SARL NEWS - SUNDAY 29 JANUARY 2012
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 3,695 MHz SSB. (Other news readers change to suit).
In the news today:
INTECNET IS BACK
SARL APPOINTS A NEW HONORARY LEGAL ADVISER
7 135 kHz THE FREQUENCY TO TALK ABOUT VHF
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more details on these and other important and interesting items.
INTECNET IS BACK
The first INTECNET of 2012 will be held on Sunday 5 February at 19:30. History will be made when this will be the first INTECNET that will be joined by members of the Namibian Amateur Radio League. The NARL repeater in Windhoek will be linked giving Namibian amateurs the opportunity to participate in the discussions.
The subject will be "Greater DXing with propagation forecasting". Two speakers will be looking at the science of forecasting and practical applications. A scientist from SANSA's Space Sciences at Hermanus will discuss how forecasts are made and Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, will look at the practical aspects of using propagation forecast and how to put them to best use. Diarize the date. If you would like your repeater linked, send a request to artoday@sarl.org.za by Monday 30 January.
SARL APPOINTS A NEW HONORARY LEGAL ADVISER
The Council of the SARL has appointed Johann Marais as legal adviser. He is the owner of a legal practice in Stellenbosch. Johann is vice chairman of the 4WDCSA Western Cape and a member of Hamnet. He spends most of his amateur radio time on research and rescue operations and is an active member of the Off-Road Rescue Unit and chairman of the Wilderness Search and Rescue Trust.
7 135 kHz THE FREQUENCY TO TALK ABOUT VHF
If VHF is your passion, leave a receiver tuned to 7 135 kHz. This is the frequency that a group of radio amateurs have decided on for skeds, VHF band opening alerts and discussion on VHF operation. The idea is being promoted by John, ZS6JON, and Mike, ZS6TAF.
"One does realize that the Internet is the easiest way but all amateurs don't have Internet 24/7. Some don't have Internet in the shack", says John, ZS6JON. "We all seem to read the contact reports on email or on the forum once they have already taken place. It's too late to get the full use of the opening. As most amateurs have an extra radio or receiver that could be left on and as 40 m is a common and very active band in South Africa it will be the ideal band to announce VHF band openings around the country and overseas contacts. After listening around the band 7 135 kHz appears to be a good choice", John said.
WORLD RADIO COMMUNICATION CONFERENCE 2012 AND WILL CONSIDER SECONDARY MF AMATEUR ALLOCATION
The World Radio Communication Conference opened in Geneva, Switzerland on Monday, January 23. Attendees will review and revise the Radio Regulations, the international treaty governing the use of radio frequency spectrum and satellite orbits. One of the items to be considered at WRC-12 is Agenda Item 1.23: To consider an allocation of about 15 kHz in parts of the band 415-526,5 kHz to the Amateur Service on a secondary basis, taking into account the need to protect existing services.
More than 3 000 participants - representing more than 150 out of the International Telecommunication Union's 193 Member States - are expected to attend the four-week conference. About 100 observers from among the ITU's 700 private sector members - along with international organizations, including the International Amateur Radio Union - are also in attendance. A number of WRC-12 delegates are radio amateurs.
On the first day of WRC-12, various interests have introduced several ways to implement the proposed MF secondary allocation, while some are not interested in making any changes that would grant it. The European countries, represented by CEPT, offered an 8 kHz wide band between 472 and 480 kHz. CITEL, which represents the Americas, has proposed the secondary allocation be at 461-469 and 471-478 kHz. Colin Thomas, G3PSM, introduced the CEPT proposal, while ARRL Technical Relations Specialist Jon Siverling, WB3ERA, had the honor of introducing the CITEL proposal to the Conference.
IARU President, Tim Ellam, has been using Twitter to keep interested radio amateurs apprised of what is happening at WRC-12. According to his tweets, the African Telecommunications Union, the East African Community, the Asia-Pacific Telecommunity and the South African Development Community also support an MF secondary allocation to the Amateur Service. The Regional Commonwealth in the Field of Communications which represents Russia, has proposed no change to the current frequency allocations, aligning themselves with the Arab States, China, Iran and the International Maritime Organization. You can follow Ellam on Twitter at twitter.com/IARU_President. During WRC-12, 4U1ITU - the ITU HQ station, will be signing 4U1WRC.
