SARL NEWS - SUNDAY 20 MARCH 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.
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.
In the news today
NEW AMATEUR RADIO REGULATIONS IMMINENT
RUSSIAN FEDERATION ADOPTS CEPT LICENSING
SA AMSAT SPACE SYMPOSIUM FINAL PROGRAMME NOW ON THE WEB
THREE SABS SUB-COMMITTEES TO DEAL WITH ASPECTS OF COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more details on these and other important and interesting news items.
NEW AMATEUR RADIO REGULATIONS IMMINENT
According SARL's contact at ICASA, the ICASA Council is expected to approve the final regulations at its meeting on Wednesday. This means that the new regulations and the table of amateur radio frequency allocations could be gazetted coming Friday or the week after. Which of the SARL recommendations discussed at the public hearing have been incorporated remains unknown. The SARL’s request for information was declined.
RUSSIAN FEDERATION ADOPTS CEPT LICENSING
Following on a decision by the Russian State Commission for Radio Frequencies to join the CEPT Radio Amateur License agreement, it should soon be easier to use amateur radio gear while visiting the Russian Federation.
The commission plans to advise CEPT Working Group R A of its decision in the near future. Working Group R A will be meeting in May and September. IARU Region 1 says that it considers this a major step forward to eventually permit worldwide radio amateur roaming. CEPT licensing means that all nations accepting this recommendation also accept any other signatory's amateur radio license, subject to certain limitations as valid in those nations as well. South Africa is a signatory to the CEPT agreement and on publication of new radio regulations, will return to full reciprocity.
SA AMSAT SPACE SYMPOSIUM FINAL PROGRAMME NOW ON THE WEB
Could South Africa soon have its own satellite launch facilities? Two new amateur satellites to be designed and built in South Africa, receiver design for the SKA leads in world technology and RaDAR- Rapid Deployed Amateur Radio- are just four of the many presentations at the 2011 SA AMSAT Space Symposium to be held on Saturday 2 April 2011 at Talk 100 Auditorium at Vodaworld in Midrand.
The symposium provides a platform for discussion and interaction on various aspects of Space for both the professional and hobbyists who have an interest in the many fascinating aspects of space activities. The symposium will be opened by Dr Sandile Malinga, the CEO of the recently established South African National Space Agency (SANSA) with a key note address.
To register for the Symposium visit www.amsatsa.org.za for details and the registration form. The cost is R300 if booked before 26 March, after that R350. Students can register for R275. The fee includes lunch and refreshments.
THREE SABS SUB-COMMITTEES TO DEAL WITH ASPECTS OF COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
The SABS technical committee 74 (TC74) has established three sub-committees which have be tasked with the development and approval of communication equipment standards. Of main interest for Amateur Radio is committee TC74D which is tasked with standards for communication systems utilising the electromagnetic spectrum. TC 74 will remain the oversight committee.
On the PLC front, ESKOM is considering the use of power line communication in the frequency range up to 500 kHz for remote network management and metering. Members of the TC62, TC73, TC74 and TC80 will soon meet to discuss the process to be used to establish a standard. The issue of Broadband PLT is currently being handled by a joint workgroup of TC73 and TC80. This workgroup, designated WG6, is chaired by the SARL representative, Hans van de Groenendaal, ZS6AKV. It is not likely that the Broadband PLT work will move to the group considering the low frequency PLC.
The term PLC and PLT are confusing. ICASA uses PLT for the broadband application while the power utilities refer to it as PLC. The principal of operation is the same just the frequency of operation differs.
Low frequency PLC does not pose a material threat to amateur radio while the high frequency version could potentially create havoc on the HF bands. Final regulations are still awaiting review by the ICASA Council. Although the draft regulations do not include the notching of Amateur frequencies there are acceptable mitigation rules in place should radio amateurs experience interference from PLT.
CHANGES ON THE SARL COUNCIL
Louw Erasmus, ZS6LME, has resigned from Council and has withdrawn his nomination for election on the 2010/2011 Council. SARL President, Dennis Green, informing Council of Louw's resignation at the Strategic Indaba held last weekend, extended his thanks to Louw for his contribution to the SARL and amateur radio and wished him well for the future.
AGM DOCUMENTATION
The Annual General meeting of the SARL will be held during the National Convention on Saturday 16 April 2011. The Agenda, financial reports and other AGM documents are now available for download from the member's only section of www.sarl.org.za. Select the members only button on the top right hand of the home page and enter your P.I.N.
CONTEST NEWS
The final results of the SARL Digital Contest held on the 27th February is as follows:
1st ZS6A 494 points
2nd ZS6GRL 443 points
3rd ZS6WR 335 points
4th ZS6AKU 312 points
5th ZS2I 264 points
The winner of the Lucky Draw prize is Peter Roos, ZS6PGR.
Congratulations to all the winners.
The full results will be published in HF Happenings.
HAMNET SIMULATED EMERGENCY CONTEST 6TH MARCH, 2011-03-18.
Nineteen logs and one check log were received.
Scores are as follows:
Singe Operator Stationary Mobile:
ZS4N, 1 896 points
ZR4DEF, 1 030 points
ZS6AGF, 630 points
ZS4BS, 228 points
Single operator Base Station:
ZS5ML, 1 320 points
ZS2A ,1 260 points
ZS6YH ,1 200 points
ZS6ADY, 1 100 points
ZS5DU, 1 072 points
ZS6ARQ ,1 005 points
ZS2J, 882 points
ZS6JDV, 780 points
ZS6NJV, 465 points
ZS4TW, 370 points
ZS2EC, 350 points
ZR6MS, 330 points
ZR6DHC, 144 points
Single Operator Portable
ZS2U, 738 points
ZS6BNE, 396 points
There were no multi-operator portable entries.
Winner of the lucky draw is ZS2A.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the solar activity is at moderate levels. Departing sunspot 1 169 erupted during the late hours of March 16th and hurled a spectacular coronal mass ejection (CME) over the sun's western limb. New sunspot 1 173 was numbered on Wednesday and is located in the southern hemisphere. This region is not yet capable of producing strong solar flares. The effective sunspot number is expected to be around 30 for the coming week.
15 m will provide the best opportunities for DX followed by 20. With the higher sunspot activity 10 m will also open from time to time. Conditions to India will be good from the afternoon till after sunset. During the late afternoons conditions will be good towards Europa. Good contacts with the USA are possible during the evening. Contacts with Australia are possible on 20 m after sunset. 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 March - SARL VHF/UHF analogue and digital contest still on the go and finishes at 12:00 CAT today.
25 March - SAiSAT briefing session at the NARC.
2 April - SA AMSAT Space Symposium at Vodaworld, book at www.amsatsa.org.za.
15-16 April – SARL National Convention at Vaal University for Technology.
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
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