SARL NEWS - SUNDAY 28 October 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. The SARL broadcasts 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 there to receive future bulletins by e-mail.
Your newsreader this morning is (name), (call sign), on 145,725 from Pretoria, with relays on 7,066 MHz and 3,695 MHz SSB. (Other news readers change to suit).
IN THE NEWS TODAY:
SARL MEMBERS TO GET 10% DISCOUNT ON BOOKS
SARL TO PRESENT AMATEUR RADIO'S NEEDS IN THE UHF AND MICROWAVE BANDS AT ICASA HEARING NEXT WEEK
NEW AWARD
DARC TO OPPOSE NEWLY PROPOSED EUROPEAN PLT STANDARD
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more details on these and other important and interesting items.
SARL MEMBERS TO GET 10% DISCOUNT ON BOOKS
From 1 November SARL members will enjoy a 10% discount on books ordered from the South African Amateur Radio Development Trust. A list of available books can be found on www.amateurradio.co.za. The latest edition to books available in South Africa is ARRL's Low Power Communication - the art and science of QRP and Short Antennas for 160 Meter Radio. The book dares to discuss the possibility of smaller antennas for this intriguing band. Intended for amateurs with advanced skills in antenna modelling, Grant Bingeman, KM5KG, walks you through the theory behind innovative designs for relatively compact antennas. You'll learn how to enhance bandwidth, minimize loss, and employ other techniques to enjoy 160 meters with limited real estate.
SARL TO PRESENT AMATEUR RADIO'S NEEDS IN THE UHF AND MICROWAVE BANDS AT ICASA HEARING NEXT WEEK
The South African Radio League will discuss amateur radio's needs for allocation in the 2,3; 3,5 and 5 GHz bands at the ICASA hearing on the draft frequency migration regulation and frequency migration plans to be held on 1 and 2 November 2012. A few weeks ago the SARL put forward its requirements for allocations in these bands in line with the IARU Region 1 spectrum requirements for amateur radio document.
DARC TO OPPOSE NEWLY PROPOSED EUROPEAN PLT STANDARD
Germany's national amateur radio society, the Deutscher Amateur Radio Club, or DARC, will be asking the German Commission for Electrical, Electronic & Information Technologies to oppose a new pan-European draft Power Line Transmission standard. During its October 22nd meeting, the DARC Board discussed the pros and cons of the proposed draft standard. While it said that it recognizes the new draft provided for some non-binding commitments for notching out of certain frequencies in the amateur bands, it also noted that it fears the future ambitions of the manufacturers of other PLC products in the direction of higher limits for the emission of harmful electromagnetic or EMC interference. This could lead to a weakening of the previous limits in other European EMC standards.
This new standard concerns the devices that people install in their homes to run data over their house wiring. It has nothing to do with PLC or BPL that is carried over the company power networks.
OCTOBER RADIO ZS ON THE WEB AND IN THE MAIL
The October edition of Radio ZS is now available on the web to members. The printed version has also been mailed. In this edition Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, writes about an innovative technique for generating a wideband quadrature LO signal as required by Amateur SDR and phasing type SSB applications. This technique only requires a LO input frequency of twice the operational frequency and not four times as that used by current designs. The halving of the required input frequency considerably simplifies the design of SDR solutions covering either more than one Amateur band or even the whole HF band.
Read part I of Wireless Telegraphy during the Anglo-Boer War of 1899 - 1902 by Duncan Baker. Build an End Fed 40 Metre Half Wave Antenna, read about spider antennas and get up to speed with RaDAR and the ZS4U Supapix Transceiver.
If you are not a member yet, have a look at the October edition of Radio ZS and you will see what you are missing. To get a free trial copy of this edition of Radio ZS send an email to artoday@sarl.org.za with OCT Radio ZS in the subject line.
NEW ZEALAND AMATEURS MAY GET 6 m SOON
Amateurs across New Zealand may have to wait a bit longer to get full access to the 6 metre band. As previously reported, 50 to 51 MHz down-under is to be returned to amateur radio once all Channel 1 television has ceased using the spectrum and the current management right for this band expires.
What may not be known by some radio amateurs is that the last New Zealand channel 1 television transmitter is not due to close down until November 2013. After that, the management right under which it operates, does not expire until August 2015.
