SARL NEWS SUNDAY 18 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:
FIRST AMATEUR RADIO PAYLOAD TEST DID NOT HAPPEN
SARL REQUESTS DOC TO ADD AMATEUR RADIO TO SPECTRUM POLICY DOCUMENT
INVITATION TO ATTEND A PRESENTATION
SPECIAL EVENT STATION ZS3SKA
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more detail on these and other important and interesting news items.
FIRST AMATEUR RADIO PAYLOAD TEST DID NOT HAPPEN
On Wednesday last week the first test of the amateur radio payload on SumbandilaSat did not switch on as planned. The problem was a glitch in the diary software which failed to turn on the amateur radio payload. Ground station engineers are working on the problem and another test will be scheduled within the next few days.
On 13 October the main camera payload was activated during which video was recorded. The video was captured while SumbandilaSat travelled over northern Namibia. To watch the video go to www.amsatsa.org.za.
Details of the next amateur radio test will be posted on www.amsatsa.org.za as information becomes available.
Persons who send in audio clips and reports of the test within 24 hours of the actual test will be entered into the lucky draw for the new ARRL satellite Handbook. Send the audio clip and reports to www.amsatsa.org.za.
Once the amateur radio payload operates successfully SA AMSAT will apply for an OSCAR number.
HAMVENTION 2010: AMATEUR RADIO CLUBS WORLDWIDE: THE LIFELINE
"Amateur Radio Clubs Worldwide: The Lifeline" will be the theme of the 2010 Dayton Hamvention slated for next May 14th to the 16th at the Hara Arena in Dayton, Ohio. According to Assistant General Chairman Michael Kalter, W8CI, they all recognize how much amateur radio clubs and organizations contribute to the service. This is especially true in the way clubs pull together in disasters, field days, contests, working with youth, teaching classes, and sponsoring hamfests. And, says Kalter, there are parts of the world where a ham radio club truly is the communication link to the world.
In order to help celebrate the world of radio clubs, Hamvention planners are asking for pictures from radio clubs around the world that it can use on the front and back cover of the Hamvention 2010 programme magazine. It is also looking for stories of interest from interesting radio clubs as well.
HOME CONSTRUCTION COURSE REGISTRATIONS STREAMING IN
Registrations for the Home Construction Course have been streaming in. For the Gauteng event only one place is left. Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town still have quite a few spaces left. Visit www.sarl.org.za, select activities, then RTA and go to the Home Construction Course to view the list of persons registered for the course. For any queries please email rta@sarl.org.za.
SARL REQUESTS DOC TO ADD AMATEUR RADIO TO SPECTRUM POLICY DOCUMENT
Following the publication of the draft radio frequency spectrum policy, the SARL has requested the Department of Communication to add more specific wording about amateur radio to the document as is the case with radio astronomy. The SARL propose the following wording:
“10.5 Government supports Radio Amateurs having continued access to their radio frequencies as designated by the ITU table of allocations necessary to continue the application of the radio spectrum for self development, investigation into radio science and radio wave propagation and the provision of emergency communication services and as a support medium to promote STEM (Science Technology, Engineering and Maths) amongst the youth of South Africa.”
As an explanatory note STEM has internationally replaced the term ICT - Information Communication Technology - as it better represents the broader requirements of industry, an area in which Amateur Radio can make a major contribution.
The draft spectrum policy was communicated in SARL NEWS some weeks back and made available on the web for comment. It is of concern to the SARL that only one comment was received.
INVITATION TO ATTEND A PRESENTATION
WALKING THE DIGITAL DOG - Work, Learn and Play in Virtual Worlds is an interesting lecture presented by South Africa Network of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET SA Network) with Roo Reynolds, IQ Collaboration Development team, IBM - Metaverse Evangelis, UK.
The dates are Johannesburg: Thursday, 22 October 2009 at 18:00 Joburg Country Club, Woodmead and Cape Town: Monday, 26 October 2009 at 17:30 Lecture Theatre Complex, Cape Peninsular University of Technology.
There is no charge and snacks will be served after the lecture. To register go to www.eepublishers.co.za.
Could virtual worlds really be the next big thing for business, social networking, education and entertainment? What are virtual worlds, and what can and can't they do? How does one get started?
