SARL NEWS - SUNDAY 19 OCTOBER 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 transmitted every Sunday at 08:15 CAT in Afrikaans and at 08:30 CAT in English. To listen to a webstream, 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 subscribe to receive future bulletins by e-mail.
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 Frederick Conradie, ZS4C, of Verkeerdevlei on 29 September is announced. We extend our sincere condolences to his family, brother Kobie, ZS4KC, and many friends.
(PAUSE)
In the news today:
INTECNET TO FEATURE SPREAD SPECTRUM COMMUNICATION
DIARISE THIS IMPORTANT DATE
ASSESSORS AND INVIGILATORS MUST RE-REGISTER
SOLAR HOT SPOTS - IS CYCLE 24 HOTTING UP?
WATCH OUT FOR YOUR QSL CARDS IN THE MAIL
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more detail on these and other important and interesting news items.
INTECNET TO FEATURE SPREAD SPECTRUM COMMUNICATION
Tonight's Intecnet will feature a discussion on spread spectrum communication with John Williscroft, ZS6EF. The discussion is based on the exciting presentation delivered by John at the 2008 RTA's.
An extensive PowerPoint presentation is available on the web for download in PDF format. To download the presentation, visit www.sarl.org.za, select publications and click on ARMI or follow the links from the home page.
INTECNET starts at 19:30 on repeaters in the Western Cape, the Eastern Cape Repeater Network, the Durban and Highway repeaters in KwaZulu-Natal, in Gauteng on 145,750 MHz and on the Sasolburg repeater. There will a relay on 3 718 kHz. For the web stream and echolink go to www.sarl.org.za, click on publications and select ARMI and follow the links. Spread Spectrum is a discussion you do not want to miss.
DIARISE THIS IMPORTANT DATE
A special President's Net will be held on Sunday 2 November at 19:30 when the two delegates to the IARU Region 1 conference will discuss the various important issues on the agenda of the week long meeting which will take place from 16 to 21 November 2008 in Cavtat, Croatia. Rassie Erasmus and Dennis Green will highlight the various motions on which South Africa has to vote and give you the opportunity to make input. Join the discussion on a repeater near you.
ASSESSORS AND INVIGILATORS MUST RE-REGISTER
As announced earlier registration of Assessors and RAE Invigilators expires at the end of October. The Council of the SARL has extended the expiry date till 30 November. To register visit www.sarl.org.za, click on Services and select all forms. Registration as an RAE invigilator can be done online. Registration as an assessor must be supported by a local radio club in the area where the Assessor resides. Download the form and after completion fax the form to 088 011 675 2793. Note the number on the form is incorrect; add 088 in front of the fax number that appears on the form.
SOLAR HOT SPOTS - IS CYCLE 24 HOTTING UP?
NASA's Stereo-B spacecraft is monitoring a string of hot spots where magnetic fields are poking through the solar surface. All four are located at high latitude, a sign that they belong to new Solar Cycle 24. Stereo-B enjoys a unique view of the sun. Because it lags 38 degrees behind Earth in its orbit, Stereo-B is able to look down on a broad swath of sun invisible from our planet. The spacecraft's "over-the-horizon" view clearly reveals the line of active regions.
Does this mean Solar Cycle 24 is picking up steam? Probably, yes, but only a little. Just one of these active regions is a full-fledged sunspot (numbered 1005), while the others are merely "proto-sunspots" without a dark sunspot-core. Stay tuned for developments.
Watch the hot spots on www.sarl.org.za
WATCH OUT FOR YOUR QSL CARDS IN THE MAIL
Members can expect a package of QSL cards in the mail before Christmas. Francois Botha, ZS6BUU, told SARL news that all members’ outstanding cards will be sent out irrespective of the number of cards currently at the QSL Bureau. "We are clearing the trays to assist us in streamlining the operation from January 2009. A trial run is also currently in progress assessing the effectiveness of decentralisation. All cards for Divisions one, three and four are being dispatched by a team in Cape Town and all division two cards are being mailed from a team in Mosselbay", he said.
News about the QSL bureau and its activities are regularly published in Radio ZS. For more information on the Bureau, contact Francois at 011 679 5260 or e-mail him to jfbotha@iburst.co.za.
