SARL NEWS - SUNDAY 29 APRIL 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 over 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:

SARL ELECTS NEW COUNCIL
NEW SUBSCRIPTION RATE
AGM DECISIONS

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

SARL ELECTS NEW COUNCIL

At the annual general meeting held as part of the SARL National Convention a new council was elected. Rassie Erasmus, ZS1YT, is the new president and Geoffrey Levey, ZS6GRL, the vice president. Fritz Sutherland, ZS6S,F takes over from Henry Chamberlain,ZS1AAZ, who, after many years as secretary, has retired from council. The other members of council are: Dennis Green, ZS4BS, Hans van de Groenendaal ZS6AKV, Fred Scheepers ZS1FCS, Laurie Deveraux ZS5DL, Francois Botha, ZS6BUU, Riaan Greeff, ZS4PR, Willem Weideman, ZS6WWJ, Frik Wolff, ZS6FZ, Johann Marais, ZU1JM, Ian Laubscher, ZS1LAU, and Pierre van Deventer, ZS6A. Details of the various portfolios can be found on www.sarl.org.za/members/council/portfolios.asp or simply go to the site index and select councillor portfolios. The council will have it first meeting by teleconference on 9 May.

REGISTER NOW FOR THE SA AMSAT SPACE SYMPOSIUM

Register now for the SA AMSAT Space Symposium to be held at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal on 12 May. Telkom is the main sponsor, making it possible to have the most extensive number of speakers and subjects on a packed programme. SANSA has come on board and will sponsor students wishing to attend the symposium. Students wishing to be considered for sponsorship should register by Thursday 3 May. Get all the detail on www.amsatsa.org.za or follow the link from the SARL web.

THE SARL REACHES OUT TO SADC RADIO AMATEURS

The SARL is reaching out to radio amateurs who are members of their national society in SADC countries, to join the SARL on a complimentary basis. This is part of the SARL’s commitment to support the IARU Region 1 “Support for the Amateur Radio Service” or, for short, STARS programme. The objective of the STARS programme is to defend, protect, extend, develop and promote the amateur radio service in countries where amateur radio activity is low or nonexistent. To apply, radio amateurs in SADC countries should complete the SARL membership application form and submit the form and proof that they are a member of their local society, to admin@sarl.org.za.

NEW SUBSCRIPTION RATE

The SARL subscription for the various categories of membership has been marginally adjusted. The new rate for an ordinary member is now R400 and for a senior member over 65 years of age it is R230 per annum.

JOIN THE SARL NOW AND YOU WILL GET MAY AND JUNE ON THE HOUSE

The SARL has a special offer for non-members to join the SARL. If you join now you will get May and June on the house. It will cost you only R400 for a subscription that will carry your membership through to the end of June 2013.

The SARL as the national body for amateur radio is representing you both locally and internationally and look after your interests. In recent times supporting the International Amateur Radio Union, amateurs have gained two new frequency allocations in the long wave and medium wave spectrum while working on a new allocation in the 5 MHz band.

To make use of this special offer complete the form on www.sarl.org.za, click on membership or call Mariska at 011 675-2329 for assistance.

AGM DECISIONS

Motion 1 dealing with the Jack Twine award was accepted unanimously. The motion makes it compulsory to submit a a full motivation when proposing a person for the award and not simply the name and the required support from six SARL members.

Motion 2: The rules of debate, which have been in use for many decades, are now part of the rules and not just the AGM agenda.

Motion 3 dealing with date and venues of the AGM was accepted unanimously and leaves it to council to select the date for the AGM.

Motion 4 was accepted unanimously. Councillors are now elected for two years with six or seven members retiring each year.

Motion 5 was passed. It deals with expulsion from the SARL. The new rule ensures that in the case where it is necessary to expel a member, he or she gets a fair hearing.

Motion 6 changes rule 1.5.6 replacing membership with affiliation, which applies to clubs.

