SARL NEWS – SUNDAY 12 DECEMBER 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. (Other news readers change as applicable).
In the news today:
SOUTH AFRICA GETS ITS OWN NASA
TWO NEW SATELLITE PROJECTS FOR SA
HABEX 3 TO FLY ON THE 18TH DECEMBER 2010
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more details on these and other important and interesting news items.
SOUTH AFRICA GETS ITS OWN NASA
The Minister of Science and Technology, Naledi Pandor, on Thursday 9 December officially launched the South African National Space Agency at a gala event in Mid Rand. She said that SANSA is mandated as the primary, but not sole, implementer of South Africa's National Space Programme to direct Government's investment in space sciences and technology.
The purpose is to integrate and manage the country's space activities for the greater good and implement an effective, sustainable, long term, national space programme aligned with South Africa's socio-economic policies.
On a question by the SARL at the media briefing if SANSA will support amateur radio satellite programme, the CEO of SANSA said definitely. The Radio Amateurs are part of our plans.
TWO NEW SATELLITE PROJECTS FOR SA
SA AMSAT will be launching two satellite projects, both CubeSats, but with totally different design approaches and time lines.
The first project will focus on providing a FM transponder that will be available on most passes over South Africa and will have a short time line to launch.
The second project, called SAiSAT, focuses on an innovative approach to the deployment of fold-out solar panels. The project is aimed at getting Master and PhD students involved in the development and design of various payloads and substructures. A detailed paper on SAiSAT will be released in the next two weeks on www.amsatsa.org.za.
The FM transponder CubeSat, which has yet to be named, will be based on a standard available space frame and sub system with a locally designed payload. The project will be coordinated by Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP.
SA AMSAT is inviting radio amateurs who have an interest in satellites to join the project team. The team's first meeting will be during mid January via a teleconference.
To be part of the project team, please send your full details, a description of your expertise in electronics, communication, satellite tracking, software design, antenna design and any other areas of expertise that will support the project. In true amateur spirit participants must have enthusiasm. Besides technical experience the team also requires radio amateurs with management, financial, and communication skills. Send your details to saamsat@intekom.co.za by 31 December 2010. You will be advised of the details of the teleconference in early January 2011.
Both satellite projects will the subject of papers to be presented at the SA AMSAT Space Symposium to be held at Vodaworld on 26 March 2011.
HABEX 3 TO FLY ON THE 18TH DECEMBER 2010
The HABEX team will be launching a 3rd high altitude balloon on 18 December 2010. It will carry various payloads in preparation for a schools’ launch in 2011.
The payload is made up of 4 separate modular units including a 40 m beacon transmitting a message in CW on 7 023 kHz. HABEX can be tracked live via the internet. Go to "aprs.fi" and type in ZS6SCI-3 into the "track callsign" box.
Get the full details on www.amsatsa.org.za/habex.htm.
PRIZE WINNERS of ZS85SARL FIELD DAY STATION COMPETITION
A total of 111 contacts were made with ZS85SARL during the recent field day. The winner of the lucky draw in the SARL member category is Andre Botes, ZS2ACP. His prize, an ARRL 2011 hardcover handbook will be in the mail next week. Congratulations Andre. The winner in the non-member category is ZS5IE, I D McAllister. ZS5IE will receive a year's free SARL membership. Welcome in our midst.
SARL OFFICE CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAYS
The SARL office will be close for the summer holidays on Monday 13 December and reopen on Wednesday 12 January 2011. For urgent matters please email secretary@sarl.org.za.
MEMBERSHIP AIMING AT 1 500
The current membership stands at 1 465, well on its way to 1 500. If you have not renewed there is still time to do it. Call Mariska on Monday, the last office day for this year at 011 675 2393.
HF PROPAGATION CONDITIONS
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the solar activity is still at low levels. Sunspots 1 131 and 1 133 continue to quietly persist. The effective sunspot number is expected to be less than 25 for the coming week.
15 m will provide the best opportunities for DX followed by 20 m. Conditions to India will be good from the afternoon till after sunset. During the afternoons conditions will be fair towards Europa on 15 m, later to be followed by fair 20 m openings. Early evening 15 m contacts with the USA are possible. Contacts with Australia are possible on 20 m during the late afternoons. 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 40 m is 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
18 December – Launch of third HABEX high altitude balloon, parrot repeater on 438,500 MHz and CW beacon 7 023 kHz, details on www.amsatsa.org.za/habex.htm;
31 December – Closing date for submission of logs for the PEARS HF QSO Party to contest@pears.ham-radio-op.net;
31 December – Closing date for submission of details for membership of the SA AMSAT satelliet team to saamsat@intekom.co.za;
20 January 2011 – Closing date for submission for application for the May 2011 RAE bursaries; visit www.amateurradio.org.za for application forms;
20 January - Closing date for submission of proposals and synopsis of papers for 2011 SA AMSAT Space Symposium to saamsat@intekom.co.za;
30 January 2011 - Closing date for phase 1 of the construction competition.
SARL News invites clubs and individuals to submit terms 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
