SARL NEWS - SUNDAY 19 SEPTEMBER 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. 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 KEYS
It is with regret we announce that on 9 September, the key of Johan Koster, ZS3JMK, and that of Rennie van Rensburg, ZS6REN, on 12 September, became silent. Our sincerest condolences go to their wives, children, other family and friends.
(PAUSE)
In the news today:
THE SARL CREATES AN ENGLISH - AFRIKAANS GLOSSARY
AMATEUR RADIO MIRROR INTERNATIONAL NOW ON FM IN NEW ZEALAND
TAKE-YOUR-HANDHELD-TO-WORK-DAY
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more details on these and other important and interesting news items.
THE SARL CREATES AN ENGLISH - AFRIKAANS GLOSSARY
At a meeting of the Editors of SARL News, it was decided to create an English - Afrikaans glossary which will also be available on the Web. The list will primarily focus on the translation of English technical terms into Afrikaans. The SARL News’s Web page will also include guidelines on how to submit news items for inclusion in the SARL’s news bulletins. The new pages are expected to become available in the next few weeks. Contributions to the English - Afrikaans glossary are invited and should be sent to armi@sarl.org.za.
AMATEUR RADIO MIRROR INTERNATIONAL NOW ON FM IN NEW ZEALAND
From this week Amateur Radio Mirror International will be on the air weekly in Tawa, a suburb of Wellington, in New Zealand. WorldFM will broadcast the programme at 16:00 on Tuesdays and 21:00 on Thursdays, local NZ time (that's 04:00 UTC and 09:00 UTC, until they switch to summer time). WorldFM can be heard on 88,2 MHz. The station is also streamed on the Internet at www.worldfm.co.nz.
TAKE-YOUR-HANDHELD-TO-WORK-DAY
As announced last week, Friday 1 October is "Take-you-handheld-to-work-day". The idea is to demonstrate the magic of amateur radio to your colleagues during your tea- and lunch breaks. A new brochure about amateur radio is being edited and will be available for download from the Web before the event.
To make the "Take-your-handheld-to-work-day" successful, it is important for radio amateurs who are retired, or who work from home, to create lots of activity on your local repeaters.
The SARL has also linked a photo competition to the event entitled "Amateur-radio-in-action". Take your camera to work and ask one of your colleagues to snap the activity. Then, after the event, e-mail a high-resolution picture to armi@sarl.org.za with a short description. All entries will be entered into a lucky draw for a new ARRL book, "Basic Antenna - understanding practical antennas and design". The closing date for your Amateur-radio-in-action photographs is 15 October 2010.
NEW EUROPEAN SYSTEM ISSUES WARNINGS OF SOLAR STORMS
Researchers at the University of Bradford in the United Kingdom report that a new method of predicting solar storms, that could help to avoid widespread power and communications blackouts, has been developed.
Up to now, solar weather prediction has been done by experts looking at 2D-satellite images of the sun, and then assessing the likelihood of future activity. A team from the Centre for Visual Computing has now created the first online automated prediction system, using 3D-images generated from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (or SOHO) satellite.
Already in use by both NASA and the European Space Agency, the Bradford Automated Solar Activity Prediction system (also known as ASAP) identifies and classifies sunspots and then feeds this information through a model which can predict the likelihood of solar flares. The system is able to accurately predict a solar flare six hours in advance. The team is now working to achieve a similar accuracy for the prediction of major solar eruptions in the near future.
Solar storms are the releasing of huge amounts of hot gas and magnetic forces from the surface of the sun into space at around a million miles per hour. The next major solar storms are expected in 2012 - 2013 as part of the sun's 11-year weather cycle. An US National Academy of Sciences report, published in 2008, estimates that confidence in modern electronics and satellite communications means that a major storm could cause twenty times more economic damage than Hurricane Katrina.
Although major solar eruptions and coronal mass ejections normally take several days to reach the earth, the largest recorded, in 1859, took only 18 hours. Solar flares, which can also cause significant disruption to communications systems, take just a few minutes. Because of this, advance warning is of vital importance, to enable steps to be taken to avoid the worst effects of such solar activity. (With thanks to Newsline.)
COMPETITION NEWS
RESULTS OF THE ZS6JVT HF 40 m YOUTH SPRING COMPETITION
The group above 26 years:
1. ZS1OB - Neels van Eeden
2. ZS2EC -Theunis Potgieter
3. ZS2J - Derek Stuart.
Younger than 25:
1. ZU6JAN - Jan Smit
2. ZS6JPC - Philip Cronje
3. ZU6GG - Gideon Grobler
4. ZU6GVS - Gerdie van Staden
Your certificates will be sent to you via e-mail shortly.
