SARL NEWS - SUNDAY 04 MARCH 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. 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).

SILENT KEY

It is with sadness and shock that the sudden termination of the life of Rodger Gadsden, ZS5FX, last weekend, must be announced.

Roger was fatally shot in his Crestholme home, by a family friend who then shot himself and died later of his injuries.

Roger was an active member of the Durban amateur radio fraternity, a true gentleman and helpful in his community.

Our sincerest condolences to his relatives and friends.

(PAUSE)

In the news today:

SARL AND ICASA AGREE ON HOW TO EXAMINE REGULATIONS

PAY YOUR LICENSE FOR 5 YEARS AND SAVE

JOIN INTECNET NEXT SUNDAY 11 MARCH

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

SARL AND ICASA AGREE ON HOW TO EXAMINE REGULATIONS

The South African Radio League and ICASA have agreed on how to examine for the regulations part of the Radio Amateur Examination in the May 2012 exam. The SARL has prepared an examination paper with questions that cover regulations that are common to the old and the new regulations. Because of inaccuracies in the new regulations the SARL proposed this as a compromise until the revisions to the 1 April 2011 regulations have been gazette. At the quarterly liaison meeting held on Thursday last week, ICASA accepted the SARL proposal.

ICASA also informed the meeting that the revisions to the regulations are ready to be gazetted and should be published after a court case with one of the cellular companies about the fee structure has been concluded. The case is being heard in court on 6 March 2012.

PAY YOUR LICENSE FOR 5 YEARS AND SAVE

ICASA confirmed that when the amateur radio license is due for payment on 1 April radio amateurs will have the option of paying for 5 years saving the hassle of paying annually and saving on the fee. The annual fee is R120 but for R501 you can get the license for 5 years. Irrespective of what the ICASA invoice states, by paying R501 will automatically renew your license for five years. There is however no refund should the person give up his license for what ever reason.

A general misconception is that license fees accrue to ICASA, they do not. The fees go to Treasury. ICASA is funded from the annual budget allocated by Treasury to the DOC.

JOIN INTECNET NEXT SUNDAY 11 MARCH

The next interactive technical net or SARL Intecnet will be held on Sunday evening 11 March at 19:30 with Vincent Harrison, ZS6BTY, as guest speaker. The subject will be antennas. Vincent will look at HF antennas to work DX including dipoles, verticals and small beams. He will focus on the effect of the height above ground, radiation patterns and take off angles. He will also briefly touch on antennas for 80 and 160 metres. A PowerPoint presentation will be made available on www.sar.org.za a few days before the intecnet.

Clubs wishing to link their repeaters to the conference bridge should send details to artoday@sarl.org.za before next Wednesday.

AUSTRALIA'S REGULATOR AND WIA TO STUDY TO SEE IF VK AMATEURS SHOULD HAVE 1 kW POWER LIMIT

Advanced class radio amateurs in Australia are being invited to take part in a study to see whether it is possible to raise the power limit down-under to a full kilowatt. This, as the Australian Communications and Media Authority, better known as the ACMA, publishes details of the trial of higher power transmitter output on its website. Michael Owen, VK3KI, the President of the Wireless Institute of Australia says "The ACMA has published on its website details of the trial of higher power transmitter output for Advanced amateur radio licensees. The trial commenced on 1 March 2012 and will continue until 31 August 2013."

The ACMA has advised the WIA that the 18 month authorization is intended to provide the ACMA with time to evaluate the success of the trial after a 12 month period and to consider permanent regulatory arrangements, if warranted, while avoiding dead air between the evaluation time and the implementation of permanent arrangements. If appropriate, The Wireless Institute of Australia Board of Directors has cautioned those amateurs considering obtaining a higher power permit that this is only a trial. As such, if problems do emerge, it could affect whether amateurs down-under will permanently continue to be able to use the higher power. In particular, if interference is caused to others, the WIA advises that the VK radio amateur involved must immediately do whatever it takes to stop the interference, and must resolve the problem.

