SARL NEWS - SUNDAY 7 NOVEMBER 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:
OCTOBER RAE RESULTS RELEASED
SCORE A 2011 ARRL HANDBOOK IN THE FIELD DAY CONTEST
2011 CONSTRUCTION COMPETITION WITH GREAT PRIZES
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more details on these and other important and interesting news items.
OCTOBER RAE RESULTS RELEASED
"I have a concern that the examination is by some candidates not taken seriously, that there is not sufficient effort being put into learning the material", RAE Manager, Mark Zank, said when he released the results on Friday. "I believe that it is very important for candidates to attend classes that are arranged by many clubs as there is a lot more learnt from the knowledge and interaction with other candidates."
"I am aware of three SARL affiliated clubs that have achieved a 100% pass rate. The three clubs are Oakdale, Sandton and Kempton Park. These clubs provide excellent tuition and their lecturers put lots of energy into creating teaching material. There may be other clubs that have also achieved a 100% pass rate but this has not yet been brought to the attention of the SARL."
"A number of new questions were included in the past examination and new questions will be added to the exams going forward This is done to ensure that at all times we remain compliant to the HAREC requirements," Mark said.
Congratulations to all candidates who passed the RAE. For those that have not quite made it, please do not give up, you will have another opportunity to tackle the examination in May 2011.
The SARL is still awaiting examination papers which became stuck in the postal system and the SARL is keeping track of those papers and as soon as they arrive, they will be marked and successful candidates will be added to the list.
The SARL expects that call signs will be issued in the next few days. As soon as they are released the SARL web will be updated and successful candidates may start operating immediately. The actual printed licence may take several weeks before being processed. Please do not call ICASA as that will only slow down the processing.
The youngest candidate that wrote the RAE was 9 years old the oldest was 66 years old. The highest score was 98% for the Class A and 96% for the Class B. The pass rates for class A exam was 85% and 66% for class B.
The results are available on www.sarl.org.za.
SARL MEMBERSHIP GETS ANOTHER BOOST
This week the SARL membership stood at 1 425 which is just 35 short to reach this year's target of 1 460. With your support we should reach 1500 soon. To join or pay your membership, call Mariska at 011 675 2393 on Monday.
SCORE A 2011 ARRL HANDBOOK IN THE FIELD DAY CONTEST
The Boland Amateur Radio Club invites all radio amateurs to join in the last event of the SARL 85 year anniversary celebrations by making a contact with ZS85SARL during the SARL field day weekend. The competition will take place from 10:00 UTC Saturday 20 November till 10:00 UTC on Sunday 21 November 2010.
BARK will set up a field station and operate as ZS85SARL. All amateurs who make contact with the special event field day station will participate in a lucky draw. You do not have to be a field station to qualify for the lucky draw.
The first participant drawn, and who is a SARL member, will win the brand new 2011 Hardcover ARRL Handbook. The first name drawn from a non SARL members will receive a free membership of the SARL for the current financial year.
Get the contest rules on www.sarl.org.za.
2011 CONSTRUCTION COMPETITION WITH GREAT PRIZES
At its Board meeting on Thursday last week the South African Amateur Radio Development Trust has announced details of its 2011 construction competition. As one of the main objectives of the Development Trust is to promote and expand innovation in Amateur Radio technology, activities during 2011 will focus on various aspects of what makes amateur the most rewarding of all scientific hobbies.
The 2011 construction competition focuses on construction and operation and not on circuit design. Participants may search the web and the literature for any design. The focus is on the ingenuity displayed in the construction of one of the following two projects:
A QRP transmitter with an upper power limit of 5 watts using the minimum of components operating on any amateur band or a minimum component transistor receiver operating on any amateur band.
The competition is in two parts. Part one is a paper entry with a brief write-up, a circuit diagram and a photograph of the prototype or breadboard.
From the first phase entries, three finalists will be chosen to go through to the second phase during which the project must be constructed, tested, be fully operational and suitably housed and submitted with a full write up and circuit diagram. Each finalist will receive a grant of R500 to build the project.
The winner will be invited to the annual award lunch in May 2011 and presented with a 2011 ARRL Handbook, and a choice of three SARL construction kits and a year of free membership of the SARL.
