SARL News – SUNDAY 07 MARCH 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 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 email.
Your newsreader this morning is (name), (call sign), on 145,725 and 7,066 MHz from Pretoria, with relays on 10,130, 7,066 and 3,695 MHz SSB.
In the news today:
NOMINATIONS FOR RADIO AMATEUR OF THE YEAR AWARDS INVITED
SARL’s WORKED ALL ZS AWARDS PROGRAMME
NARC PIC COURSE DATE CHANGE
HOW SEVERE CAN THE EFFECT OF RFI BE?
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more details on these and other important and interesting news items.
NOMINATIONS FOR RADIO AMATEUR OF THE YEAR AWARDS INVITED
The South African Amateur Radio Development Trust is inviting nominations for the Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN)Radio Amateur of the Year and Community Service Awards. The three award categories are:
GARTH MILNE TECHNICAL INNOVATION AWARD
The award is made for the support, development and application of Technological Innovation in Amateur Radio in South Africa. The recipient will be a person who has promoted the use of technology in amateur radio at club level, nationally, at schools or tertiary education institutions.
NSN RADIO AMATEUR OF THE YEAR AWARD
The award is made for the support and development of the Amateur Radio Service in South Africa, not for individual achievements such as DXCC and other operational awards or contests. The recipient will be a person who has given of his or her expertise and time to the promotion of Amateur Radio in South Africa.
NSN AMATEUR RADIO COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD
Annually the South African Amateur Radio Development Trust is recognising a radio amateur or a group of radio amateurs for service to the community. Community service can be assistance to a handicapped radio amateur, communications support during a sporting event or a disaster situation like a road accident or a natural disaster like a flood, veld fires, or an earthquake. Nominations are invited for an individual or a group of people like a radio club, or an association.
Full details and nomination forms are available from www.amateurradio.org.za.
SARL’s WORKED ALL ZS AWARDS PROGRAMME
Four trophies have recently been awarded to the top achievers in the SARL's Worked All ZS awards programme.
WAZS requires contacts with 100 South African stations. Since 1959, over 300 certificates have been issued to all continents except Asia. Endorsements are provided for single bands or modes and for multiples of 100 call signs.
In 2001, Pretoria Contest Club, ZS6Z, undertook to donate trophies to the first three applicants to reach 500 confirmed call signs. It took almost nine years for the third applicant to make the grade.
The biggest factor in the sudden rise of the popularity of WAZS has been the introduction of SA-QSL, the Web-based electronic QSL system that Richard Seddon, ZS2CLI, built on the SARL Web site. This system has greatly increased both participation and the number of call signs that can be achieved.
In past four years, over 150 WAZS certificates have been issued. This number is more than the number of certificates issued between 1970 and 2006!
The first WAZS-500 was won by Chris R. Burger, ZS6EZ, in 2002.
At the time, the closest contender was Harald Pfeffer, OE6HPD, with more than 400. Unfortunately, Harald has to date not achieved the 500 level.
Jan Botha, ZS4JAN, applied in 2007, with the third applicant being Gerhard Coetzee, ZS3TG, in May 2009.
Jan Botha has continued increasing his score, and passed the 1 000 level in November 2009. Jan has a score of at least double those of any of his peers.
The WAZS-500 trophies are handsome plaques, with an enamel design mounted onto a dark wooden base. The WAZS-1 000 is similar, but much larger. Its size and design are intended to reflect the magnitude of the achievement.
The plaques have been sponsored by Superb Flight Training, a Pretoria-based flight training school. Their Web site is at pilots.co.za.
NARC PIC COURSE DATE CHANGE
Due to various logistical reasons the Learn PIC programming in 4 hour course for Gauteng has been changed to 27 March 2010. The SARL has also entered into an arrangement with Microchip to make the course available to a wider audience. Within hours of the Microchip mail having been sent out, bookings and enquiries started coming in. If you are planning to attend the course, do not delay making a booking. Details on www.sarl.org.za, click on RTA. Only a limited number are accepted for each course.
