SARL NEWS SUNDAY 04 OCTOBER 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 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).
In the news today:
SPACE WEEK ESSAY COMPETITION FOR LEARNERS
GREAT START WITH ZS10WCS
GOOD RESPONSE TO THE SARL HOME CONSTRUCTOR'S COURSE
SUMBANDILASAT IS MAKING GOOD PROGRESS
SPECIAL EVENT STATION ZS3SKA
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more detail on these and other important and interesting news items.
SPACE WEEK ESSAY COMPETITION FOR LEARNERS
To celebrate Space Week and the successful launch of SumbandilaSat, SA AMSAT and the South African Amateur Radio Development Trust are launching an essay competition for learners in grade 8 - 12 today in which many prizes can be won including an Acer Aspire One notebook.
Learners are invited to write an essay of between 1 000 and 1 500 words about the subject "How will South Africa benefit from space projects?
They are encouraged to do some internet research about space projects and how other nations have benefited and in their own words describe how South Africa can benefit from its entry into the space arena.
The closing date is 30 November 2009. Full details can be found on both www.amsatsa.org.za and www.amateuradio.org.za.
GREAT START WITH ZS10WCS
The Boland Amateurradioklub launched the ZS10WCS special event callsign with great gusto. During September they clocked up 2 639 contacts in over 100 countries and set a very high target for the Oakdale Amateur Radio Club which will run the special event station during October.
The QSL cards will be delivered to the Boland Amateur Radio Club during next week when they will be dispatched via the bureau.
Thanks to the following radio amateurs who operated the world cup special event station: ZS1OLI, ZS1EL, ZS1DUG, ZS1RX, ZS1REC, and ZS1L.
The mode breakdown is as follows: SSB 1 552 contacts, CW 1 050 contacts and PSK31 37 contacts. Visit www.sarl.org.za for more information.
Well done Boland!
GOOD RESPONSE TO THE SARL HOME CONSTRUCTOR'S COURSE
Following the announcement about the home constructor's course in last week's SARLNEWS there was a good response particularly for the course on 21 November in Gauteng. There are only 8 seats left for the course at the NARC.
RS South Africa has sponsored 5 temperature controlled soldering stations which will be available for some hands-on soldering experience with surface mount devices.
Visit the SARL website for more information on the course. Information on how many seats are still available, as well as a list of persons registered for the course, will be updated regularly.
WIA TO CELEBRATE THEIR CENTENARY NEXT YEAR
The Wireless Institute of Australia turns 100 next year making it the world's oldest National Radio Society. WIA President Michael Owen, VK3KI, says he wants the world-wide amateur radio community to join in the celebration.
In the October edition of the WIA's Amateur Radio magazine he announced a programme that includes a special callsign VK100WIA that will be operated next May by the WIA, and after that by many affiliated clubs around Australia for the next 5 months. A commemorative QSL card will be issued for contacts with VK100WIA between May and October next year.
A limited edition operating award, called the WIA Centenary Award, is also to be available and two contacts with VK100WIA are required under its rules.
A programme of events will occur around the WIA's annual meeting in the nation's capital Canberra in May 2010, while radio clubs are planning events to promote the centenary of organized amateur radio in Australia.
It all began in 1910 with a meeting of wireless pioneers in Sydney to protect their interests and rights against what they considered to be harsh treatment by authorities and a high licence fee. The Wireless Institute of Australia has continued since then to protect and enhance the privileges of radio amateurs and to promote amateur radio.
Details of the centenary program can be found on www.wia.org.au.
SUMBANDILASAT IS MAKING GOOD PROGRESS
The Ground control station at the University of Stellenbosch is making good progress in activating the various systems on board the satellite. The latest report indicates that after the uploading of some patches the onboard computer (OBC) is running more reliably. The team has identified a couple of improvements to the flight code which will be uploaded soon. Regular updates are posted on www.amsatsa.org.za. The past week also saw the publication of the Keplerian elements in the weekly updates from AMSAT NA.
SPECIAL EVENT STATION ZS3SKA
South Africa is one of two stations in the run for the erection of the largest radio telescope in the Southern hemisphere known as the Square Kilometre Array (SKA). The possible site in South Africa is situated in the Northern Cape between Calvinia, Brandvlei and Williston. A start has already been made with the erection of a smaller version, which is called Meerkat.
In order to make this project known to amateurs, nationally and internationally, members of the Boland and Northern Cape radio clubs will operate an amateur radio station over the week end 23 to 25 October from the chosen site. The station’s call sign will be ZS3SKA and operation will be on all HF bands.
All stations that confirm contacts either via the buro or directly to P O Box 273, Strand, 7139, will receive a special QSL card.
More information on operators, equipment and frequencies will be made known in due course.
For môre information on the SKA, visit www.ska.ac.za.
COMPETITION NEWS
SARL 40 metre Mobile Competition:
The incorrect results were published last week. The error is regretted. Only 6 logs were received for the 2009 competition.
