SARL NEWS - SUNDAY 11 November 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).

SILENT KEY

It is with regret that it must be announced that the keys of three radio amateurs became silent recently. They are:

That of Joachim Göldner, zs6ahj, on November 1 at the age of 84 years. He was an honorary life member of the Centurio Amateur Radio Club.

That of Oppie Opperman, ZS1OP, on Sunday 4 November, at the age of 83. Oppie was since 1993 a member of the SARL and the Boland Amateur Radio Club.

The 3rd one is that of Pieter Botha, ZS4PB (old man Push Button) on the 7th. Pieter moved out to his farm some time back to be with his beloved “rooi beeste” but during the past few months his health deteriorated.

Our sincerest condolences to the relatives and friends of the deceased.

(PAUSE)

IN THE NEWS TODAY:

T0DAY IS REMEMBRANCE DAY

IARU ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL MET IN VIETNAM

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

T0DAY IS REMEMBRANCE DAY

At approximately 05:00 on Monday, 11th November 1918, 94 years ago today, the Armistice was signed in a railway carriage of Marshall Foch's special train located in the forest at Rethondes on the western front in France. At 11:00 on this Monday the 11th November 1918, the roar of guns ceased and peace and silence finally descended on the western front, ending the First World War. It is estimated that close to 9,5 million soldiers, sailors and airmen of all sides died in the Great War.

Every second Sunday in November the SARL remembers all those who lost their lives in defence of their country in a special church service transmitted in the second half of Amateur Radio Today. The service will be first transmitted at 10:40 CAT on 11 November. The service will conducted in Afrikaans and English by Dominee Jan Kramer, ZS6JRK. Thanks to Marten, ZS6ZY, for the arrangements. All amateur radio stations are requested to observe radio silence as a mark of respect.

Clubs wishing to transmit the service on their local repeater or on HF can download the audio file from www.sarl.org.za, select Amateur Radio Today from the left hand menu and follow the links.

IARU ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL MEET IN VIETNAM

The Administrative Council of the International Amateur Radio Union held its Annual Meeting November 2-4 November in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The AC -- which consists of the three IARU International Officers and two representatives from each of the three IARU regional organizations -- is responsible for the policy and management of the IARU.

According to IARU Secretary Rod Stafford, W6ROD, the meeting was a somber occasion due to the passing of IARU Region 3 Chairman Michael J. Owen, VK3KI. Michael had been a member of the Administrative Council for most of its existence, and had been a longtime contributor to the efforts of IARU to promote and preserve Amateur Radio.

The Administrative Council acted on the following items:
The Council reviewed the successes achieved at the 2012 World Radio Communication Conference including the new secondary allocation at 472-479 kHz to the Amateur Radio Service, the avoidance of frequency sharing with HF radiolocation services and an agenda item for WRC-15 relating to an amateur allocation at 5 MHz.
The agenda items for WRC-15 were reviewed and initial IARU positions were formulated on the agenda items to the Amateur and Amateur-Satellite Services.
The working document that sets out the spectrum requirements of the Amateur and Amateur-Satellite Services was reviewed and updated.
The AC received the final report of the IARU 2025 Committee. Due to the current economic climate, the Committee was unable to develop a viable financial model that would permit the implementation of its proposed new organizational structure for the IARU. The Committee did complete proposed revisions to guidelines for the election of IARU President and Vice President; these were adopted by the AC.
The consultative process for the election of IARU President and Vice President was initiated for the 2014-2019 terms of office.
The International Telecommunication Union meetings where IARU representation will be required for the coming year were identified, and plans for representation at these meetings were reviewed.
The Michael J. Owen, VK3KI, Award was established to recognize an individual or individuals that best exemplify the dedication and hard work of IARU volunteers.
The Council reviewed the work of the Committee responsible for drafting an updated handbook for experts and representatives attending meetings on behalf of the IARU. The handbook will be completed by spring 2013 and will be distributed to IARU volunteers on completion.
The theme Amateur Radio: Entering Its Second Century of Disaster Communications was adopted for the next World Amateur Radio Day, April 18, 2013.
A revised IARU website was introduced. International Secretariat staff, along with ARRL Digital Content Coordinator Magdalena Owczarska, W1MGZ, was thanked for their efforts in revising the website.
Dale E. Hughes, VK1DSH, and Colin J. Thomas, G3PSM, were selected by the AC as IARU Technical Representatives. Technical Representatives represent the IARU at ITU and other international meetings.
The budget for 2013-2015 as presented by the International Secretariat was reviewed and adopted. The budget is based upon anticipated financial contributions from IARU Regions 1, 2 and 3 to defray a portion of the expenses, in accordance with previously adopted policy.
The report of the Monitoring System Committee (MSC) was reviewed and accepted. With the establishment of the MSC, the position of Monitoring System International Coordinator is no longer required. ARRL Field Regulatory Correspondent Chuck Skolaut K0BOG, who had served as the Monitoring System International Coordinator for the last four years, was thanked for his service.
Reports of the IARU International Coordinators and Advisers were received. They are International Beacon Project Coordinator Peter Jennings, AB6WM/VE3SUN; Satellite Adviser Hans van de Groenendaal, ZS6AKV; EMC Adviser Christian Verholt, OZ8CY; International Coordinator for Emergency Communications Hans Zimmermann, F5VKP/HB9AQS, and Monitoring System International Coordinator Chuck Skolaut, K0BOG.