HOW SEVERE CAN THE EFFECT OF RFI BE?
From Newsline comes the story of a New Mexico resident who alleges he suffers from electromagnetic allergies who has filed a court action against his neighbour because she refuses to turn off her home electronic equipment. According to the news story, Arthur Firstenberg of Santa Fe, has been sleeping at friends' homes or in his car to avoid what he claims are the electromagnetic waves created by his neighbour's cell phone, wireless network, computer, compact fluorescent light bulbs and lamp dimmer switches.
Firstenberg claims that the low-level electromagnetic radiation emitted by cell phones and other modern gadgets makes him, and others sensitive to radio waves, suffer terribly. He believes that the side-effects of exposure, include nausea, vertigo, ringing in the ears, severe headaches and body aches. He also credits crippling joint pains, insomnia, impaired vision, impaired muscular control and other ailments to electromagnetic sources.
The suit claims that when Raphaela Monribot moved in next door, she refused to keep her phone, computer and wireless network turned off when not in use. When asked if she could use a landline instead of her iPhone, Firstenberg claims the neighbour flatly refused.
The Firstenberg suit demands that a judge stop his neighbour from using her iPhone, her wireless internet and her laptop charger, saying the radiation has forced him from his home. He also wants $530 000 in damages, including $100 000 for pain and suffering.
You may well ask "what next!"
LICENCE RENEWALS
If you have paid your amateur radio license using the license number you may still receive an invoice from ICASA. Amateur Radio license renewals were printed in the first week of January but due to a hick up with the mailing company the invoices were not mailed until recently. Mailing of accounts has started but it may still be a week or two before you receive yours. If you have paid in the interim this will not be reflected on the invoice you receive.
If you have paid ignore the invoice. Please do not phone ICASA.
ICASA has also issued a statement to the SARL that no action will be taken for non payment until 30 days after all the invoices have been mailed.
REGISTER NOW FOR THE 2010 SA AMSAT SPACE SYMPOSIUM
Registration for the 2010 SA AMSAT Space Symposium is now open. The symposium will be held at the University of KwaZulu-Natal on 17 April 2010. There is a substantial discount for early bird bookings. Visit www.amsat.org.za for details and the registration form.
Bona fide students and learners are invited to apply for free registration made possible through a grant from the Department of Science and Technology through the FRD (Foundation for Research and Development) and UKZN.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the solar activity is still at low levels. Currently sunspots 1 051, 1 052 and 1 053 are doing their bit for solar activity although they are fairly small sunspots. The effective sunspot number is expected to be less than 20 for the coming week.
20 and 15 m will provide the best opportunities for DX. Conditions to India will be good from the afternoons onwards. During the late afternoons and early evenings it will be fair towards Europe. In the afternoons there are good possibilities of contacts with the USA on 15 m. Contacts with Australia and New Zealand will be challenging. During the afternoons and evenings good 20 and 15 m contacts may also be possible with Brazil.
It seems that 6 m is also starting to show signs of life with reports of the Kenian beacon and other DX signals heard.
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 during the middle of the day. 20 m is very useful for contacts over the longer distances during the majority 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
7 March - SARL HAMNET 40 Metre Simulated Emergency Contest from 12:00 to 14:00 UTC.
13/14 March - RSGB Commonwealth CW only Contest.
19/21 March - SARL VHF/UHF Digital Contest.
20/21 March - SARL VHF/UHF Analogue Contest.
27 March - Pretoria Amateur Radio Club Flea market at 08:00.
27 March - PIC programming in 4 hours course at the NARC.
31 March – SARL 80 m Club Contest with PSK and RTTY.
31 March – Closing date for stage 1 of the Construction Competition.
17 April – 2010 SA AMSAT Space Symposium.
23-25 April – SARL National Convention, Port Elizabeth.
7 May - Closing dat for stage 2 of the Construction Competition.
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 webstream 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 and edited by George, ZS6NE.
Thank you for listening, 73.
/EX