SARL TO DISCUSS A REGULATORY ROADMAP AT THE AGM

At the recent Council meeting it was agreed to develop a regulatory roadmap on various license and regulatory issues that need to be discussed and agreed upon for discussion with ICASA. The discussion will be under general at the AGM. Radio Amateurs who would like to make input to the roadmap are invited to send their input to artoday@sarl.org.za by no later than 31 March so that the document can be made available on the web. Please mark the subject line in your email "ROADMAP”. If you use an attachment, please make sure that it is in Word.

5 MHz FREQUENCIES COULD BE SOONER IN SA THAN WRC15

At the ICASA/SARL Liaison meeting the SARL proposal to make an interim arrangement to allocate spectrum around 5 MHz to Amateur Radio was discussed.

The WRC12 Resolution COM6/12 was accepted which places the possible allocation to the amateur service on a secondary basis at around 5 300 kHz.

ITU-R (Radiocommunication Sector) was invited to study spectrum requirements for a secondary allocation to the amateur service in the band 5 250 – 5 450 kHz and to carry out studies on the impact to other services currently allocated in the band.

After further discussion it was agreed that the SARL would submit a revised proposal to allocate spectrum in that band to radio amateurs for the purpose of propagation studies in terms of the invitation to ITU-R. The SARL will submit the revised proposal to ICASA within the next week.

NOMINATIONS INVITED FOR THE TINUS LANGE 7066 AWARDS

Submissions are solicited for both the Tinus Lange 7066 Technical Excellence and the Tinus Lange 7066 Junior Technical Excellence Award.

The awards are bestowed annually on the persons who submit a technical project in any of the following categories:
Design and/or construction of projects such as a pre-amp, SWR bridge, patching unit, automatic ID-er, practical antenna ideas, mast, portable gear, power supplies etc.

Any software for use in Amateur Radio.

The submission must include the following:
The actual items (if size and mass allows it) or photographs (particularly in the case of antennas, mast etc) A complete write-up in article form with illustrations/pictures ready for publication in Radio ZS.

The Awards:
Technical Achievement Award: A framed certificate and a cash award of R350.
Junior Technical Achievement Award (under 25 years old): A framed certificate and a cash award of R350,

ENTITY MVI DELETED FROM DXCC HONOR ROLL

According to the Finnish Ministry of Transportation and Communication, the Saimaa Canal Treaty between Finland and Russia has been finalized by relevant Finnish and Russian authorities through ratification.

The Treaty has entered into effect with a date of February 17, 2012.

The result of this treaty is that Malyj Vysotskij Island (MVI), R1M, is no longer included in the Treaty. Thus, MVI will be deleted from the DXCC list as of February 17, 2012, and added to the Deleted Entities List.

This change will affect the Honor Roll numbers as follows:

Honor roll will drop to 340 (down from 341). The entry level Honor Roll number will drop to 331 (down from 332)

CONTEST RESULTS

PEARS National VHF/UHF contest.
Here are the preliminary results covering the national winners:

Digital stations.
6 m: ZS5Y – 140 354
4 m: ZS2ACP & ZU6MIC – 1 183
2 m: ZS5Y – 31 716
23 cm: ZS6BNE - 244 points.

Longest distances achieved on digital.
6 m: ZS1LS & ZS6NK – 1 538 km
4 m: ZS2ACP & ZU6MIC – 1 183 km
2 m: ZS1LS & ZS6BUN – 1 268 km,
23 cm: ZS6BNE & ZS6BUN - 244 km.

Analogue base stations.
6 m: ZS1NAZ – 63 666,
4 m: ZS2OC - 383,
2 m: ZS2I – 26 456
70 cm: ZS2BK – 1 544
23 cm: ZS6BNE - 244 points.

