SARL NEWS - SUNDAY 08 August 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 7,066 and 3,695 MHz SSB.
SILENT KEY
It si with regret that we must announce that Chris Burger, ZZS2CCB of Jeffreys Bay, formerly ZS6ACG, became silent key on Wednesday 5 August due to a heart attack.
Our sincerest condolences to his relatives and friends.
(PAUSE)
In the news today:
NATIONAL RADIO FREQUENCY PLAN GAZETTED
MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS
NEW DISTANCE RECORD FOR 10 GHz
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more details on these and other important and interesting news items.
NATIONAL RADIO FREQUENCY PLAN GAZETTED
ICASA has gazetted the National Frequency Plan for South Africa. It appeared in the Government Gazette number 727 of 2010 dated 30 July 2010. The document of 344 pages lists all the frequencies available in South Africa from 9 kHz to 3 000 GHz with all references and restrictions. The document is over 9 MB in size.
The SARL is studying the document and has requested Hans,ZS6AKV, to be present at the ICASA/SARL liaison meeting which will take place this week. There is at least one new allocation for amateur radio and that is 135,7 to 137,8 kHz. However its use may have to wait till the new regulations are published. It will be discussed at the liaison meeting this week.
It is planned to have the document available on the member’s section of the SARL web in three section of roughly 3 MB per section by Wednesday this week.
1 006 MEMBERS HAVE DONE THE RIGHT THING - RENEWED THEIR MEMBERSHIP
This is a reminder to members who are not part of the 1 006 who have already renewed their membership for 2010/2011. If you have not yet done so, please take action this week. You owe it to your hobby! Reminder accounts were sent out last week. If the reminder crossed your payment, please ignore it. If you have not yet paid, please make a payment this week. If you are not sure of how much to pay call Mariska during office hours on 011 675 2393.
NEW DISTANCE RECORD FOR 10 GHz
The Radio Society of Great Britain reports that a new world distance record on 10 GHz has been established between the Cape Verde islands and southern Portugal. At 10:46 UTC on July 10th the standing record was smashed by a SSB QSO ranging 2 696 kilometres during the Hyperatlantica 2010 DXpedition. The previous distance record on this band had been 2 070 kilometres. The Hyperatlantica operators eclipsed that by some 626 additional kilometres.
CELEBRATE WOMAN'S DAY WITH THE SARL YL SPRINT AND WIN A HUGE BOUQUET OF FLOWERS
The SARL YL Sprint is a fun activity to celebrate Women's Day between radio amateurs in Southern African countries. Call "YL Sprint!" The Sprint will be run on Monday 9 August from 09:00 to 10:00 UTC. It is a phone sprint on the 40 metre band using 7 053 to 7 100 and 7 130 to 7 200 kHz.
The exchange is a RS report and YL or OM. Contacts between YL stations are worth 5 points; contacts between YL and OM stations are worth 3 points and contacts between OM stations are worth 1 point. Submit logs within 15 days after the contest by e-mail to zs4bfn@]netactive.co.za or by mail to the Bloemfontein RAC, Box 12104, Brandhof, 9324. The closing date for log submissions is 24 August 2010.
All YL logs received will go into a special draw for a large bouquet of flowers delivered to your door. Make sure your home address also appears on the log.
WINNER OF YOUTH DAY SPRINT PHOTO COMPETITION
The winner of the Antenna Book is the Lichtenburg Amateur Radio Club with the entry of their youngest participant Eduan, four years old. He made his first youth day contact using the Lichtenburg Amateur Radio Club's callsign, ZS6LRK. The contact was supervised by Eddie, ZS6BNE. Eduan made contact with a youth day sprint station Rudi, ZS6RDI, operating portable in division 5 (Ramsgate). Visit www.sarl.org.za to see the picture. Congratulations, the Antenna Book will be on its way soon.
RAE CLASSES IN PRETORIA
The Magalies Radio Amateur Club will commence with classes for prospective radio amateurs for the Class A RAE.
The lectures will take place in the ZS6JVT Radio Training Centre of the Higher Technological School John Vorster in Meyer Street, Rietfontein, Pretoria.
The course will comprise about 10 lectures with the inclusion of radio speech. HF assessments will also be done during that period.
Classes will run from 09:00 till 13:00. Attendees are advised to bring cold drinks and something to eat during the 10 minute breaks after each hour.
Classes for the Class B RAE have already commenced last Monday.
Those interested may contact Johann, ZS6PSS, on 082 446 1581.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the solar activity is still at low levels. A coronal mass ejection (CME) from Sunspot 1 092 that was heading straight for Earth, caused a bit of sensational media activity during the week but turned out to be basically a non-event, as to be expected. Currently sunspots 1 092, 1 093, 1 094 and 1 095 are visible. This marks the first time in Cycle 24 that four sunspot regions are visible at the same time. The effective sunspot number is expected to be less than 20 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 late afternoons till after sunset. During sunset it will be good towards Europa. Contacts with the USA are still challenging. Contacts with Australia and New Zealand are possible at sunrise on 20 m and on 40 m after sunset. Weak 15 m openings to Brazil and South America are possible during the afternoons.
For the CW and digital enthusiasts 30 m may be very rewarding with openings to many parts of the world.
Locally is 40 m the work horse for contacts around the country with 30 m also being very useful for contacts over the longer distances. 80 m will be best during the early mornings and late afternoons as well as over the shorter distances.
80 m is the frequency of choice during the evenings.
Please visit www.spaceweather.co.za for further information.
DIARY OF EVENTS
9 August – SARL YL Sprint on 40 m 09:00 to 10:00 UTC;
12 - 14 August - International EME Conference, Dallas, Texas;
14 August – PIC course in Pretoria;
14 August – RAE classes start in Pretoria in the ZS6JVT room, contact Johann, ZS6PSS, at 082 446 1581 for information;
16 August – Logs for SARL HF phone competition must be in;
21 August - RTA symposium in Port Elizabeth;
24 August – Logs for the YL sprint to be in to zs4bfn@]netactive.co.za.
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 22:05 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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