The next scheduled in-person meeting of the AC will be held in the vicinity of Cancun, Mexico, in September 2013, in conjunction with the IARU Region 2 Conference.

CLUB AFFILIATION

This week 2 more clubs have affiliated with the SARL. We welcome Magalies Radioamateurklub and Noord Natal Amateurradioklub This brings the total number of affiliated clubs to 30. For a complete list of affiliated clubs go to the SARL web page and click on Club Talk.

COMPETITION NEWS

The ZS4SRK Heritage Day results were published and are as follows:
1 ZS4DZ 378
2 ZS6OY 198
3 ZS6MHH 192
15 Stations entered, and if weather had not been as bad in Durban, the ZS5D team would have won! Monday, 24 September, Heritage day turned out to be very strongly windy here in Durban making it unpleasant to operate from the proposed site on top of the Bluff. This is unusual weather for this time of the year.

Another station that made an effort was ZS6OY, they operated from Rand Airport Aviation Museum. Lovely QSL cards were sent out by them to all their contacts. Please answer all the QSL's you received, it is the best gift you can give a fellow radio amateur!

The heritage site in the Eastern Free State near Ficksburg also made history. This was the first time the Sandstone Estate hosted an amateur radio station. With the permission of Wilfred Mole, Johan van Zijl, ZS4DZ, operated the station from the farm. Sandstone Estate is a world heritage site that is most known for the impressive steam locomotive collection and railway that exist on the farm. Congratulation to Johan for taking the time and then also winning the contest!

The Sasolburg Radio Club contest committee thanks everyone for their participation. Certificates to all the entrants are being prepared. The certificates for the ZS4 Sprint are also being prepared to be mailed before the end of November.

Durban Amateur Radio Club 80 Metre QSO Party.

The results of the second leg of the 80 m QSO Party:
1st, Pieter Jacobs, ZS6XT 385 points
2nd, Warren Reilly, ZS4W 315 points
3rd, Andre Le Roux, ZS1JEN 265 points

Results, 1st Leg and 2nd Leg combined for 2012:
1st Pieter Jacobs ZS6XT 815
2nd Warren Reilly ZS4W 315.
3rd Nic Dreyer ZS6NCK 310.

Congratulations to Pieter Jacobs, ZS6XT.

The Senior Scout Cedarberg Adventure will be taking place from 10 to 22 December 2012. The SARL will host the Radio Base from Matjiesrivier. Contact Riaan, ZS4PR, if you would like to become part of the base staff. For further details send e-mail to zs4pr@qsl.net.

CLUB NEWS

The new committee for the Sasolburg Radio Club is:
Chairman: Riaan Greef,f ZS4PR
Vice-Chairman: Erich Jannasch, ZS4VW
Secretary/Treasurer: Amanda Greeff, ZR6AGS
QRX, SA-QSL and Contests: Jaco Le Roux, ZS6PX
Technical manager: Ockerd Taljaard, ZS4LZ

All of the best for the team that has been elected at the recent AGM held 2012:10:13.

PROPAGATION REPORT

Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the spell of low solar activity was broken during the week when a new sunspot unleashed an M1.7-class flare. There are also possibilities of further flaring.

If you want to do your own frequency predictions, the expected effective sunspot number for the week will be around 53.

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. There will also be frequent 10 m openings.

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

DIARY OF EVENTS
11 November – Pears HF DX contest.
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.
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.

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