Because of this, the New Zealand national amateur radio society, NZART, is working with the nation’s Radio Spectrum Management on arrangements for the period between when all the Channel 1 transmitters are turned off and their management right expires. In the meantime any New Zealand amateur in an area where TV channel 1 is no longer operating can apply for a permit to operate on the band.
NEW MEMBER
The SARL welcomes Roelie Kriel ZSL1049 as a new member. Welcome Roelie.
WHAT IS YOUR MEMBERSHIP STATUS
If there is any doubt about whether youR subscripion payment has been received or any other detail of your membership status, you can easily check it yourself by going to the web address given at the end of this news item. If there is any problem with your membership, contact the admin office admin@sarl.org.za or the secretary secretary@sarl.org.za.
The web address where you can do the check is http://www.sarl.org.za/public/Membercheck.asp
NEW AWARD
The SARL has received a substantial donation from SAATI (the SA Amateur Telecommuncations Institute). The proceeds on the investment of this donation are to be used to fund a new annual award, the SAATI Technology Award.
The purpose of this award is to stimulate activity and development on amateur bands and to reward radio amateurs who have contributed to this objective, especially activity on digital and lesser known modes or new modes of activity.
To enable clubs to nominate amateurs for this award, the details of the award and the qualifying conditions will be published on the web well before the 2013 AGM.
SAATI was founded in October 1975 with 10 members. It grew in membership and SAATI made an enormous contribution to amateur digital communication. Of the original founding members, only Ams, ZS6YV, and Marten, ZS6ZY, are still active members.
HAMNET GAUTENG SOUTH CHALLENGE 2012 WINNERS ANNOUNCED
On 7 October 2012 HAMNET members participated in the 2012 HAMNET Gauteng South Challenge. Members were required to show skills in operating field stations using multiple modes and multiple bands.
The winners were:
Glynn Chamberlain, ZS6GLN
Pieter Searle, ZS6PHS
Celeste Searle, ZS6CNS
These radio amateurs received 2 x Handheld Radios and a set of DSP headphones. Thank you to their sponsors, Leon ZS6LMG, Marc, ZS6MDH, and Bato, ZS6BAT. Prizes were valued at R4000-00 in total. Marc, ZS6MDH, also sponsored the 2012 HAMNET GS Shield. Thanks Marc.
At the last HAMNET Gauteng South community service event on 25 October 2012 the following members received certificates:
Leon Lessing, ZS6LMG
Johan Meyer, ZS6DMX
Martin Nortman, ZS6TMN
Mina Nortman, ZS6MNT
Koos van der Merwe, ZS6JPY
Willem van der Merwe, ZS6WIM
Bato Jakovljevic, ZS6BAT
Ivan Pleho, ZS6IVP
Hennie Rudman, ZS6RHL
Silas Lesejane, ZS6YFH
Mpho Mzangwe, ZS6NEO
Congratulations to them all.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the solar activity is at moderate levels. All current visible sunspot regions remain stable and once active Sunspot 1 598 is in a state of decay.
If you want to do your own frequency predictions, the expected effective sunspot number for the week will be around 77.
All the bands from 20 to 10 m will provide lots of DX fun with 15 m providing the best openings with 20 m not far behind. 10 m openings will be more frequent due to the higher solar activity.
Please visit www.spaceweather.co.za for further information.
DIARY OF EVENTS
3 November – RaDAR Contest, 12:00 to 18:00 UTC.
18 November – Log sheets for the RaDAR Contest to be in to Lichtenberg Amateur Radio Club (LARK), PO Box 410, Lichtenburg, 2740 or by email to zs6lrk@nwinternet.za.org.
17 November - SARL National Field Day will take place between 10:00 UTC on Saturday 17 November and 10:00 UTC on Sunday 18 November.
SARL News invites clubs and individuals to submit news items of interest to radio amateurs and short-wave 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 18:30 UTC on 4 895 kHz ((A new time and frequency!). Reception reports are invited. We are particularly interested in reports of the 4 895 kHz transmission on Mondays at 18:30 UTC as the frequency is close to the proposed new amateur allocation near 5 MHz. Reception reports from all areas in South Africa would be useful in our bid to ICASA for frequencies pilot studies. Send reports to artoday@sarl.org.za.
Sentech sponsors the transmissions on the non-amateur frequencies.
You have listened to a bulletin of the South African Radio League compiled by George Honiball, ZS6NE.
Thank you for listening, 73.
/EX
