SARL NEWS - SUNDAY 30 OCTOBER 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 'Amateur Radio Today' 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:

AN ADVANCED LICENCE - JOIN THE DEBATE TONIGHT

2012 ARRL HANDBOOK AND ANTENNA BOOK NOW AVAILABLE

CHANGES AT DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS

You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more details on these and other important and interesting news items.

AN ADVANCED LICENCE - JOIN THE DEBATE TONIGHT

You are invited to join the on-the-air debate on the INTECNET this evening, starting at 19:30. An edited (irrelevant discussion outside the subject removed) version of the debate which was held at the RTA in Gauteng last month is available on the web from the SARL TODAY news item on the home page. You may also send your input by email to artpday@satl.org.za before 16:00 today.

Clubs are invited to link their local repeater to the teleconference bridge. Send requests to artoday@sarl.org.za before noon today if had not already been done.

2012 ARRL HANDBOOK AND ANTENNA BOOK NOW AVAILBLE

The hard cover 2012 Handbook and the new hardcover Antenna book of the ARRL are now available from the South African Amateur Radio Development Trust by mail order. Books ordered by Monday 31 October close of business will be shipped on 1 November, orders received after that will be shipped on December 9. Full details on how to order and a review of the content of these two new books can be found on www.amateurradio.org.za/BOOKS.htm.

CHANGES AT DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATIONS

Several journalists writing for the main stream media believe that the Department of Communications (DOC) new leadership is expected to run the department with an iron fist. Dina Pule and Tembisa Stella Ndabeni were both appointed during a cabinet shuffle announced by President Zuma last Monday. Dina is the new minister of communication and Stella her deputy.
Both women have been described by MD of World Wide Worx, Arthur Goldstuck and an unnamed official, as "no nonsense" individuals who are likely to implement current and new strategies at the DOC and in the communications sector.

Dina Pule was previously the deputy minister in the Presidency for performance monitoring and evaluation. In a report by the Business Day, she is described as being known as a "pragmatic leftist" by party members. Despite her lack of knowledge and association with the ICT sector upon her initial appointment in 2009, Pule has made a name for herself in the Mpumalanga Provincial Legislature holding several executive council appointments including that of safety and security and agriculture. Her fair amount of administrative and organisational experience is expected to help her meet several of the department's deadlines. The most urgent of which is the switch from analogue to digital TV by next year April, which she warned in 2009 that "South Africa was unlikely to make its 80% coverage target for 2010, and its 100% coverage target for 2011, if it did not receive assistance from industry participants".

Stella Ndabeni is also no stranger to the DOC. She was the ANC's communications committee whip. She became an MP in the 2009 general election. She rose to prominence after being ousted from the national executive committee and national working committee of the ANC Youth League during internal power struggles. Describing herself as a "no-nonsense" person on her Facebook profile, our source believes that Ndabeni's outspoken nature will benefit the DOC, by "acting on the concerns that she might have had during portfolio committee meetings".

US TIGHTENS BPL INTERFERENCE RULES - BUT NOT BY ENOUGH SAYS ARRL

On 25 October 2011, the US FCC released the second report and order in its proceeding - now in its 9th year - to adopt rules for Access Broadband over Power Line (BPL) systems. The Second Report and Order is the final step in the Commission's effort to comply with the directives of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which in April 2008 ordered the FCC to correct errors it had committed in the course of adopting rules in 2004. The Court acted in response to a Petition for Review filed by the ARRL.

In July 2009, the FCC issued a Request for Further Comment and Further Notice of Proposed Rule Making in which it proposed slight modification of measurement standards for determining whether a BPL system is in compliance with the maximum allowable levels of radiated emissions. In response, the ARRL argued that coupled with a scientifically valid extrapolation factor for determining those levels, mandatory notching of the amateur bands to a level 35 dB below the general emission limit would reduce the likelihood of harmful interference to amateur stations to a level that would permit any remaining harmful interference to be remedied on a case-by-case basis. The ARRL noted that its request for mandatory notching simply reflected the best practices of the BPL industry.

The Commission decided not to adopt its own proposal and also declined to adopt the ARRL's request for mandatory notching. You can read the full story on the member’s section of the SARL web.

COMPETITION NEWS

Come and join in on the fun during the 4th SARL RaDAR contest to be held on Saturday the 5th of November 2011 (See the "Blue book" for details). This contest is for everyone, at home, mobile and in the field. Take on the challenge and carry your field equipment for only one kilometer before setting up a field station and earn the extra points for your efforts. The emphasis is on having fun. This contest is there to test your own readiness in difficult conditions. Please consider operating for the full duration of the contest (14:00 to 20:00). Take some awesome photos of your setup and send them in with your log sheets.

Results of the 2nd leg of the 80 m QSO Party held on the 6th October 2011:

There were 66 stations on the air with the divisional split as follows:
Div 1 - 14
Div 2 - 1
Div 3 - 2
Div 4 - 7
Div 5 - 10
Div 6 - 30
Swaziland - 1
Namibia - 1

Scores are as follows:
1st. CHRISTO ZS3R 405 Points
2nd. PIETER ZS6XT 400 Points
3rd. DAWN ZS5ME 365 Points

The combined results of both legs are:

1st - Pieter ZS6XT 910 points
2nd - ZS4SRK 550 points
3rd - Dawn ZS5ME 525 points

Congratulations to the winners. The full results will appear in HF Happenings.

PROPAGATION REPORT

Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the expected solar activity is slightly down compared to last week but still very favourable for HF propagation. This is due to the many sunspots facing the Earth.

For the people doing their own frequency predictions the expected effective sunspot number for the week will be around 78.

All the bands from 20 to 10 m will provide lots of DX fun with the higher bands typically opening first and the lower bands opening later during the day.

Please visit www.spaceweather.co.za for further information.

DIARY OF EVENTS

Today 30 October at 19:30- Intechnet on proposed advanced license.
Till 31 October - ZL-stations with ZM prefixes and ZL4RUGBY and ZL6RWC on the air.
4/6 November - AMSAT NA Space Symposium in San Jose California.
5 November – 4th SARL RaDAR contest from 14:00 till 20:00 CAT.
13 November - Pears HF Competition 12:00 till 16:00 UTC.
19/20 November - SARL Field day competition.
20 November - CW leg of 80 m Club competition.
27 November - Digital competition.
30 November - last day to send logs for Pears HF DX-expedition.
31 January 2012 - Last day for submission of nominations for Council members and also for submission of motions for the 2012 SARL AGM.
31 January 2012 - Closing date for submitting papers for SA AMSAT Space Symposium.

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 17 760 kHz. There is also a podcast by ZS6RO. For a web-stream and Echolink by ZS6FCS, visit www.sarl.org.za, click on 'Amateur Radio TODAY', go down the green column and click on 'LISTEN ON THE WEB'. A repeat transmission can be heard on Mondays at 16:30 UTC on 4 895 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 Gustav, Z6SBWN.

Thank you for listening, 73.
/EX


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