Analogue field stations.
6 m: ZS2ABB – 19 392
4 m: ZS2BO – 593
2 m: ZS2VDL – 63 014,
70 cm: ZS2BO & ZS2VDL – 4 416
23 cm: ZS2ABB - 182 points.

Longest distances recorded on analogue.
6 m: ZS1NAZ & ZS6A – 1 278 km
4 m: ZS2BO/ZS2VDL & ZS2Q - 88 km
2 m: ZS5Y & ZS6BUN - 476 km
70 cm: ZS5Y & ZS6BNE - 244 km
23cm: ZS5Y & ZS6BNE - 244 km.

Limited Category.
6 m: ZS2E – 1 982
2 m: ZS2U – 16 060
70 cm: ZR2T – 2 096 points.

Special congratulations must go to a newbie Michelle Badenhorst, ZU6MIC, of Polokwane for her achievements as national co-winner on 4 metres digital, as well as divisional winner on 2 metres analogue and digital.

A complete list of divisional winners and runners up plus all other scores will be posted in due course on the SARL VHF Forum.

FORTHCOMING COMPETITIONS

Annual SARL Hamnet 40 m Simulated Emergency Contest.
This contest will be on the air this afternoon from 12:00 - 14:00 UTC or 14:00 to 16:00 CAT. It is a SSB only contest on 40 metres. There are four classes of participation - Class A: Single Operator Stationary Mobile; Class B: Single Operator Portable; Class C: Multi-Operator Portable and Class D: Single Operator Base Station.

The exchange for Class A is a RS report and a serial no starting with 201; for Class B a RS report and a serial no starting with 401, for Class C a RS report and a serial no starting with 601 and for Class D a RS report and a serial no starting with 801. Non-participants will give a RS report and a serial no starting with 001. The score calculation is available in the rules.

Logs must be submitted by 11 March 2012 and can be sent by e-mail to contest@pears.ham-radio-op.net, paper logs can be sent to Hamnet Eastern Cape, Al Akers, ZS2U, 53 Clarence Street, Westering, Port Elizabeth 6025.

The SARL March Madness YL Sprint.
This sprint celebrates International Women's Day on 8 March, but because this is not a public holiday, the Sprint will be run from 09:00 to 10:00 UTC (11:00 to 12:00 CAT) on Saturday 10 March.

It is a phone sprint on the 40-metre band and the exchange is a RS report and YL or OM. Contacts between YL stations are worth 5 points. Contacts between YL and OM stations are worth 3 points and contacts between OM stations are worth 1 point.

Log sheets must be submitted by 17 March by e-mail to zs4bfn@netactive.co.za or by mail to the Bloemfontein RAC, Box 12104, Brandhof, 9324.

The first leg of the SARL VHF/UHF Analogue/Digital contest will be run over the weekend of 17 and 18 March. More detail in next week's bulletin.

The rules for all the contests can be found in the 2012 Contest Manual.

PROPAGATION REPORT

Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the Solar activity is expected to be at low levels. New Sunspot 1 427 poses no threat for strong solar flares. The far side of the Sun is however a different story and we hope that the higher activity will rotate towards the Earth.

If you want to do your own frequency predictions the expected effective sunspot number for the week will be around 44.

All the bands from 20 to 10 m, and especially 15 m, will provide lots of DX fun with 10 m only opening sporadically due to the low solar activity.

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

DIARY OF EVENTS

04 March – This afternoon – SARL Hamnet Simulated Emergency Contest from 12:00 - 14:00 UTC or 14:00 to 16:00 CAT.
10 March – SARL March Madness YL Sprint from 09:00 to 10:00 UTC (11:00 to 12:00 CAT).
11 March – Intecnet at 19:30 CAT.
17/18 March - SARL VHF/UHF Analogue/Digital contest.
30 March – Last day to submit items on regulatory issues for discussion with ICASA to artoday@sarl.org.za.
21 March - ZS6ERB construction day.
20 - 22 April SARL Convention in Pinetown.

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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