SARL NEWS SUNDAY 30 JANUARY 2011
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.
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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.
In the news today:
SA AMSAT ANNOUNCE DETAILS OF TWO SATELLITE PROJECTS
NASA's NANOSATELLITE HEARD BY RADIO AMATEURS
ARRL AWARDS TO SA AMATEURS
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more details on these and other important and interesting news items.
SA AMSAT ANNOUNCE DETAILS OF TWO SATELLITE PROJECTS
SA AMSAT has announced details of two satellite building projects SAiSAT and Kletskous.
SAiSAT is a longer term project managed by John Willescroft, ZS6EF, looking at overcoming the power limitations of a small satellite by introducing fold out solar panels that besides generating power from sunlight will also host payloads and be used for orbit stabilisation. The objective of SAiSAT is to involve students at Masters and PhD level at both academic universities and universities of technology. Universities and other interested institutions and individuals are invited to join the project. A detailed document is available on the SA AMSAT website at www.amsatsa.org.za.
A SAiSAT briefing session will be held at the National Amateur Radio Centre on 25 March, the day before the SA AMSAT Space Symposium is to be held at Vodaworld.
The second project is called Kletskous, a hands-on CubeSat aimed at promoting greater involvement in satellite activity by South African Radio Amateurs. A preliminary teleconference was held during this past week reviewing the various options and payload. The first draft of a project plan will be available on www.amsatsa.org.za later this week. Regular updates will be posted as the project develops.
The project is managed by Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP. Hannes is inviting interested persons to join the team. "We are particularly looking for radio amateurs with RF design experience, antenna design experience and software writing experience. Send your contact details and a short description of you technical background to saamsat@intekom.co.za.
SAAMSAT is launching a fundraising campaign and is seeking contributions to its satellite building fund. Donations can be paid into ABSA bank. The account details are SA AMSAT, ABSA account number 560 153 171 Branch code 632 005. All donations will be acknowledges on www.amsatsa.org.za. To ensure acknowledgement please send details of your contribution to saamsat@intekom.co.za with Satellite Fund in the subject line.
Invest in the future of amateur satellite communication, support these projects.
NASA's NANOSATELLITE HEARD BY RADIO AMATEURS
When a NASA nanosatellite -- NanoSail-D -- ejected unexpectedly on January 17 from the Fast Affordable Scientific and Technology Satellite (FASTSAT), the agency called upon Radio Amateurs to help track it. NASA asked radio amateurs to listen on 437,270 MHz for the signal and verify that NanoSail-D was operating. NASA received almost 470 telemetry packets from 11 countries.
The NanoSail-D beacon sent an AX.25 packet every 10 seconds; the packet contained data about the spacecraft's systems operation. Once the NanoSail-D team received confirmation that the nanosatellite did indeed eject, NanoSail-D principal investigator Dean Alhorn quickly enlisted Alan Sieg, WB5RMG, and Stan Sims, N4PMF, to try to pick up NanoSail-D's radio beacon. Both hams work at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
"The timing could not have been better," Sieg said. "NanoSail-D was going to track right over Huntsville, and the chance to be the first ones to hear and decode the signal was irresistible." Right before 23:00 UTC on January 17, they heard a faint signal. As the spacecraft soared overhead, the signal grew stronger and the operators were able to decode the first packet: NanoSail-D was alive and well. "You could have scraped Dean off the ceiling. He was bouncing around like a new father," Sieg recalled.
According to NASA, the nanosatellite was last heard at 13:54 UTC on January 21. Telemetry indicates that the sail deployed on schedule and the satellite is now believed to be out of power, which NASA said was to be expected.
NASA is now asking for visual tracking and sighting reports of NanoSail-D, which is about 650 km above the Earth. According to the agency, when the nanosatellite's sail reflects off the Sun, it could be up to 10 times as bright as the planet Venus -- especially later in the mission when the sail descends to lower orbits. You can track NanoSail-D on the web or on your smart phone. NASA estimates that NanoSail-D will remain in low Earth orbit (LEO) between 70 and 120 days, depending on atmospheric conditions.
ARRL AWARDS TO SA AMATEURS
Dennis Wells, ZS1AU, today joins the ranks of SA's top DXCC members.
Tjerk Lammers, ZS6P, the SARL Awards Manager, reported that after 60 years of amateur radio Dennis, ZS1AU, finally submitted his first time ever DXCC application to the ARRL (American Radio Relay League) last year in December.