PLEASE AVOID THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION UPLINK FREQUENCY FOR LOCAL CHATTER
When working simplex, please do not use 145,200 MHz. It is the uplink frequency for the International Space Station. Local chatter will interfere with reception on the ISS and prevent contacts with South Africans.
CONTEST NEWS
Fourteen logs were received for the SARL HF CW Contest - ZS1, ZS4, ZS5 and ZS6 call areas are represented. The PROVISIONAL results are as follows:
Multi Operator:
1st West Rand ARC, ZS6WR, 16 points.
Single Operator:
1st Hans Kappetijn, ZS6KR, [Pretoria ARC] - 78 points;
2nd Ed Willers, ZS6UT, [Pretoria ARC] - 76 points;
3rd Raoul Coetzee, ZS1REC, - 74 points.
Best Score on a Single Band:
Vidi la Grange, ZS1EL - 46 points on 40 metres.
Club Competition:
1st Pretoria ARC - 180 points;
2nd Cape Town ARC - 104 points;
3rd Bloemfontein RAC and Overberg ARC - 70 points.
Combined Results of the SARL HF Phone and CW Contests.
Multi Operator
1st West Rand ARC, ZS6WR - 244 points
Single Operator:
1st Jan Botha, ZS4JAN, - 289 points;
2nd Gary Potgieter, ZS5NK, - 269 points;
3rd Hans Kappetijn, ZS6KR, - 224 points.
Club Competition:
1st Bloemfontein RAC, - 608 points;
2nd Pretoria ARC, - 588 points;
3rd Port Elizabeth ARS, - 355 points.
The provisional results of the SARL 40 Metre Mobile Contest have been released. The contest committee received twelve logs. The results are as follows:
1st Gerhard Coetzee, ZS3TG, - 477 points;
2nd John Kramer, ZS5J, - 342 points;
3rd Tienie Herbst, ZS6MHH, - 273 points.
The full results have been published in the HF Happenings newsletters.
CLUB NEWS
KKARK HAMNET FIELD STATION FEEDBACK
The Kalahari Karoo Amateur Radio Club used the 100 years old celebrations of the Kuruman Primary School as an opportunity to market HAMNET and the SARL during the Kuruman Fly Inn.
The school presented the Kuruman Fly-Inn with basically two programmes namely:
On Friday, 10 October, the Salute Programme at Kuruman Primary School. This event’s purpose was to introduce the learners of primary schools in the vicinity to the Safety and Emergency Services like the SANDF, SAPS, Correctional Services, Civil Protection Services, and Traffic, Fire Departments etc.
On Saturday, 11 October, the Fly In at Kuruman Airport was the main attraction for the general public. Over 40 aircraft took part.
Gerhard, ZS3TG, Johann, ZS3AAK, David, ZR3A, Ruan, ZU3R, Hugo, ZU3H, Tiaan, ZU3TB and Petrus, ZU3P, were the amateurs involved in the successful weekend where 155 contacts were made all over the country. Detailed statistics are available on the SARL Forum.
Thank you to all the amateurs that made contact with them. Your electronic SA QSL's have already been sent to you.
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 till 27 October. 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 15 and 20 m openings towards India from about 11:00 CAT. There is the possibility of weak 80 m openings to New Zealand at 20:00. From 06:00, 20 m contacts may be possible with Australia. From 06:00 contacts with Peru on 20 m may be possible for a few minutes. Brazil may be worked on 15 m from 14:00. From 15:00 there may be good 15 and 20 m openings towards Europe. 10 m also shows signs of awakening from just after 12:00. Contacts with the USA East Coast are possible on 15 m from 18:00.
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 early mornings and late afternoons over the shorter distances, e.g. between ZS5 and ZS6. 30 m may perform well during the middle of the day between ZS6 and ZS1.
80 m is the frequency of choice in the evenings. With summer here the thunderstorms and static may be a bit challenging.
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
17 - 19 October - CQ Hou Koers and JOTA;
18 - 19 October - Leg 2 of the AWA Valve Radios QSO Party;
19 October – Tonight, Intechnet on Spread Spectrum communications;
1 November - Pretoria Amateur Radio Club Flea Market;
2 November - President's Net, IARU agenda items to be discussed;
15 November - Closing date for learner's essay "Man's habitation of the moon: can Amateur Radio play a role?";
29 November - Working with PICs course.
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.
Roger, ZR6RC, compiled today's South African Radio League news bulletin.
Thank you for listening, 73.
/EX
