SARL NEWS - SUNDAY 24 OCTOBER 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 subscribe to receive future bulletins by e-mail.
Your news reader 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. (Other news readers change as applicable).
In the news today:
PRESIDENT’S NET SHAPES SARL RESPONSE TO DRAFT REGULATIONS
RADIO AMATEUR RE-ELECTED ITU SECRETARY GENERAL
CISPR TO START FROM SCRATCH ON PLT
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more details on these and other important and interesting news items.
PRESIDENT’S NET SHAPES SARL RESPONSE TO DRAFT REGULATIONS
A record number of listeners and participants made input to shape the SARL’s response to the draft Radio Frequency Spectrum Regulations published in the Government Gazette by ICASA for comment. The SARL has published draft three of the response which is now available on www.sarl.org.za. The final draft is being worked on which entails fine tuning the text and adding explanations and motivations to support the SARL position. The final document will be posted on the web once it has been submitted. Comment to draft 2 can be sent to armi@sarl.org.za before 28 October 2010. Please only post comments to armi@sarl.org.za and not any other email address.
The SARL website has been erratic and at times slow. The ISP is working on the problem and has escalated it to high level support. There is no clarity of what is causing the problem. Some anomalies have been picked up that are being investigated. The SARL apologizes for the inconvenience.
An alternative way to access the second draft of the SARL proposed comment to ICASA visit www.amateurradio.org.za/armi.htm.
RADIO AMATEUR RE-ELECTED ITU SECRETARY GENERAL
Member states of the International Telecommunication Union have elected Dr. Hamadoun Touré, HB9EHT, of Mali as Secretary-General of that organisation for a second four-year term. Dr. Touré won the position with 151 votes, with 157 countries present and voting.
Addressing the conference after the vote, HB9EHT told close to 1 500 conference participants from around the world that he will put a special emphasis on broadband access, as well as continuing to ensure that cyber-security is high on everyone's agenda.
Touré has also pledged to ensure that small island developing states and land-locked countries get special attention. He also said that he will encourage more private sector involvement through public-private partnerships, both within ITU and in the field.
CISPR TO START FROM SCRATCH ON PLT
The CISPR PLT Project Team reached the end of their mandate period of five years, without producing a useful document, which would guarantee the ongoing protection of radio services. This means that work done during the past ten years has not been fruitful. CISPR will have to start from zero.
In the interim workgroup 6 of the SABS Technical Committees 73 and 80 which is chaired by the SARL representative, Hans van de Groenendaal, met during the past week and reviewed the draft regulations that were prepared with the workgroup’s input by ICASA. Some minor enhancements were proposed. As part of the regulations, companies intending to install PLT systems have to register all details on a publicly available data base.
The SARL is keeping a close watch on developments. While our wishes to have all amateur frequencies notched were not accepted, there is a clear understanding by the vendors of PLT equipment that taking care of notching of Amateur frequencies is a prerequisite for a successful network. The interference mitigation process included in the draft regulations provide for fast remedial action should interference on HF be experienced.
Limits used in the draft regulation are the same as in CISPR 22. These limits were the reason why the PLT Project Team could not reach agreement as the majority of the CISPR members were not prepared to lower the limits as demanded by the PLT industry. South Africa’s representative at CISPR, Eric Winter, did a sterling job putting all his efforts into ensuring that sanity prevailed in favour of protection of HF. Thanks Eric.
RADIO ZS
The back page of Radio ZS is becoming available from the November/December 2010 edition. If your company would like to advertise in this prime position in Radio ZS, please send an email to zs6akv@sarl.org.za with contact details and the person to contact.
CLUB NEWS
YL NET
A group under the leadership of Anette, ZR6D, are starting a YL net to get die YLs more involved with the radio and over the air waves. There are many YLs with licenses but we never hear them. For instance, many YLs took part in the YL Sprint but only 10 sent their logs in. It is now the time to get involved.
The Yl net starts on 31 October 2010 at 15:00 on the Magalies Repeater, frequency 145,750 MHz. All YLs are welcome. If you don't want to talk at first, please attend the call in. If you have any interesting news or suggestions please call Anette at 073 1999032 or e-mail her to zr6d@ymail.com.
During the annual general meeting of the Sasolburg amateur radio club, ZS4SRK, held on the 18th October 2010, members were elected to serve on the club committee as follows:
Chairman: Gideon Jannasch, ZS4GJA
Vice Chairman: Frik Wolff, ZS6FZ
Secretary: Erich Jannasch, ZS4VW
Treasurer: Corné Cronjé, ZU6C
Asst. Treasurer: Amanda Greeff, ZR6AGS
Newsletter: Riaan Greeff, ZS4PR
Media Liaison: Andries Visagie, ZS6VL, Riaan Greeff, ZS4PR, Jaco Greyling, ZS6JCO
Technical: Ockerd Taljaard, ZS6LZ, Frik Wolff, ZS6FZ, Riaan Greeff, ZS6PR
Technical (acting): Johan Steyn, ZS4SS, Frans Durand, ZS4FD.
Every success the new committee and many thanks the previous committee members for their valuable contributions.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the solar activity is still at low levels. Active Sunspot 1 112 is heading towards the western limb and will soon rotate out of direct earth view. Sunspots 1 117 and 1 118 were both numbered on Tuesday and are located towards the northeastern limb. 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 15 and 10 m. Conditions to India will be good from the afternoons till after sunset. During the afternoons conditions will be good towards Europe firstly on 10 m, later followed by good 15 and then 20 m openings. Evening 15 m contacts with the USA are at last possible again. Contacts with Australia and New Zealand 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 the 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 is 40 m the work horse for contacts around the country with 20 and 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
28 October – Last day for comments on Draft 2 of the SARL’s comments on draft radio regulations;
31 October – Start of YL net at 15:00 on 145,750 MHz in Pretoria.
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 George, ZS6NE.
Thank you for listening, 73.
/EX
