SARL NEWS - SUNDAY 07 DECEMBER 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 news reader 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:
FIRST PIC COURSE WELL ATTENDED
STUDY GRANT FOR A FIRST YEAR STUDENT TO STUDY ELECTRONICS
WAZS AWARD TO MITCHEL MYNHARDT, ZU6M
DISASTER MANAGEMANT EKURHELENI CALLS FOR VOLUNTEERS FOR ROAD SAFETY FIELD STATION
KALAHARI AMATEUR RADIO POPULATION GROWING
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more detail on these, and other important and interesting news items.
FIRST PIC COURSE WELL ATTENDED
The first Microchip PIC course held at the NARC last weekend was well attended by an enthusiastic group. A number of lessons have been learnt from this first event which will be implemented in future courses. It turned out to be impractical to have every one bring their own PC, mainly because just about every PC is formatted differently. This resulted in a lot of time being consumed before the actual course could begin.
Changes have been made so that the 4 hours allocated can be used more efficiently. These changes will overcome some of the problems experienced, such as badly organised PCs and finger trouble which erodes the amount of time spent on the actual work. In future, participants will not be required to bring their computers. All the relevant click by click instructions will be printed and given to each participant.
The learning board supplied at the course will not be reprogrammed at the course but will contain all the firmware on board for the lecture. Reprogramming will be done by each participant in his own time.
The course fee is R200. However if your PC doesn't have a serial port, it is essential to order a USB programmer at a cost of R235.
At the end of the course participants receive a Microchip certificate of attendance as well as a choice of 2 projects printed circuit boards. Visit www.sarl.org.za, click on activities, select RTA and follow the link for a description of the projects.
The next course will be in Port Elizabeth on 16 December 2008. Dates and arrangements for Cape Town and Durban will be announced as soon as the local clubs have finalised the arrangements.
STUDY GRANT FOR A FIRST YEAR STUDENT TO STUDY ELECTRONICS
The South African Amateur Radio Development Trust invites students who are licensed radio amateurs and who are planning to enter University or a University of Technology for the first time next year to study electronics or communication to apply for the SAARDT Study grant. The 2009 grant is R10 000. Full details and an application form are available on www.amateurradio.org.za.
WAZS AWARD TO MITCHEL MYNHARDT, ZU6M
The SARL Awards Manager reported that he recently issued a WAZS award to Mitchel Mynhardt ZU6M. Mitchell is only 11 years old.
Mitchell has certainly surpassed many fellow hams with this achievement. Is it not time, that you also achieved this prestigious award?
Congratulations Mitchel! May this award be followed by many more in future.
DISASTER MANAGEMANT EKURHELENI CALLS FOR VOLUNTEERS FOR ROAD SAFETY FIELD STATION
Disaster Management Ekurhuleni (Springs) calls on all DMCV or Hamnet members who are willing to volunteer for manning a special road safety field station on the weekends of the 12-14 and 19-21 December to contact Howard Ware, ZS6ZS, at 083-258-5045 and inform him of the times you will be available to man the station. The station is planned to be at the Petroport on the N3 between Johannesburg and Heidelberg. There will be six hourly shifts with 2 amateurs per shift. If you are not a DMCV or Hamnet member, you are also welcome to volunteer for this duty.
KALAHARI AMATEUR RADIO POPULATION GROWING
As the result of a successful ZU course presented at the Kathu Technical College 6 new radio amateurs were added to their population in the Kalahari.
Congratulations to Dylan, ZU3DW, a grade 7 learner of the Kathu Primary School who won the prize for the best Technical Student, which was sponsored by Sam’s Radio Accessories for achieving 100% for the technical part of the RAE.
Many thanks to members of the SARL and BARK who made this course possible.
A great welcome to the following new amateurs in the Northern Cape:
ZU3JB, Jurgens Becker;
ZU3AJ, Armandt Cloete;
ZU3DH, Marius Fourie;
ZU3BP, Theo Poolman;
ZU3K, Carel Reyneke;
ZU3DW, Dylan Walsh.
Congratulations to you all, you have the privilege to start young and ahead of you are many years in which to enjoy amateur radio.
NEW CLUB COMMITTEE
Following the loss of its Chairman Wessel, ZS5BLY, on the 2nd October The Midlands Amateur Radio Club convened a Special General Meeting, at which a new committee was elected which comprise the following members:
Robin, ZS5MRS, Chairman and HHN Editor;
Mickey, ZS5QB, Vice Chairman and Net Controller;
Shaun, ZR5S, Repeaters and Digital;
Mike, ZS5ML, Webmaster and PR;
Peter, ZS5PJ, Club House;
Errol, ZS5EGW, Club Development;
Rob, ZU5ROB, Club Events;
Mike, ZS5BGV, Secretary Treasurer.
We trust that the Midlands club will prosper during the term of duty of their new committee.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZ,P reports that the expected solar activity will be very low. The geomagnetic field is expected to be mostly at high levels. The expected Effective Sun Spot number for the coming week will be less than 5.
15 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 and 18:00 CAT respectively. Short contacts with New Zealand are going to be possible on 15 m at 08:00. At 8:00 on 15 m and at 14:00 on 20 m, weak contacts may be possible with Australia. From 14:00 weak contacts with Peru may be possible on 15 m followed by possible weak 20 m openings. Brazil may be worked on 15 m from 12:00 and on 20 m from 19:00. From 16:00 there may be weak 15 and 20 m openings towards Europe. 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. Even 20 m may perform well over the longer distances around morning tea time.
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
7 December – PEARS HF QSO PARTY;
16 December – PIC course in Port Elizabeth;
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.
George, ZS6NE, compiled today's South African Radio League news bulletin.
Thank you for listening, 73.
/EX