While they certainly don't replace real life communication, they do offer richer opportunities for people getting to know each other and collaborate than ping-pong emails, faceless phone calls and uncomfortable video conferencing.
Businesses are using virtual worlds to do more than promote their brands; they're enabling travel-free conferences, rehearsing difficult work in dangerous or life-threatening situations and allowing people to experience products before they exist. So even if some suggest that virtual worlds are a silly irrelevance and a quirky alternative to true life, the reality is different.
The speaker will draw on his experience of helping lead IBM into online collaboration in virtual worlds, and will share examples of various companies and individuals who have already used virtual worlds as digital venues in which they work, learn and play.
OCTOBER 2009 RAE
In total 125 candidates have enrolled to write the October 2009 RAE. The SARL would like to wish all candidates good luck on Thursday evening while they write the examination.
The normal turnaround time for releasing results after the examination is three weeks and we would request that you exercise patience while the papers are marked and the results collated.
Should there be any queries regarding your RAE, please feel free to contact Mariska at the office on tel 011 675 2393 or alternately via email to admin@sarl.org.za.
SPECIAL EVENT STATION ZS3SKA
In the bulletin of 4 October it was mentioned that a special event station, ZS3SKA, will be operational between 23 and 25 October from the centre of nowhere in the Great Karoo where the Square Kilometre Array may be erected. The station will be operational only in the phone sections of the 160, 80, 40, 20 en 15 m bands. More information about operators and frequencies will be added to the Forum pages of the SARL web.
A special QSL card will be sent to all stations that send their cards via the Bureau or directly to P O Box 273, Strand, 7139, South Africa.
For more information on the SKA visit www.ska.ac.za.
CONTEST NEWS
SARL HF CW Contest. There was an error in the published results of the SARL HF CW Contest. Pierre van Deventer, ZS6BB, made 92 points and not 86 points.
The combined results of the SARL HF Phone and CW Contests are:
Individuals:
1st David Hutchinson, 3DA0DJ, 423 points;
2nd Bloemfontein Defence ARC, ZS4CD, 326 points;
3rd Jan Botha, ZS4JAN, 325 points;
4th Vidi la Grange, ZS1EL, 259 points;
5th Hans Kappetijn, ZS6KR, 236 points.
Well done to all who submitted a log and congratulations to the winners.
Club Competition:
1st ZS Contest Group, 567 points;
2nd Pretoria ARC, 493 points;
3rd Port Elizabeth ARS, 372 points;
4th Bloemfontein Defence ARC, 326 points.
Another Youth Competition
The Technological High School John Vorster will present another Youth Contest on the 31st of October 2009 between 10:00 and 12:00 CAT. Have a look at the SARL Web Page www.sarl.org.za for more detail and the final rules for the contest.
PRETORIA AMATEUR RADIO CLUB MEGA FLEA MARKET
The last ZS6PTA Mega flea market for this year will be held on Saturday 31 October at the Pretoria Motor Club in Silverton from 08:00 to 11:00. For more information, or to book a table please contact Almero, ZS6LDP on 082 908 3359.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the solar activity is still at very low levels. There are no official sunspots and the visible disk is spotless.
20 and 15 m will provide best opportunities for DX with 10 m showing signs of waking up in the afternoons. 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 Europa.
In the mornings it may be possible to make contacts with Australia on 20 m. In the afternoons there are good possibilities for contacts with the USA on 15 m. Contacts with New-Zeeland 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
22 October – Radio Amateur’s Examination country wide at 18:30;
22 October – Lecture “Make use of Virtual Worlds” Johannesburg Country Club, Woodmead, 18:00;
23 – 25 October – Special event station ZS3SKA, the Square Kilometer Array station on the air;
26 October – Lecture “Make use of Virtual Worlds” Cape Town in Lecture Theatre Complex, Cape Peninsular University of Technology 17:30;
31 October - ZS6PTA Mega flea market at the Pretoria Motor Club in Silverton from 08:00 to 11:00;
31 October – Youth competition of HTS John Vorster;
21 November - Home Construction course, Gauteng, at the NARC.
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, which was compiled by George, ZS6NE.
Thank you for listening, 73.
/EX
