SARL NEWS - SUNDAY 11 JULY 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 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 also 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 10,130, 7,066 and 3,695 MHz SSB.
SILENT KEY
It is with deep regret that the passing of Dawie Cloete, ZS4EV, of Virginia at the end of June, must be announced. We extend our sincere condolences to his friends.
(PAUSE)
In the news today:
DID YOU WRITE THE OCTOBER 2009 RAE AND RECEIVED AN ICASA ACCOUNT?
ARRL’s 500 kHz EXPERIMENT SHOWS SMALL GROWTH
TECHNOLOGY IN AMATEUR RADIO –WHERE ARE OUR INNOVATORS
NATIONAL SCIENCE WEEK
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more details on these and other important and interesting news items.
DID YOU WRITE THE OCTOBER 2009 RAE AND RECEIVED AN ICASA ACCOUNT?
If you wrote the October 2009 Radio Amateur Examination and received an account from ICASA for R173,75 don’t pay the full amount. You only need to pay R6,75.
The account shows R140 examination fee, R27 License fee and R6,75 for the last three months of 2009. The SARL has paid R167 to ICASA in respect of each candidate. The problem is that ICASA has not allocated the bulk payment to individual licensee’s accounts. It is mistake on ICASA’s side. They are rectifying their oversight. However it may take some time before ICASA will complete all the corrections. Just pay R6,75 and your amateur radio License will be fully paid up till December 2010.
INTECNET TO FOCUS ON CONTESTING
The next INTECNET will be held on Sunday 18 July at 19:30 and will focus on contesting, both HF and VHF.
Clubs wishing to link to the teleconference network should send a request to armi@sarl.org.za by not later than Monday 12 August.
If you were not able to attend the recent Indaba or had a representative of your club attending, here is your opportunity to ask questions and make suggestions.
ARRL’s 500 kHz EXPERIMENT SHOWS SMALL GROWTH
In the quarterly report for the ARRL’s 500 kHz Experimental Station for the period ending May 2010 Experiment coordinator Fritz Raab, W1FR, reported that since the experiment began in late 2006, 20 of the 32 participating stations are currently active. The FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology granted the WD2XSH experimental license to the ARRL in September of that year. “Our present license grant expires on August 1,” Raab said. “We are planning to do an ‘as-is’ renewal this month.”
The WD2XSH Web site has received 511 reports since the end of February, bringing the total number of reports to 11 234 since the beginning of the issuance of the experimental license. Raab said more than 60 000 hours of activity has been logged on the Web site since September 2006. Stations do not have to be members of the experimental team to post reception reports.
On the international front, Raab said that German amateur Horst Stöcker, DO1KHS, has been issued experimental license DI2AN. The Radioclub YO2KAB beacons in Romania, using call sign YO2X, is reported to be operating a beacon on 505,110; this is the second Romanian station to operate on 500 kHz. The Fort Pearch Rock special event station, GB4FPR, operated on 502 kHz from Fort Perch Rock to celebrate Marconi Day in April.
Raab said that the International Maritime Organization (IMO) continues to oppose an amateur allocation on 600 meters. The IMO’s subcommittee on Radiocommunications and Search and Rescue (COMSAR) noted in its March meeting that “a secondary allocation [in the 415-526,5 kHz band] for the Amateur Service would increase the probability of harmful interference.”
In South Africa the support for an amateur allocation around 500 kHz also looks problematic with similar objections as voiced by COMSAR. The WRC12 agenda item will be discussed at a meeting of the ERC 12 preparatory group in Pretoria later this month. For some more interesting information on 500 kHz visit http://www.500kc.com/.
UNIQUE VISIT TO CUBESAT LAB PART OF CAPE TOWN RTA
Delegates to the SARL Radio Technology in Action 2010 will have the opportunity to visit the laboratory where the CPUT CubeSat is being designed and constructed. The RTA will be held on 24 July on the Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Belville campus. The full programme is available on the SARL web at www.sarl.org.za, click on RTA and follow the links. The cost to attend the RTA is only R50 which includes refreshment and participation in the attendance prize draw which is sponsored by RS Components.
TECHNOLOGY IN AMATEUR RADIO –WHERE ARE OUR INNOVATORS
The SA Amateur Radio Development Trust has thus far received one entry in the Innovation in Amateur Radio Competition from an Amateur in the UK. Where are the South African innovators?