The correct results are:
1st Gerhard Coetzee, ZS3TG, 488 points;
2nd John Kramer, ZS5J, 231 points ;
3rd Mitchel Mynhaardt, ZS6YH, 168 points;
4th Romeo Nardini, ZS6ARQ, 149 points;
5th Jan Botha, ZS4JAN, 136 points;
6th Geoff Levey, ZS6GRL, 130 points.
2008 CQ WW DX Phone and CW contests:
In the Phone contest, the Bloemfontein Defence ARC, ZS9X, participated in the Multi-Operator, 2 Transmitter category, and made 8,2 million points placing them 3rd in Africa and 9th in the world.
In the CW contest, Bernie van der Walt, ZS4TX, participated in the all band high power class and made 5,7 million placing him 3rd in Africa.
CLUB NEWS
At the AGM of the Highveld Amateur Radio Club, which was held recently, the following members were elected to the management committee for the 2009/2010 term of office:
Chairman; Frank van Wensveen, ZS6TMV;
Vice Chairman; Frank Mercier, ZS6MER;
Secretary / Treasurer/: Berridge Emmett, ZS6BFL;
Assistant Secretary: Marianne Treyvellan, ZR6JMT;
Shacknews: Berridge Emmett, ZS6BFL, Marianne Treyvellan, ZR6JMT, Harry Lautenbach ZS6LT;
Website: Yvonne van Dijk, ZR6TBL, and Marianne Treyvellan ZR6JMT;
Repeater/Packet Radio/Technical: Ton Van Dijk ZS6ANA;
PIO: Berridge Emmett, ZS6BFL.
Thanks to the outgoing committee members and best wishes to the new committee for a fruitful term of duty.
The Overberg Amateur Radio Club will be holding a general club meeting at the Hermanus Magnetic Observatory on the 10th October starting at 10:00. This will coincide with the end of the HMO's "Space Week". All radio amateurs are invited and if you can give a demonstration on how to work a satellite, you will be most welcome. The usual bring and braai will take place after the meeting.
The Antique Wireless Association Valve QSO Party will take place on the 10th and 11th of October 2009.
On Saturday 10th Oct the AM section will take place from 15:00 to 19:00 SAT and on Sunday 11th Oct the SSB section from 15:00 to 19:00 SAT.
Frequencies will be from 3 600 to 3 700 on the 80 m band and 7,070 to 7, 100 and 7,130 to 7,200 MHz on the 40 m band. (Take note of 40 m band frequencies).
Exchange will be Call Sign, RS and consecutive numbers starting with 001, plus the type of radio receiver.
Scoring - 3 points for all valve, 2 points for hybrid, 1 point for Solid State. Multiplier(your rig) - 3 points all valve, 2 points for hybrid, 1 point for solid state.
Contest logs should be submitted to the AWA either by email, fax or snail mail for attention Andy, ZS6ADY, in the recommended format for SARL Contest Logs.
Certificates will be awarded to the first three places in each category.
The Antique Wireless Association will be holding an open day plus AGM on Saturday 17th October from 09:00 at the Transvaal Aviation Centre at Rand Airport.
Antique Wireless Display, Flea Market, Cash Bar, Restaurant etc. will all be there.
Bring the family along and have an enjoyable day with them.
If anybody have queries, contact Andy, ZS6ADY, on 082 448 4368.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the solar activity is still at very low levels. There were official sunspots for more than 10 days in 'n row over the last two weeks.
20 and 15 m will provide best opportunities for DX. Conditions to the East and the West will be good from the afternoons onwards. During the late afternoons and early evenings it will be good towards Europe. In the afternoons there are good possibilities of contacts with the USA on 15 m. Contacts with New-Zealand are going to be challenging. During the early mornings, late afternoons and evenings 20 and 15 m contacts may be possible with Brazil.
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. 30 m will perform well over the longer distances during the middle of the day.
80 m is the frequency of choice in the evenings.
Please visit www.spaceweather.co.za for further information.
DIARY OF EVENTS
6 October – Logs for Heritage Day sprint to be in to riaanzs4pr@gmail.com;
7 October – Comments on Draft Frequency Spectrum Policy to be in;
10 October – AM section of AWA’s valve QSO Party between 15:00 and 19:00;
11 October – SSB section of AWA’s valve QSO Party between 15:00 and 19:00;
16 October –Logs for second leg of the SARL 80 Metre QSO Party to be in.
17 October – AWA’s open day and AGM at the Rand Airport, starting 09:00;
23-25 October – Special station ZS3SKA on the air;
21 November - Home Construction course, Gauteng, at the NARC.
Please note that in last week’s bulletin the telephone number stated for the SARL office is incorrect, the correct number is 011 675 2393.
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 only 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 17 570 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 George, ZS6NE.
Thank you for listening, 73.
/EX