Dennis was credited with 337 entities which places him in the number three spot on the South African DXCC members phone list.
Congratulations Dennis, you deserve it.
FIRST ZS WORKED ALL STATES TRIPLE PLAY AWARD
The ARRL has awarded the first Worked All States Triple Play award to a South African Radio Amateur. Barry Murrell, ZS2EZ, is the recipient of Award number 492 issued on 7 January 2011.
The Triple Play Award requires working all 50 US States on SSB, CW and RTTY (150 contacts) with all confirmations via LoTW. Only contacts from 1 January 2009 count.
Donovan van Loggerenberg, ZS2DL, has also made all the contacts and received the confirmations, he has submitted his application to the ARRL.
Well done Barry.
CONTEST NEWS
The Antique Wireless Association CW Activity Day will run from 10:00 UTC (12:00 CAT) on Saturday 5 February to 10:00 UTC (12:00 CAT) on Sunday 6 February with CW activity on 20, 40 and 80 metres. This contest is open to radio amateurs interested in CW.
The exchange is a RST report, the operators name and Grid Square locator. Logs to be sent to Andy, ZSADY, either by e-mail to andy.cairns@xsinet.co.za or standard mail to A Cairns, P O Box 12320, Benryn, 1504. Logs must be submitted by Monday 21 February 2001. Find the rules on page 23 of the 2011 SARL Contest Manual.
The first leg of the 2011 SARL National Field Day will start at 10:00 UTC (12:00 CAT) on Saturday 12 February and it will end at 10:00 UTC (12:00 CAT) on Sunday 13 February. Participants may use phone, CW and digital modes on 160 to 10 metres, excluding 30, 17 and 12 metres.
There are five classes of participation catering for multi-operator (club), single operator and general stations. The exchange is made up of the number of transceivers, the class of participation and your provincial abbreviation. Logs must be submitted by Monday 21 February to the Bloemfontein RAC by e-mail or standard mail.
It is very important that participants will read the rules for this contest before the start of the Field Day, find the rules on page 25 to 29 of the 2011 SARL Contest Manual.
LAST CHANCE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH ZS85SARL
For the SARL Field Day on 12 to 13 February, members of the Boland Amateur Radio Club will have the SARLs birthday call sign, ZS85SARL, on the air and will it offer the last opportunity to radio amateurs, who have not yet made contact with ZS85SARL, to do so.
An effort will be made to achieve a WAZS 200 via the SA QSL system under this call sign. Radio amateurs, who have not yet made contact with ZS85SARL, are thus specially invited to contact ZS85SARL during the Field Day event and to confirm the contact via the SA QSL system.
Mτre detail about the station will be published on the SARL Website closer to the event.
EAST RAND RADIO CLUB FLEA MARKET
This popular flea market will be held on the 5th February from 12:00 to 15:00 on the sports grounds of the Sel Park Primary school in Pridgeon Str., Selection Park, Springs.
The coordinates for getting there are:
S 26° 17 247 & E 28° 27 129
Please come and support us and or bring all your old and new stuff to sell. There will be something cold and hot to drink and also "lekke" pancakes and wors rolls, so bring lots of money please.
Contact Francois, ZR6COI, at 079 932 7131 or email to zr6coi@vodamail.co.za or Judy, ZR6POP, at 074 177 0395 zr6pop@vodamail.co.za for bookings of tables or get them on the 145,675 Springs ERB Repeater.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the solar activity is still at low levels. Sunspots 1 147 and 1 149 are about to disappear out of direct Earth view. Fortunately a new and as yet unnumbered sunspot is forming on the eastern limb. The effective sunspot number is expected to be less than 15 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 at sunrise. 15 and especially 20 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
31 January Closing date for phase 1 of the construction competition.
5-6 February CW Activity day of the Antique Wireless Society.
12-13 February SARL National Field Day and ZS85SARL on the air for the last time from Saturday 12:00 CAT to Sunday 12:00 CAT.
21 February Logs for the SARL field day to be in to the Bloemfontein ARC.S
25 February Logs for AWA CW Activity day to be in to Andy, ZSADY.
28 February Offers to host a station at Sun City during IARU Region 1 conference to be in to iaru2011@sarl.org.za.
25 March SAiSAT briefing session at the NARC.
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 Today 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
