SARL NEWS - SUNDAY 02 December 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 key of E I Terblanche, ZR2ET, became silent recently.
We extend our deepest sympathies to the relatives and friends of the deceased.
(PAUSE)
IN THE NEWS TODAY:
SARL LAUNCHES THE ANTENNA DEFENSE FUND
RECIPIENTS OF THE MTN RADIO AMATEUR OF THE YEAR AWARDS ANNOUNCED
NOMINATION OF COUNCILLORS
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more details on these and other important and interesting items.
SARL LAUNCHES THE ANTENNA DEFENSE FUND
While Radio Amateurs are exempted from having to apply for environmental scoping for antenna towers and structures under 15 metres, there are compulsory building plan and zoning Scheme regulations approvals required which administratively are a major challenge. The fees for a building plan approval vary from metro to metro but are on average R2 000. To this must be added the cost of advertising for objections in two newspapers which on average will cost around R3 000. The total cost for the basic application is around R5 000. There is always the possibility that someone may lodge an objection which can cause further complications and legal fees.
The Council of the SARL has decided to launch an appeal to the relative authorities to have amateur radio towers and antenna structures under 15 metres exempted from the current building regulations. To achieve this legal, environmental and structural experts will have to be engaged to prepare a submission.
At this stage it is expected that this may involve expenditure of up to R50 000. To fund this vital initiative the SARL Council has set up the Antenna Defence Fund (ADF) and is seeking contributions from radio amateurs. To contribute please make an electronic transfer to the SA Radio League at ABSA bank. The account number is 407 158 8849, the branch code is 632 005, also send an email to adf@sarl.org.za with the payment slip showing ADF, your name and callsign. A web page will be set up to list all the donors and information on the progress being made with the project. This is the ideal opportunity for members of the SARL and NON members to contribute to a very important case for amateur radio.
This project will be of the benefit to all radio amateurs and as it may affect you in the future we urge you to make a contribution. Council will, in their budget submission to the AGM in April 2013, make a proposal for some funding from the accumulated funds possibly on a Rand for Rand basis, in other words match the donations received by the ADF with an equivalent amount from reserve funds.
RECIPIENTS OF THE MTN RADIO AMATEUR OF THE YEAR AWARDS ANNOUNCED
At a gala lunch held on Wednesday last week, the South African Amateur Radio Development Trust presented the 2012 MTN Amateur Radio of the Year Awards.
The MTN Radio Amateur of the Year award was presented to Colin de Villiers, ZS6COL, for his support of Amateur Radio and the SARL. Colin has been involved in the creation and maintenance of the SARL database, liaison with ICASA to align the records of both organizations and many IT support projects that assist the office of the SARL to run efficiently. His latest project was the setup of an automatic receipt system, mailing members the confirmation of payment and their password for the SARL members section of the web.
"Colin has been of tremendous support of not just to the SARL but for all of amateur radio". SARL Vice President, Geoff Levey, ZS6GRL, said in his address congratulating the winners,
The MTN Garth Milne Technical Innovation Award was presented to Frederich Wolff, ZS6FZ, for his technological support at the 2012 Radio Technology in Action symposium and the development of a Software Defined Radio project that will continue to feature in future RTAs. Frik is also the SARL VHF, UHF and Microwave manager responsible for band planning and repeater coordination.
The MTN Amateur Radio Community Service Award was presented to Keith Lowes, ZS5WFD, for the role he is playing in HAMNET KwaZulu-Natal and the support of many sporting events such as the Comrade Marathon and cycle races. Currently he is preparing a team to support the annual Duzi Canoe Marathon.
The three award recipients were presented their awards, a 2012 ARRL Hardcover Handbook and a certificate, by Grace Mothusi, Senior Manager Public Sector MTN Business. They each also receive R1 000.
The Trustees made a special award to Dawie Conradie, ZR6DHC, for his promotion of Amateur Radio in Amateur Radio Today and on community radio. Dawie receives a 2012 ARRL hardcover handbook and a certificate of appreciation. See more on www.amateurradio.org.za.
NOMINATION OF COUNCILLORS
The time for nominating councilors and submitting motions, is approaching. The SARL is requesting each affiliated club, to nominate one or more of its members as councilors.
A councillor must be nominated by an SARL member and and seconded by another SARL member. The nomination must be accompanied by a short amateur radio based CV as well as a signed statement by the nominee that he is willing to serve as a councillor. Councillors should be experienced amateurs who can spend some hours per week on SARL business and can take part in council teleconference meetings.
The SARL makes extensive use of volunteers. Councillors and many other amateurs having special skills or experience, contribute their time and knowledge.
To operate effectively, many different skills are needed. At the moment it seems that there is a special need for a youth co-ordinator, for amateurs with website and database administration skills, for a forum administrator, an office manager to name but a few. There is also a need for more general skills.
Please send in your nominations now, there is no advantage in waiting until the last minute. Send nomination to secretary@sarl.org.za.
NEW MEMBERS
The SARL welcomes the following new amateurs and prospective amateurs as SARL members:
Petrus van Niekerk - ZSL1051
Warwick Chapman - ZSL1052
Kobus Chamberlain - ZSL1053
PRETORIA AMATEUR RADIO CLUB SUMMER FLEA MARKET
The Pretoria Amateur Radio club will be hosting their last flea market for this year, next Saturday, 8 December 2012 at PMC in Keuning Street, Silverton. The starting time is 08:00. If you want to book a table or if you need more information, contact Almero, ZS6LDP, on 083 938 8955 or by email to almero@up.ac.za.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the expected solar activity will be at low levels. Crackling with C- class solar flares, sunspot AR1623 is currently the most active region on the solar disk.
For those who want to do their own frequency predictions, the expected effective sunspot number for the week will be around 50.
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
02 December – SARL Digital Competition.
8 December - Pretoria Amateur Radio club flea market starting at 08:00.
31 January 2013 – Last day for submission of nominations for councilors for the next term and motions for the 2013 AGM.
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
