SARL NEWS – SUNDAY 16 NOVEMBER 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).
In the news today:
OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR TO LEAVE THE SARL
HAVE YOU PAID YOUR LICENCE?
SA DELEGATION TO IARU CONFERENCE ARRIVE IN CROATIA
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more detail on these, and other important and interesting news items.
OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR TO LEAVE THE SARL
The Council of the SARL has accepted the resignation of the office administrator, Vee Antal. Her last working day will be on 30 January 2009. The SARL is considering various options in finding a replacement. Suitable candidates who are able to communicate in English and Afrikaans and are fully computer literate are invited to submit their detailed CV to the secretary at: secretary@sarl.org.za before 21 November 2008. Submitting a CV will not automatically result in an invitation for an interview.
HAVE YOU PAID YOUR LICENCE?
Please check if you have paid your amateur radio license. At the beginning of the year the license renewal reminders went out late and some radio amateurs did not receive a license renewal invoice. ICASA has published a list of unpaid license fees on the web at www.icasa.org.za. Click on Frequency Spectrum advertisement and from the next page there is an Excel spreadsheet with details of unpaid licences.
If your name does not appear on the list and you have paid, contact Ms Stella Mahlawe on 011 566 3883 or e-mail to smahlawe@icasa.org.za, or fax to 011 566 3884; or Supervisor Collections: Lindsay Le Roux on 011 566 3895 or e-mail to lleroux@icasa.org.za, or fax to 011 566 3896 with your payment details. The deadline for this is 28 November, after which all unpaid licenses will be cancelled.
If you wrote one of the RAE examinations this year and your name appears on the list, don’t take any action. The SARL and ICASA have identified the problem and it is being rectified.
SA DELEGATION TO IARU CONFERENCE ARRIVED IN CROATIA
The SARL delegation to the IARU Region 1 Conference arrived in Croatia yesterday. The conference starts today. Rassie Erasmus, ZS1YT, and Dennis Green, ZS4BS, will have their work cut out for them, as there are up to four different sessions running concurrently during some of the days. It would be ideal to send 4 delegates, but funding has prevented that.
The delegation will make a presentation at the final plenary session of the conference, inviting IARU Region 1 to hold the next meeting in South Africa in 2011. To view the presentation, visit www.sarl.org.za, select publications and select ARMI.
The SARL delegation will also represent the Namibian Radio League at the conference.
A SARL President’s net will be held on Sunday 30 November 2008 at 19:30 CAT, during which the delegation will report back on the conference. The technical problems that plagued the previous President’s net have been resolved.
NEW MEMBERS
We welcome the following new members to the SARL and wish them a long and fruitful association:
ZR3SVD, Sian van Deventer;
ZS1JVE, Jacob Venter;
ZU4DEF, Brendon Muller;
ZS1ANF, Oleg Sakharov;
DL2MHB, M. Schwenkert;
ZR6EXT, A.T. Exton;
ZS0AWA, Antique Wireless Association of South Africa;
ZS1JVE, J. Venter;
ZSL435, J. Topham;
ZU6R, J R. Jansen van Rensburg;
ZR6VKW, W. Goodchild;
ZR6GES, S.E. Gqoli;
ZR6LMK, L. Keana;
ZR6LLE, L. Letaba;
ZR6SLP, S. Lesejane;
ZR6LTP, T.P. Letsie;
ZR6HAG, J. Mbelengwa;
ZR6ABT, J. Pretorius;
ZU6JJ, J. Mohlokane
ZU6ZO, S. Zondi;
ZU6TSO, H.P. Tsotetsi;
ZU6JKM, J.K.M. Molefe;
ZU6KPP, K.P. Mokoena;
ZU6MBE, P. Mbelle;
ZU6PBK, B. Kheswa.
RTA ON THE WEB
A number of the ‘Radio-Technology-in-Action’ presentations is now available on the web. Visit www.sarl.org.za, select ‘Activities’ and then ‘RTA’.
CLUB NEWS
At the AGM of the Antigue Wireless Association held on the farm of William, ZS4L, in Harrismith on 8 October, the following committee for 2009 was elected:
President - Rad, ZS6RAD;
PRO/Secretary – Andy, ZS6ADY;
Technical Advisor – Don, ZS5DR,
Congratulations to the committee members on their re-election to these posts.
The Radio Amateur Club of the Higher Technological School John Vorster, ZS6TVT, held it’s AGM over the past weekend. The following new committee members were chosen for 2009:
Chairman Tiaan van Eeden, ZS6TVE;
Vice Chairman Stephen Frost, ZR6SJO;
Secretary/Treasurer Phillip Cronje, ZR6JPC;
Social Jacques Brosens, ZU6IB.
Johann du Plessis, ZS6PSS, has been appointed by the Magalies Radio Amateur Club as guardian to, ZS6JVT, to provide the young members with guidance, where necessary.
The out-going committee is thanked for their contribution during the past year and to the new committee: We wishyou well for the new ideas and plans for 2009. After the AGM, a braai was held together with some of the learners and their parents, which lasted till late afternoon.
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 until 23 November. The expected Effective Sun Spot number for the coming week will be less than 5.
20 m will provide the best opportunities for DX. There is a possibility of 15- and 20 m-openings towards India from about 12:00 and 15:00 CAT respectively. Contacts with New Zealand are going to be very challenging.
At 08:00, weak 20 m contacts may be possible with Australia. From 08:00 contacts with Peru may be possible on 20 m for a few minutes. Brazil may be worked on 15 m from 12:00 and on 20 m from 18:00. From 16:00 there may be weak 15- and 20 m-openings towards Europe.
Contacts with the USA’s east coast are possible on 15 m from 18:00.
10 MHz is looking promising in the late afternoon and after dark for the CW and digital enthusiasts.
Local conditions are going to be good on 40 m during the daytime. 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, thunderstorms and static conditions may be 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
15-16 November - 2nd leg of SARL HF Field Day Competition;
21 November – Last day to submit applications for the SARL’s post as Office Administrator;
25 November – Last day to renew outstanding licences for 2008;
29 November - Course on the implementation of PIC;
30 November - Closing date for submission of nominations for SARL councillors;
30 November - Last day for updating repeaters database;
31 January 2009 - Last day for submission of motions and agenda items for 2009 SARL AGM.
SARL News invites clubs and individuals to submit news items of interest to radio amateurs and shortwave listeners. Submit news items – 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 webstream 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.
Gustav, ZS6BWN, compiled today's South African Radio League news bulletin.
Thank you for listening, 73.
/EX