The winner of the lucky draw is Jan Smit, ZU6JAN. Congratulations Jan.
Here are the results of the Boland Amateur Radio Club 40 m sprint:
Highest points achieved:
1. ZS2A - 121
2. ZS4JAN - 77
3. ZS1CF - 63
Highest points per division:
1. ZS1CF - 63
2. ZS2A - 121
4. ZS4JAN - 77
5. ZS5C - 17
6. ZS6APT - 49
The Pretoria Amateur Radio Club, ZS6PTA, is participating in the SARL VHF/UHF contest from Gemsbokberg. Look for them at grid locator KG42RM. ZS6PTA will also participate in the upcoming SARL Heritage Day Sprint from Fort Skanskop, KG44CF.
CLUB NEWS
The Highway Amateur Radio Club invites all radio amateurs and interested parties to join them at 11:30 on 25 September for their swopshop. The venue is at the home of John Fielding, ZS5J, at St. Andries Street, Monteseel. If you do not know the venue, talk-in will be available on 145,600 MHz via the Alverstone repeater. Tables will be available to display your items and braai facilities will also be available. We hope to see many of you there on the day.
The West Rand Amateur Radio Club is hosting its next flea market at 12:00 on Saturday 2 October at the clubhouse in Kroton Street, Weltevredenpark, Roodepoort. Everyone is most welcome. For more information, contact Phillip, ZS6PVT, on 083 267 3835.
The Pretoria Amateur Radio Club has elected their new committee for 2010/2011:
Chairman - Pierre Holtzhausen, ZS6PJH
Vice Chairman - Almero du Pisani, ZS6LDP
Secretaries - Richard Peer, ZS6UK, and Graham Reid, ZR6GJR
Treasurer - Richard Peer, ZS6UK
SARL Liaison - Pierre Holtzhausen, ZS6PJH
Rally Coordinator - Johan de Bruyn, ZS6JHB
Contest Co-ordinator - Pieter Human, ZS6PA
Technical matters and repeater maintenance - Craig Symington, ZS6RH
Web Co-ordinator- Graham Reid, ZR6GJR
Social Co-ordinator - Willie Greyling, ZR6WGR, and Doreen de Bruyn, ZR6DDB
Training Co-ordinator (co-opted) - Fritz Sutherland, ZS6ASF
Flea markets - Almero du Pisani, ZS6LDP
Public Relations Officers - Willie Greyling, ZR6WGR, and Almero du Pisani, ZS6LDP
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that solar activity is still at low levels. Sunspot 1106 persists in the southern hemisphere, but remains fairly quiet. The new Sunspot, 1108, is crackling with B- and C class solar flares and some exciting HF openings can be expected during the week. The effective sunspot number is expected to be less than 25 for the coming week.
20 m will provide the best opportunities for DX; followed by 15 m. Conditions to India will be good from the late afternoon till after sunset. During the afternoon conditions will be good towards Europe on 15 m, followed by good 20 m openings. Contacts with the USA are still challenging. Contacts with Australia and New Zeeland are possible at sunrise on 20 m and on 40 m after sunset. 15 m openings to Brazil and South America are possible during the afternoons. With good 15 and 20 m openings, 17 m will also be full of surprises.
For the CW and digital enthusiasts 30 m may be very rewarding with openings to many parts of the world.
Locally 40 m is the workhorse for contacts around the country with 30 m also being very functional 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
Today, 18 - 19 September - SARL VHF/UHF competition;
20 September - Morse code classes by ZS6APS start at 19:30 on the 145,775 MHz repeater in Pretoria;
24 September - Heritage day sprint;
24 September - Enrolments for the October RAE close;
25 September - Launch of HABEX at the Klerksdorp aerodrome;
25 September - Special event station at Hermanus Primary School to coincide with the Whales and Wheels Festival;
25 September – the Highway ARC Swopshop 11:30 at the QTH of John Fielding, ZS5JF; directions on 145,600 MHz;
29 September - SARL 80 m digimodes club competition;
30 September - Closing date for entries for Phase 1 of the Innovation project;
1 October – Take-your-handheld- to-work-day;
2 October - West Rand ARC flea market at the club house in Weltevreden Park. Contact Phillip, ZS6PVT on 083 267 3835.
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.
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 Gustav, ZS6BWN, The bulletin editor was Jannie, ZR6PHD.
Thank you for listening, 73.
/EX
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