Radio amateurs and technologists are invited to submit projects that will innovate amateur radio whether it is software, amateur radio and the Internet, the development of compact HF antennas for flat and complex dwellers or innovation in Emergency Communications.
Out-of-the box ideas are required to solve some of the problems and challenges faced by the 21st century radio amateurs. The innovation project is in the form of a competition to stimulate the creative side of amateurs to develop those solutions that will make the hobby more enjoyable to amateurs all over the world. Even old ideas improved with modern design techniques and modern components can generate a “wow” factor. Solutions will be judged by their uniqueness, e.g. not having been previously published.
Entry of paper designs are invited by 30 September 2010. The designs must be innovative but also practically implementable. Three entries will be chosen to go to the final stage of the competition which requires the entrant to develop and build a prototype. The three winners of the first stage will be announced at on 31 October 2010. Visit www.amateurradio.org.za for details and an entry form.
NATIONAL SCIENCE WEEK
Sci Bono Discovery Centre is hosting the National Science week from 2-7 August 2010. This year more than 6 000 school children are expected during the science week.
Daily activities during the week lasts from 09:00-14:00 CAT Monday to Friday.
Radio Amateurs wishing to promote amateur radio to the youth during this week are invited to come and present interesting lectures to learners.
To book your spot, contact Chris Gryffenberg, ZS6COG, at 083 543 5668.
CONTEST NEWS
The 2010 FIFA Soccer World Cup is almost over and since September 2009, various amateur radio clubs in the country have operated the special event call sign ZS10WCS. These clubs are asked to ensure that the logs are submitted to Dennis, ZS4BS, so that he can update the SARL QSL system as well as the ARRL Logbook of the World. The logs can be sent in ADIF or CSV format. The last update was in early May 2010. Send the logs to zs4bs@netactive.co.za.
The QRP Sprints have been changed to QRP Contests and there will be four during the year. The Winter QRP Contest will be run on Saturday 17 July from 12:00 to 15:00 UTC. The rules are available via e-mail from Geoff, ZS6GRL, email glevey@gmail.com.
The Boland ARC 40 metre Sprint takes place on Sunday 25 July from 13:00 to 16:00 UTC. You can participate as a fixed or mobile station (Mobile includes field stations and portable stations). The exchange is your call sign, a RS report and the year in which you were licensed.
The fourth SARL 80 m Club Contest is on the air on Wednesday evening 28 July from 17:30 to 18:30 UTC. This is a phone contest and the exchange is a RS report and a consecutive serial number starting at 001. Clubs are asked to encourage their members to participate.
The complete rules for the Boland 40 metre Sprint and the Club Contest can be found in the 2010 SARL Contest Manual.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the solar activity is still at low levels. Sunspot 1 086 is rapidly fading away. There is a good possibility that a big sunspot may soon rotate within view. The effective sunspot number is expected to be less than 10 for the coming week.
20 m will provide the best opportunities for DX followed by 40 m. Conditions to India will be good from the afternoons till sunset. During sunrise and sunset it will be good towards Europa. contacts with the USA are still challenging. Contacts with Australia and New Zealand are possible on 40 m after sunset. Contacts with Brazil and South America are challenging.
For the CW and digital enthusiasts 30 m may be very rewarding with openings to many parts of the world.
Local conditions are going to be good during the day time on 40 m. With the change of season 30 m has taken over from 20 m for contacts over the longer distances during the middle of the day. With the decrease in noise levels 80 m is best for the shorter distances and also during the early mornings and late afternoons.
Please visit www.spaceweather.co.za for further information.
DIARY OF EVENTS
15 July – Last date to submit mane for CubeSat project;
17 July – Winter QRP Contest 14:00 to 17:00 CAT;
18 July - Intechnet at 19:30 on VHF-/UHF- and microwave matters;
23 - 24 July - Preparation and launch of the HABEX balloon project;
24 July - RTA symposium in Cape Town;
25 July – Boland ARC 40 m Sprint 13:00-16:00 UTC;
28 July –SARL4th 80 m Club Contest 17:30-18:30 UTC;
2 August - Closing date for PIC course in Pretoria on 14 August;
2-7 August – National Science Week at Sci Bono and ZS6SCI on the air from 09:00 till 14:00 CAT;
12 - 14 August - International EME Conference, Dallas, Texas.
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 17 560 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 George, ZS6NE.
Thank you for listening, 73.
/EX
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