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION TAKES WHITE NOISE OFF 40 METRES
Interference from All India Radio in the 40 metre band has been eliminated. Wolfgang Hadel, DK2OM, in Siegbach, Germany, reports that back last December he and Peter Jost, HB9CET, of Zurich, Switzerland, noticed a band of white noise-like interference on 40 metres covering from 6 960 to 7 040 kHz and also on 7 820 kHz. Calculation by DK2OM showed that the centre of the spurious emissions was on 7 410 kHz, a frequency used by All India Radio. From this point the German and Swiss Departments of Post and Telecommunications became involved. Both offices filed official complaints to their counterpart in India. VU2GMN assisted by filing a personal complaint.
On January 13 the offending transmitter located near New Delhi was reported as having been repaired.
HAMNET GAUTENG SOUTH MEETING
There is a HAMNET Gauteng South Meeting scheduled for Thursday 2 February 2012.
The meeting venue is 9th Benoni Scout Hall, Arrow Park in Benoni.
The meeting is scheduled for 19:00 until 21:00.
Discussions will include The Ride for Sight and Carnival Mac Steel Cycle races in February.
HAMWAN and APRS will also be on the menu.
Come join them and serve your community.
CLUB NEWS
On Saturday the 4th February, the East Rand Branch of the SARL will be holding a flea market. The time is from 12:00 to 15:00 and will be held at the Scouts Arrow Park in Benoni. The park runs alongside Ebenezer st., Kleinfontein Agricultural Holdings, Benoni which is just off the Atlas road off ramp on the N12 East. There will be food and cool drinks available. For anyone wishing to book a table, please contact the club secretary Judy (ZS6JDY) via zs6jdy@vodamail.co.za.
COMPETITION NEWS
ANTIQUE WIRELESS ASSOCIATION CW ACTIVITY DAY
Date: Sunday 05 February 15:00 to 19:00 CAT.
Bands and Freq: 80 m 3 510 to 3 560 kHz; 40 m 7 000 to 7 040 kHz; 20 m
14 000 to 14 060 kHz.
Categories: a) Single Operator, All Band, Low Power (maximum 100 W)
b) Single operator, All Band, QRP (Maximum 5 W)
c) Single Operator, Single Band, Low Power (maximum 100 W)
d) Single operator, Single band, QRP (maximum 5 W)
Exchange: RST, Operator’s name and Grid Square
Scoring: 1 point for low power; 2 points for QRP
Awards: Certificates are awarded for the highest score rankings.
Logs to be sent to: Southern African Antique Wireless Association,
PO Box 12320, Benoryn,
1504.
E-mail: andyzs6ady@vodamail.co.za
Closing date for log submission: Monday 20 February 2012.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the solar activity on the sun, as far as solar flares go, is declining after the major M-class flare of Monday. Region 1 402 is currently the largest visible sunspot and produces C-class flares from time-to-time.
The other sunspots continue to shrink in spot count. These regions will soon begin to rotate onto the western limb and out of direct Earth view.
If you want to do your own frequency predictions the expected effective sunspot number for the week will be around 64.
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
31 January - Last day for submission of nominations for Council members and also for submission of motions for the 2012 SARL AGM.
31 January - Closing date for submitting papers for SA AMSAT Space Symposium.
2 February – Hamnet South Gauteng meeting.
4 February – ZS6ERB flea market.
5 February - Antique Wireless Association CW activity day.
20 February – Last day for submission of logs for Antique Wireless Association CW activity day.
Remember, nominations for SARL awards, which will be presented at the gala dinner which will take place over the weekend of the 2012 SARL AGM may still be submitted. Send nominations to secretary@sarl.org.za.
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 17:30 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, ZS6BWN.
Thank you for listening, 73.
/EX
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