SARL NEWS SUNDAY 1 MARCH 2009
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 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 52,750, 438,825 and 1 296 MHz FM in the Pretoria area. (Other newsreaders please change to suit).
In the news today:
SUMBANDILASAT LAUNCH DELAYED AGAIN
BOOK NOW FOR THE SARL NATIONAL CONVENTION
WORLD AMATEUR RADIO DAY FOCUS ON SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY
DRAFT REGULATIONS PUBLISHED TO SAFEGUARD THE SKA AREA
RADIO ZS SHOULD BE IN YOUR POST BOX BY NOW
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more detail on these, and other important and interesting news items.
SUMBANDILASAT LAUNCH DELAYED AGAIN
The launch of SumbandilaSat has been delayed again, this time due to a technical hiccup at the Russian launch site, Baikonur. The Director-General of the Department of Science and Technology, Dr Phil Mjwara, told SA AMSAT that the launch agency in Russia had sent a message that the launch would probably be at some time in May this year. He said that as the launch agency had not been specific in their communication he willnot make a public announcement until DST had received full details about the reasons for the delay and a new confirmed date.
It is speculated that the delay is caused by problems of delivering one of the other payloads on time. Currently SumbandilaSat is still safely at the test range near Bredasdorp.
BOOK NOW FOR THE SARL NATIONAL CONVENTION
A detailed booking form for the SARL National Convention is available on the SARL web at www.sarl.org.za. Some of the events, like the boat trip on Saturday afternoon, can only accommodate a limited number of participants, so book early if you do not want to miss this great opportunity to cruise on the Tigresse, the largest sailing catamaran in Africa.
To book accommodation, click on the link on the web. It will take you to a list of bed and breakfast establishments near the centre of activities in Belville offering great value for money.
The SARL national convention includes the SARL Annual General Meeting and the Awards dinner.
WORLD AMATEUR RADIO DAY FOCUS ON SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY
This year World Amateur Radio Day on 18 April will focus on the hobby that empowers people and supports communities by providing emergency communication and general communication for special sporting and community events. In South Africa HAMNET, the South African Radio Leagues emergency communications division, will coordinate the World Amateur Radio day event.
Clubs and special interest groups are invited to participate by setting up amateur radio special event stations in shopping malls and other public areas such as libraries and sporting facilities.
The message for the day is that amateur radio is not your granddad's radio but a vibrant activity that spans a wide range of technologies and activities which by using the ether waves, still include opportunities to talk to people world-wide.
Visit Clubtalk on www.sarl.org.za for more details and how the SARL will be supporting the event with brochures and posters. Clubtalk is under the news section of the website.
DRAFT REGULATIONS PUBLISHED TO SAFEGUARD THE SKA AREA
The draft regulations to create radio-free areas in South Africa for the Square Kilometre Array have been published. Study them and give your comments before 4 March. The SARL has to submit comments before 6 March and after all the input has been considered the final regulations will be published and become enforceable. The regulations are available on the ARMI page at www.sarl.org.za click on publications and select ARMI.
RADIO ZS SHOULD BE IN YOUR POSTBOX BY NOW
Radio ZS was mailed last week and should be in your post box by now. Learn more about what the 40 metre band plan will look like after the expansion of the 40 metre band has been published in the Government Gazette. The SARL has been working with ICASA to expedite the process. We hope to have an update by mid-March.
The Namibian DXpedition was a great success despite setbacks and adverse weather. Read about it in the January/February Edition. Practical tips on how to prolong battery life, amateur radio in space and a report on the IARU Region 1 conference also make interesting reading. Amongst the regulars are The Museum Piece and The Good Old Times.
CONTEST NEWS
CW CONTEST OPERATOR WANTED
Andrew, ZS6AA, is looking for one more CW operator to complete the ten-person Team Africa for the RSGB Commonwealth Contest. The contest takes place over 24 hours from noon on Saturday 14 March until noon on Sunday 15 March. All levels of CW and contesting experience are welcome. If you would like to take part as a member of Team Africa then please contact Andrew by email to andrew.roos@mweb.co.za or by phone on 082 5774980.
CLUB NEWS
On Saturday, March 7, 2009 there will be a combined Suidkaap Amateurradioklub and Garden Route Radio Club and friends at the Riverside Caravan Park, Klein Brak River, near Mossel Bay. It will be a family bring-and-braai. Everybody is welcome.
The event starts at 12:00.
The President of the South African Radio League, Rassie Erasmus, ZS1YT, will attend in his official capacity and will give a talk.
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.
15 and 20 m will provide best opportunities for DX. There is a possibility of 15 m openings towards India from about 14:00 CAT followed by 20 m at 17:00. Contacts with New Zealand are going to be very challenging. 20 m contacts may be possible with Australia at 07:00. Contacts with Peru are unlikely. Brazil may be worked on 15 and 20 m from 14:00 and 19:00 respectively. At 16:00 there may be short, weak 15 m openings followed by weak, short 20 m openings at 18:00 towards Europe. Contacts with the USA East Coast are possible on 15 m at 20:00.
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 daytime, also for this afternoon's contest. 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 after morning teatime.
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 has the capability to pleasantly 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 March SARL Hamnet 40 metre Simulated Emergency Contest
2 March Closing date for submission of Field Day logs;
7 March PARC Mega Flea market;
14 and 15 March RSGB Commonwealth Contest;
20 March Closing date for submission of PIC debugger claims;
21 March BACAR launch;
21 and 22 March SARL VHF/UHF Contest;
18 April World Amateur Radio Day, and
24-26 April SARL National Convention, Cape Town.
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 Amateur Radio Mirror International programme every Sunday morning at 10:00 CAT on 145,750 MHz in the Pretoria area, with relays on 7 082, 7 205 and 17 860 kHz. There is also a podcast by ZS6RO which can be listened to. 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.
You have listened to a bulletin of the South African Radio League, compiled by Roger,ZR3RC, and edited by Hester van der Walt. Thank you for listening, 73.
/EX
