DATE CHANGED TO 29 JUNE
The INTECNET scheduled for 22 June has been postponed to 29 June 2008. The subject has also changed as Paul Shuch is not available. He will be joining us for the August Intecnet.
The subject will be PLT, a discussion on the outcome of the Public Hearing that ICASA is holding this week and the way forward. The second half of INTECNET will be devoted to a discussion on how kit building can bring young people into amateur radio and what type of kits should be made available.
BACAR LAUNCH DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON
SA AMSAT is negotiation the Weather SA to use the Irene Weather Station as the launch site for the BACAR Launch. With heavy air traffic in Gauteng it is difficult to find a suitable launch site. The prevailing upper winds are also being studied to ensure that in the early stages of the launch BACAR does not drift in into any of the approach lanes to OR Tambo airport.
SARL VHF/UHF/MICROWAVE DX TABLE
Mike Bosch, ZS2FM, reports that the SARL VHF/UHF/Microwave DX table is now being updated for the period ending 30 June 2008. Please submit your record claims to Mike via telephone to 041 581 2425 or 084 612 9600 or by e-mail to mcbosch@telkomsa.net. Please do this not later that the first week of July so that it can be included in the new record table.
It appears that there are still a few unclaimed records floating around the country. Please check your logs and compare your maximum distances worked with the VHF/UHF/SHF/EHF record table on the SARL website as listed under Local Information.
CONTEST NEWS
SARL HAMNET 40 METRE CONTEST
The results of the SARL Hamnet 40 metre contest held on 2 March 2008 have been released and are as follows.
Single Operator stationary mobile
Geoff Levey, ZS6GRL, 216 points.
Single Operator Portable:
Al Akers, ZS2U, 2 247 points.
Single Operator Base Station:
1st Jan Botha, ZS4JAN, 1 332 points;
2nd Philip Esterhuizen, 1 278 points;
3rd Thinus Potgieter, ZS2EC 1 232 points;
4th Pieter Bosman, ZS3AOR, 1 246 points;
5th Durban ARC, ZS5D, 630 points;
6th Ken Victor, ZS2OC, 574 points;
7th Roy Newton, ZS6XN, 24 points.
SARL 160 METRE QSO PARTY
This is a fun activity to promote contacts on 160 metres between radio amateurs in Southern African countries and to encourage radio amateurs to apply for the SARL Top Band Award. It takes place from 18:00 CAT on Wednesday 18 June 2008 to 06:00 CAT on Monday 23 June 2008, with CW activity on 1 810 - 1 838 kHz and phone on 1 842 – 1 850 kHz. The exchange is a RS(T) report and serial number.
Get the full details in the SARL Contest Manual and in HF Happenings 306 during the coming week. Log sheets must be submitted by 8 July by e-mail to hfcontests@netactive.co.za or by snail mail to The Contest Committee, PO Box 12104, Brandhof, 9324.
CLUB NEWS
Youth day on Monday 16 June 2008 will be celebrated in a unique way at Kathu in the Kalahari.
The South African Radio League and the Kalahari Karoo Amateur Radio Club is going to show the youth of the region what can be done with Amateur Radio and give them an opportunity to experience what it is like to talk to other youths.
Information about what Amateur Radio is, how it can be used and how it was used in the past will be available. There will also be an exhibition of some old radios and other amateur radio equipment.
Posters and a variety of promotional material as well as RAE manuals will be available for the visitors.
They will be looking to recruit new Amateurs.
The station, ZS3ARK, will be operated by Gerhard, ZS3TG, Johan, ZS3AAK, and Gerhard, ZS6GSC/3. They will be active on 40 m, the 2 m linked repeater system through to Upington, as well as Echolink via ZS3DS-R.
Thanks to the Kathu High School for the use of their premises.
The Bloemfontein Radio Amateur Club will be active from the Barbarossa Day to be held on Saturday 21 June 2008 at the Leeuwberg Museum, south of Bloemfontein. On 22 June 1944 the German invasion of Russia began - Operation Barbarossa. The day will include weapons and uniform displays, a mock battle, armoured vehicles and more. ZS4AFV will be active on VHF, 40 and 20 metres. QSL via the SARL Electronic System and via the bureau.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the expected solar activity will be very low. The geomagnetic field is expected to be mostly at unsettled levels from 15 till 20 June, decreasing to quiet levels from 21 June. 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.
20 m will provide best opportunities for DX. There is a possibility of weak 20 m openings towards India from about 15:00 CAT. 20 m contacts with Australia may be possible from eight till ten in the mornings. From 18:00 there may be 20 m openings towards Europe. Contacts with the USA are going to be very challenging.
10 MHz is looking promising late afternoon and 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, especially now that the majority of thunderstorms and static is behind us. 160 m will perform well for the SARL's 160 m QSO party.
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
16 June - Youth Day Sprint;
18 to 23 June - SARL Top Band QSO Party;
21 June - ZS4BFN from Barbarossa Day;
6 July - Submission of VHF/UHF/Microwave records.
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
