SARL NEWS - SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2010
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 web-stream, visit www.sarl.org.za, click on ‘ARMI’ and follow the links for detail. 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 newsreader 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:
TWO BROTHERS CHASE RECORDS VIA AO-7
MAKE YOUR INPUT TO FUTURE STRATEGY
ENTER THE TINUS LANGE AWARD
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more detail on these and other important and interesting news items.
The President, Council and members of the SARL wish Janse van der Merwe, ZS4IQ, a very happy 90th birthday, which he celebrated on Friday 29 January.
TWO BROTHERS CHASE RECORDS VIA AO-7
Eddie, ZS6BNE, has provided SARL News with information about some record-breaking achievements via the AO-7 satellite. Eddie says, “After an odd 35 years orbiting the earth, AO-7 is still functioning well and recent world records were improved via this satellite. Firstly, Pierre, ZS6BB, broke his brother’s long-standing record with a distance of 7 630 km working Luciano, PY5LF, on 2 January 2001. It was not long thereafter when André, ZS2BK, reclaimed his long-standing record with a world record distance of 7 694 kilometres!
On 8 January at 19:50 UTC, André, ZS2BK, made a historical, record-breaking contact with Piraja, PS8RF, via the AO-7 Satellite on Mode B. They made the contact using SSB, which is an exceptional achievement!
Not to be outdone, Pierre, ZS6BB, soon claimed the record back. On Monday evening 18 January during the 17:00 UTC pass of AO-7, Pierre made a SSB contact with Josep, EA6SA, in grid JM19lo with a distance of 7 766 km.”
The full report will be published in the January/February 2010 issue of Radio ZS.
Congratulations to Pierre, ZS6BB, and André, ZS2BK, with their excellent records!
LAST CHANCE FOR NOMINATIONS FOR AN AWARD AND SUBMISSION OF AGM MOTIONS
Today is the last chance to nominate a person for one of the many SARL awards that will be presented at the National Convention Dinner in Port Elizabeth on 24 April. Get the detail on www.sarl.org.za, go to ‘News’ and select ‘Clubtalk’. Today is also the last chance to submit motions for discussion at the AGM.
MAKE YOUR INPUT TO STRATEGY
The President's Net, on the air this evening, invites you to make an input to for Council's Strategic Indaba to be held in early March. Share your ideas on the various aspects of amateur radio and what you would like to see in the future.
The Net is on the air on Sunday, 31 January at 19:30. Clubs wishing to connect their repeater to the teleconference bridge are invited to send an e-mail to armi@sarl.org.za before 11:00 today.
ENTER THE TINUS LANGE AWARD
The SARL Tinus Lange 7066 Technical Excellence Award and Tinus Lange 7066 Junior Technical Excellence Award is bestowed annually on the persons who submit a technical project in any of the following categories:
Design and/or construction of projects such as a pre-amp, SWR bridge, patching unit, automatic ID-er, practical antenna ideas, masts, portable gear, power supplies etc. The project that you may have built for your own shack may be a good entry;
OR
any software for use in amateur radio.
The submission must include the following: The actual items (if size and mass allow it) or photographs (particularly in the case of antennas/masts, etc) and a complete write-up in an article with illustrations/pictures ready for publication in Radio ZS. Entries must be in MS Word.
The actual entry and the supporting documentation – i.e. a press-ready article for Radio ZS, plus any other documents must be delivered and mailed to the NARC to arrive not later than Friday 5 March. Judging will take place on the morning of 6 March.
All entries will be displayed (where practical, otherwise photographs) at the AGM and the awards will be presented at the annual dinner to be held in Port Elizabeth on Saturday 24 April.
The two awards are the Junior Technical Achievement Award (under 25 years of age), a framed certificate and a cash award of R500, and the Technical Achievement Award, a framed certificate and a cash award of R500. In addition, the winners will each receive an ARRL Logbook valued at R75 sponsored by the SA Amateur Radio Development Trust and a complimentary invitation for one person to attend the awards dinner (transport not included.)
The award is presented by the Tinus Lange Trust, which was started with a donation from the Lange family after his unexpected death in a gas explosion in Zimbabwe some years ago. The 7066 name signifies the frequency that Tinus used on all his travels and Hamnet operations.
HOME CONSTRUCTION COURSE GETS A STANDING OVATION
Last week delegates attending the SARL Home Construction Course gave presenter John Willescroft a standing ovation. Good feedback was also been received.
In an e-mail Colin Porter, who attended the course, wrote "I must congratulate the guys for all the efforts that was put into the home construction course. It was well-presented and kept all on their toes with anticipation. From the questions that were raised, it is apparent that all in attendance seemed to enjoy the lecture and the processes that were shown to us.
I have made a few PC boards, none of which came out well, and always taken days to assemble. The method presented made the whole task a lot simpler and with equipment most of us already use on a daily basis. It is really amazing how we complicate our projects rather than simplifying it when we will build equipment for the shack. Even the finishing touches were simplified."
