SARL News SUNDAY 28 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:
WIN A MICROCHIP PICDEM TOUCH SENSE 1 DEVELOPMENT KIT
KNOW THE FACTS BEFORE YOU DEBATE
INTERNATIONAL LIGHTHOUSE AND LIGHTSHIP WEEKEND
OPERATING OUT OF BAND
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more details on these and other important and interesting news items.
WIN A MICROCHIP PICDEM TOUCH SENSE 1 DEVELOPMENT KIT
Entries are invited in the 2010 construction competition which this year is a competition with a difference. The SA Amateur Radio Development Trust is looking for an innovative approach to a construction project that has application in Amateur Radio but based on microchip technology.
Stage one is the paper design stage. Develop a project of your choice using a microchip and submit a short write up of the project including a circuit diagram and description of operation. The closing date for stage one is 9 April 2010.
Three entries, which in the opinion of the judges are the most original coupled with their usefulness in Amateur Radio, will receive R500 to build a proto-type for entry into the second stage of the competition.
The second stage entry is a complete proto-type entry and must be suitably packaged and operating. This entry must be accompanied by all the necessary paperwork as well as an article with circuit diagram and other necessary illustrations for publishing in Radio ZS.
The winning entry in stage two will be awarded the Microchip PICDEM Touch Sense 1 Development Kit plus an ARRL handbook. The two runner-ups will each receive an ARRL Handbook. The closing date for stage 2 is 10 May 2010.
The winner will be presented with the prize at a gala lunch on 17 May 2010 at the Midrand Protea Hotel.
Get all the details on www.amateurradio.org.za.
KNOW THE FACTS BEFORE YOU DEBATE
Debate is healthy, but you should know the facts before you engage in a discussion. Recently on the SARL forum there has been a debate about motions at an SARL AGM with some of the postings making incorrect statements. A motion submitted for discussion and acceptance at a SARL Annual General Meeting is published on the Agenda. At the AGM the proposer or his or her nominated representative is called up to present the motion and provide additional information and motivation. The motion is then debated by the members present at the AGM. During the discussion it is possible for a member to propose an amendment to the motion. It has to be seconded by another member before the amended motion is discussed. It is also possible to propose an amendment to the amendment.
At the end of the debate the proposer of the original motion will get two minutes to give closing arguments before voting commences. The last amendment is voted on first. If the amendment is carried, all other amendments and the original motion falls away and the amended motion is accepted. All amendments are voted on in turn and if rejected than the final vote will be on the original motion.
Another debate has been about the proposed changes to the constitution. The changes are mainly cosmetic and the incorporation of decisions taken at previous AGMs. The SARL President's net on April 11 will be devoted to explaining the proposed changes. Clubs are invited to connect their repeaters to the teleconference network by sending a request to armi@sarl.org.za.
INTERNATIONAL LIGHTHOUSE AND LIGHTSHIP WEEKEND NOW IN PLANNING
A total of 100 registrations have been received so far at the website collecting entries for the 2010 International Lighthouse and Lightship weekend. The event is scheduled for the weekend of August 21st and the 22nd.
This will be the 11th annual outing of this event sponsored by Scotland's Ayr Radio Group and its station GM0AYR. The registrations to date are from 19 countries with nearly half of them from Germany and Australia who always strongly support this fun event. Other countries taking part include Argentina, Belgium, Chile, Denmark and England to name only a few. There are currently no South African entries recorded on the official website.
To register or check out the lighthouses already registered, visit the official website at www.illw.net.
SARL NATIONAL CONVENTION
This is a further call to register for the SARL National Convention to be held in Port Elizabeth from 23 - 25 April 2010. Full details can be found on www.sarl.org.za. If you are missing out on the PIC courses presented in the main centres, here is an opportunity to take in the course while attending the National Convention.
While talking about the course "learning how to program Microcontrollers in 4 hours", the Gauteng course held yesterday was oversubscribed. Bookings are open for Durban, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth. Avoid disappointment, book early. There is a substantial discount if you are a SARL member. Full details on www.sarl.org.za, click on RTA and follow the links.
OPERATING OUT OF BAND
It has again been noticed that some operators in IARU Region 1 were operating outside the Region 1 allocation of the 160 m band. The lowest limit is 1810 kHz. It is illegal to work stations in IARU Regions 2 and 3 who are operating below 1810 kHz. ZR and ZS stations are reminded that the South African allocation is 1810 to 1850 kHz.
CONTEST NEWS
2010 SARL Contest Manual. The Contest Manual has been updated with respect to clubs hosting contests and some grammatical errors have been corrected. The updated version of the 2010 SARL Contest Manual will be made available on Monday 29 March, this version will be the only valid contest manual.
There are three local contests in the coming week. On Wednesday evening, 31 March the second SARL Club Contest will be run from 17:30 to 18:30 UTC and it is PSK and RTTY on 80 metres. The exchange is a RST report and a serial number. Stations may be worked once on PSK and once on RTTY. Logs must be e-mailed to hfcontests@netactive.co.za to reach the contest committee by midnight on 7 April.
On Thursday evening, 1 April the first leg of the SARL 80 metre QSO Party will be run from 17:00 to 20:00 UTC. It is a phone contest using the segments 3,603 to 3,650 and 3,700 to 3,800 MHz. The exchange is call signs, a RS report and the operators names. A QSO with a South African station counts 10 points, while a QSO with a station outside the borders counts 15 points. Please be aware of amateur stations operating AM on the band. Logs must be sent to the Durban ARC, 17 Brownlee Place, Bluff, Durban, 4052 or by e-mail to zs5lp@vodamail.co.za.
On Saturday 3 April, the first leg of the RaDAR Contest is on the air, RaDAR means Rapid Deployment Amateur Radio. The contest runs from 12:00 to 18:00 UTC and activity take place on all HF contest bands as well as VHF/UHF and microwaves, utilizing all modes. The contest is aimed at promoting the use of Rapid Deployable Amateur Radio stations and antennas preferably without relying on normal mains power. Logs must be sent to the Lichtenburg ARC, PO Box 410, Lichtenburg, 2740 or by e-mail to zs6lrk@nwinternet.za.org.
The complete rules for all three contests are available in the updated 2010 SARL Contest Manual.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP reports that the solar activity is still at low levels. Sunspot 1057 is big but remains quiet. New sunspot 1058 was numbered on Thursday. It is a very small speck located in the northern hemisphere. The effective sunspot number is expected to be between twenty and twenty-five for the coming week.
20 and 15 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 good towards Europa. In the afternoon there is a good possibility 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.
17 m is most afternoons open to many parts of the world. The majority of activity is concentrated on Friday afternoons and also over the weekends. 10 m is also showing signs of life.
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
31 March SARL 80 m Club Contest with PSK and RTTY, 17:00 20:00 UTC.
1 April 1st leg of the SARL 80 metre QSO Party from 17:00 to 20:00 UTC.
3 April 1st leg of the RaDAR Contest from 12:00 to 18:00 UTC.
9 April Closing date for stage 1 of the Construction Competition.
11 April Presidents net at 19:30.
17 April 2010 SA AMSAT Space Symposium.
23-25 April SARL National Convention, Port Elizabeth.
24 April PIC programming course in Port Elizabeth.
10 May - Closing date 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