Motion 7 introduces the SADC class of member

Motion 8 opens the forum to non-members and sets out a number of requirements such as the appointment of three moderators, the development of rules and a code of ethics. The motion was voted on as follows: 52 abstentions, 75 votes against and 106 votes for the motion.

Newly elected councillor Pierre van Deventer, ZS6A, will handle the forum portfolio. A special email address for all matters related to the forum has been set-up: forumadmin@sarl.org.za.

All other correspondence with the SARL should be sent to secretary@sarl.org.za. Address changes and subscription enquiries should be addressed to admin@sarl.org.za.

Motion 9 was withdrawn as it addressed the same topic as motion 7.

Motion 10 suggesting member email addresses @sarl.org.za was lost. The cost implications make the proposal at this stage not financially viable.

MOTION 11 dealing with changes to the constitution to enable the SARL to apply for tax exemption was unanimously carried.

Under general the SARL regulator roadmap was discussed. Some discussion took place around the expiry of the ZU license for persons over 25 on 31 March 2013. It was agreed to make a further approach to ICASA. The roadmap will be available on the SARL web during next week.

2012 OLYMPICS NOT GREAT FOR RADIO AMATEURS

Details of amateur band frequency restrictions during the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympics Games have now been released by UK Telecommunications regulator Ofcom. The greatest impact to amateur radio appears to be satellite and other operations in 436 to 437 MHz. The restrictions only apply in geographically limited areas, with 70 cm being particularly affected around London and Weymouth.

CONTEST NEWS

ZS3 Sprint.
The ZS3 Sprint, which will be run from 14:00 to 15:00 UTC on Sunday 6 May, is run to promote contacts between radio amateurs in the Northern Cape and radio amateurs in Southern African countries. It is a phone and CW contest on the 40-m band and the exchange is RS(T) and provincial or country abbreviation.

ZS3 stations will earn 1 point for a QSO from ZS3 and 2 points for a QSO from other ZS call areas or Southern African countries. Other stations will earn 2 points for a QSO with a station in ZS3 and 1 point for a QSO with a station outside ZS3. Contacts with the Northern Cape ARC, ZS3NC, Namaqualand Aero Sport Association, ZS3FLY, or the Kalahari Karoo ARC, ZS3ARK, are worth 5 points each. Only one contact per station is allowed.

Log sheets must be submitted by 13 May and can be sent to ZS3 Sprint, PO Box 1049, Kathu, 8446 or by e-mail to zs3nc@qsl.net.

AWA Valve QSO Party.

On Saturday 12 May and Sunday 13 May the AWA Valve QSO party will be held. Saturday is the AM leg and Sunday the SSB leg.
Time is from 15:00 to 19:00 CAT.
Frequencies: 40 m, 7060 to 7100 kHz and 80 m, 3600 to 3650 kHz
Exchange: Call sign, RS and consecutive numbers starting at 001 and the type of rig used.
Scoring (your radio): All-valve radio, three points per contact; hybrid radio, two points per contact; solid state radio, one point per contact.
Certificates will be awarded to the 3 highest scores in each category.
Closing date for logs is 28th May 2012.
Logs can be sent to andyzs6ady@vodamail.co.za or mailed to AWA of Southern Africa; PO Box 12320; Benoryn 1504.

PROPAGATION REPORT

Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the solar activity remains at moderate levels. The sun's surface is peppered with smaller, fairly quiet sunspots.

If you want to do your own frequency predictions, the expected effective sunspot number for the week will be around 67.

All the bands from 20 to 10 m will provide lots of DX fun with 15 m providing the best openings with 10 m not far behind.

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

DIARY OF EVENTS

Sunday 6 May - ZS3 Sprint will be run from 14:00 to 15:00 UTC.
12 May - SA AMSAT space symposium; visit www.amsatsa.org.za for details and registration.
Saturday 12 May and Sunday 13 May the AWA Valve QSO party/

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 Fritz, ZS6SF.

Thank you for listening, 73.
/EX