SARL NEWS - SUNDAY 24 MAY 2009
ou 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 bulletin and previous ones 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).
SILENT KEY
It is with regret that we have to announce that the key of Melvyn Slater, ZS5MF, became silent on 19 May 2009. To his wife Heila, other relatives and friends, we extend our sincerest condolences.
(PAUSE)
In the news today:
ZS4 SPRINT THIS AFTERNOON
PRESIDENT’S NET THIS EVENING
COMPETITION TO CELEBRATE THE NEW 40 METRE SEGMENT
NINE YEAR OLD AWARDED THE WORKED ALL ZS
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more detail on these and other important and interesting news items.
ZS4 SPRINT THIS AFTERNOON
This afternoon between 16:00 and 17:00 CAT, the ZS4 Sprint will be run on the 40 metre band. It is a phone and CW activity with enough opportunity to work stations in the Free State province for the Worked All ZS and Chasing Maidens awards. The exchange for Free State stations is a RS(T) report and the participants’ town name or abbreviation, while other stations give a RS(T) report and their provincial abbreviation. Contacts with stations in the Free State are worth two points, while contacts with ZS4BFN, ZS4B and ZS4SRK are worth 5 points each. ZS4AFV is a wild card!
The closing date for logs is Monday 8 June and can be sent via e-mail to rmschoeman@telkomsa.net or by snail mail to The Sasolburg Amateur Radio Club, ZS4SRK, PO Box 3493, Vanderbijlpark, 1911. Find the complete rules in the SARL Contest Manual.
PRESIDENT’S NET TO DISCUSS COOPERATION BETWEEN CLUBS AND THE SARL THIS EVENING
At the Annual General meeting a motion from the Durban Amateur Radio Club asking that co-operation between the SARL and Clubs be improved was passed. The motion however did not include any suggestions how this could be achieved and a suggestion that it be discussed on a future President's net was accepted.
The discussion will take place this evening starting at 19:30 CAT. An invitation to clubs to participate in the discussion was included in the SARL letter mailed electronically to members of club committees last Monday. Individual members are also invited to take part.
The President's net will be on the air at 19:30. Clubs are invited to request linking of their repeaters to the telebridge by sending an email to armi@sarl.org.za before noon today. Please supply telephone number to be linked. Only Telkom landlines can be connected. Cellphones and pre-paid landlines cannot be connected.
COMPETITION TO CELEBRATE THE NEW 40 METRE SEGMENT WHEN IT IS LEGALISED
The Boland Amateur Radio Club is arranging a competition to celebrate the expansion of the 40 metre band when it is finally announced. It will be held on the first Sunday following the publication of the Government Gazette.
The publication of the revised regulations in the Government Gazette was again delayed as the Board of ICASA did not meet on Tuesday as expected. Indications are that the ICASA Board will meet this coming Tuesday. As indicated in previous SARL News bulletins, information will be made available on the web as it becomes available.
The Boland competition will be open to all radio amateurs in Southern Africa. Only contacts in the new SSB Contest segment 7 130 - 7 200 kHz will count. The competition will run from 14:00 - 16:00 CAT. Exchange will be RS report plus the participants’ postal code. The scoring is as follows: 1 point for each contact and 5 points with a contact with ZS1BAK. Logs may be sent by mail or email and must reach the contest committee within 15 days after the contest. The email address is zs1bak@bark.org.za and the postal address is PO Box 273, Strand, 7139. Certificates will be awarded to the competitors achieving the three highest scores.
Keep an eye on www.sarl.org.za for announcements when the new regulations are published in the Government Gazette. In the meantime, get your station geared up to participate.
DURBAN IS READY FOR THE 2009 RTA ON SATURDAY
The 2009 SARL Radio Technology in Action symposium will be held in Durban on Saturday 30 May 2009 at the School of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering, University of KwaZulu-Natal, King George V Avenue, Durban.
The event starts at 08:30 with a programme of lectures and demonstrations aimed at Radio Amateurs and hobbyists who have a science interest. The symposium is open to the general public. Bring your friends, it is a great way of introducing them to amateur radio and all its activities. The charge is R30 per person at the door. Learners and students enter free of charge.
The full programme is available on www.sarl.org.za or send an email to armi@sarl.org.za and a PDF version will be mailed to you. Mark the subject line RTA Durban.
NINE YEAR OLD AWARDED THE WORKED ALL ZS
Melinda Mynhardt, ZU6MM, a young lady of 9 has received her very own Worked All ZS award. Melinda has most definitely put out a challenge to her seniors to work towards achieving their WAZS. Are you going to take up that challenge?
Well done Melinda! SARL News hope this will be the first of many awards you will receive.
CONTEST NEWS
During the month of June, you can participate in the SARL Youth Day Sprint on 16 June, World QRP Day on 17 June, the SARL 160 metre QSO Party on the air from 17 to 21 June and the SARL Digital Contest on 28 June.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the expected solar activity will be very low. The geomagnetic field is expected to be predominantly at quiet levels. The expected Effective Sun Spot number for the coming week will be less than 5. Last week's sunspot has decayed and there are currently no "official" sunspots. Solar cycle 24 is expected to peak during May 2013. Start planning those 10 and 6 m antennas in the meantime.
With the change of season less energy from the sun is reaching the Southern ionosphere and it is having an impact on propagation. 15, 17 and 20 m will provide best opportunities for DX. Conditions to the East and the West will be good from the early afternoon onwards. During the late afternoon and early evenings it will be good towards the North. The North Easterly, North Westerly, South Easterly and South Westerly paths will be challenging. Long path propagation towards the USA is also possible. 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. Unfortunately the noise levels DUE TO static discharges are still a bit high making contacts over the longer distances 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
Today - ZS4 Sprint and the President’s Net;
26 May - Sandton ARC technical meeting at the NARC;
30 May - Pretoria Mega Flea Market and RTA in Kwazulu-Natal;
8 June – Closing date for the ZS4 Sprint logs;
16 June - Youth Sprint;
17 June – World QRP Day;
17 to 21 June – SARL 160 m QSO Party;
28 June – Digital competetion.
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. Please do net send news items to the Office Administrator or one of the bulletin compilers, it only increases the possibility that an item sent that way might not be included in a bulletin.
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 17 570 kHz. There is also a podcast by ZS6RO. 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 Dennis, ZS4BS, and edited by George, ZS6NE.. Thank you for listening, 73.
/EX