The closing dates are as follows: Phase one 30 January 2011. The three finalists will be announced on 15 February 2011. The closing date for phase two is 15 April 2011.
Full details and an entry form can be found on www.amateurradio.org.za.
ON THE AIR ACTIVITY
Remembrance Day Service
The annual Remembrance Day service will be transmitted next Sunday 14 November at 10:45 on Amateur Radio Mirror International. The service will be conducted by the Reverend Jan Kramer, ZS6JRK, of the Hervormde Kerk, Elsburg. The annual service is in remembrance of radio amateurs who lost their lives in service of their country. The script reading will be in English and the service in Afrikaans. As a mark of respect, radio silence is requested between 10:45 and 11:00 CAT next Sunday morning.
Clubs wishing to transmit the service on their local repeater can down load a MP3 audio file. Send an email to armi@sarl.org.za to receive details of the URL.
SATnetwork
On Sunday evening 21 November SA AMSAT invites you to participate in the SATNETWORK when Eddie Leighton, ZS6BNE, will talk about "APRS via the ISS". It will be on the air at 19:30 . More detail in next Sunday's SARL News.
COMPETITION NEWS
The following are the results of the AWA Valve QSO Party held in October 2010
AM - First place to Andrew Dekenah, ZS6DEK
Second, ZS0AWA operated by ZS6ADY
SSB – First, Andrew Dekenah, ZS6DEK
Second, Theunis Potgieter, ZS2EC
Third, ZS0AWA operated by ZS6ADY
A total of 33 stations were recorded in the AM section and 85 in the SSB section, but the number of logs actually submitted ewere disappointgly low.
However, the AWA believes that the objective was achieved as we do say the QSO party is there to encourage activity on the bands, and this it certainly did. Our thanks to all who took part and congratulations to Andrew, ZS6DEK, and Theunis, ZS2EC, on their efforts.
YL NET
The YL Net kicked off last Sunday, October the 31st in Pretoria.
The YLs who reported in to Anette, ZR6D, were Pam Momberg, ZS6APT, Rene de Witt, ZU6MA, and Koba Maree, ZR6CMA. Elrika van der Merwe, ZS1BEL, from Dana Bay joined via Echolink. Apologies were made by Heather Holland, ZS6YE, who was on vacation at the Vaal Dam. Corinna Carstens, ZS1CC, reported via e-mail, that the 40 m band was poorly received in Cape Town. Thanks the ladies for their participation. All the YLs are invited to their next on the air meeting to be held on November 28, 2010 at 15:00 on the Magalies repeater, 145,750 MHz, with a relay on 7 065 kHz . The ladies can also join via Echolink, link to ZS6FCS-R. You can also contact Anette on tel 073 199 9032 or via email to zr6d@ymail.com.
MEETING FOR RUSTENBURG RADIO ACTIVES
The Rustenburg Radioamateur Club, ZS6RTB, will have a club meeting on 27 November 2010. The club meeting will also coincide with a meeting to which all two way roll players in the area ie. Citizens Band, Amateur Radio, Commercial, Marnet, Civil Defense etc. are invited.
The aim of the meeting is to improve relations between the different groups as well as try to formulate a plan of action for emergency situations, should it arise. All interested parties please visit the website www.zs6rtb.co.za for details.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the solar activity is still at low levels. Old sunspot region 1 112 will soon rotate back into view on the southeastern limb while Sunspot 1 120 is rapidly fading. 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 and 10 m. Conditions to India will be good from the afternoons till after sunset. During the afternoons conditions will be good towards Europa on 15 m, later to be followed by good 20 m openings. Late afternoons and early evenings 15 m contacts with the USA are at last possible again. Contacts with Australia are possible at sunset on 20 m. 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
20 November – 10:0 UTC, field day weekend with ZS85SARL on the air commences;
21 November – 10:0 UTC, field day weekend and ZS85SARL closes;
21 November – 19:30 SAT, SATnetwork on the air;
28 November – YL net starts at 15:00 CAT;
20 January 2011 – Closing date for submission for application for May 2011 RAE bursaries, visit www.amateurradio.org.za for application vorms;
30 January 2011 – Closing date for Phase 1 of 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.
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