The next course will be on Saturday 6 February at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. There are still a few seats left. To book, get the details on www.sarl.org.za and click on ‘RTA’. Bookings for Durban close on Tuesday to allow for the CD and handouts to be made up.
The course in PE is on 20 February and there are some seats available.
Do not postpone it to the last minute – you will be disappointed. Please follow the booking instructions on the Web.
ZS WAGS AWARD NEWS
Competition for the top scores in the ZS WAGS award is hotting up. The top-scoring competitor currently is Pieter, ZS6XT, with 71 grids out of a possible 83. Just behind are Jan, ZS4JAN, and Pierre, ZS6BB, both with 70 grids. There have been some interesting developments with additional endorsements. Hal, ZS6WB, has submitted 33 grids on 2 m, and 30 grids on satellite, trailed by Pierre, ZS6BB, and André, ZS2BK, both with 25 grids on satellite. Some participants have been accumulating grid squares using QRP and we look forward to receiving the first applications.
On the activator’s side, Sian, ZS3SVD, made a sterling effort last September, making 10 or more contacts from no less than 9 rare grids! Well done Sian. In December Andre, ZS2ACP, activated KF25 on satellite with 11 contacts.
The Sandton Club sponsors the ZS WAGS award. For more information and full rankings go to the ZS WAGS website at http://www.zs6stn.org.za/zswags. The ZS WAGS e-mail list has news of upcoming activities. You can join this list by simply sending a blank e-mail to zswags-subscribe@googlegroups.com, and then reply to the confirmation e-mail, which you will receive.
CONTEST NEWS
The Antique Wireless Association CW Activity Day will be run from 10:00 UTC on Saturday 6 February to 10:00 UTC on Sunday 7 February with activity on 14- to 14,06 MHz; 7- to 7,035 MHz and 3,5- to 3,58 MHz. Participation may be as a single operator, all bands – low power (maximum 100 W), a single operator, all bands – QRP (maximum 5 W), a single operator single band – low power, or a single operator, single band – QRP. The exchange is a RST report, the operator’s name and grid square locator.
Logs must be sent to the Southern African Antique Wireless Association, PO Box 12320, Benoryn, 1504, or by e-mail to andy.cairns@xsinet.co.za. The closing date for log submissions is on Monday 22 February.
The first leg of the SARL National Field Day will be run from 10:00 UTC on Saturday 13 February to 10:00 UTC on Sunday 14 February. CW and phone may be used on the contest-preferred segments of 10-, 15-, 20-, 40-, 80-, or 160 m. Stations may take part as a single operator field station – QRP, low- or high power, a multi-operator field station – QRP, low- or high power or a general station – QRP, low- or high power. General stations are single or multi-operator stations that do not conform to field-station requirements. The exchange is a RS(T) report and either S for single operator field station; M for multi-operator field station or G for general station. The closing date for log submissions is 1 March.
The complete rules for both contests can be found in the 2010 SARL Contest Manual.
CLUB NEWS
The Sasolburg Radio Club, ZS4SRK, will be presenting RAE classes starting on Thursday 4 February. Classes run from 18:30 until 20:00 in room S317, Vaal University of Technology, Vanderbijlpark. Enquiries to Riaan, ZS4PR, at 083 581 8569 or riaanzs4pr@gmail.com.
PROPAGATION
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the solar activity is still at low levels. Sunspot 1 041 is currently still the only active region on the visible surface of the sun. The effective sunspot number is expected to be between 10 and 20 for the coming week.
15 and 20 m will provide the best opportunities for DX. Conditions to India will be good from the afternoon onwards. During the late afternoon and early evenings, it will be moderate towards Europe. In the afternoons there are good possibilities for contacts with the USA on 15 m. Contacts with New Zealand will be possible for a short while on 15 m during the mornings. Contacts with Australia will be possible on 20 m for a short while during the mornings. During the afternoons and evenings, 15 and 20 m contacts may also be possible with Brazil.
Local conditions will be good on 40 m during the daytime. 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. With summer here, 20 m is once again very useful for contacts over the longer distances, especially up to two o'clock in the afternoons. 80 m is the frequency of choice in the evenings.
Please visit www.spaceweather.co.za for further information.
DIARY OF EVENTS
Today - President's Net at 19:30; Closing date for AGM motions and SARL Awards as well as closing date for Contest Committee nominations;
6 and 7 February - AWA CW Activity Day;
6 February - Home Construction course in Durban;
13 and 14 February - SARL National Field Day;
20 February - Home Construction course in Port Elizabeth;
28 February - New closing date for the SumbandilaSat essay competition;
28 February - Final date for entries in the ARRISS-SAT project to be
submitted to youth@sarl.org.za;
5 March - Closing date for the Tinus Lange Awards, and
27 March - 2010 SA AMSAT Space Symposium.
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 Amateur Radio Mirror International
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. For
a web-stream and Echolink by ZS6FCS, visit www.sarl.org.za, click on 'ARMI'
and follow the links. A repeat transmission can be heard on 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. The bulletin editor was Jannie, ZR6PHD.
Thank you for listening, 73.
/EX
