SARL NEWS SUNDAY 27 January 2013
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 the keys of two radio amateurs became silent recently. They are those of:
Les Smith, ZS1GR, due to a massive stroke on Saturday 5th January, and
Hein Frohnapfel, ZS6HFJ, member of the Noordwes Amateur Radio Club on Friday 25 January.
We extend sincere condolences to the families and friends of the deceased.
(PAUSE)
IN THE NEWS TODAY:
RE-APPLICATION FOR AN AMATEUR LICENCE
CLUBS AND HF ASSESSORS MUST REGISTER FOR THE MAY RAE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
ADF GETS A MAJOR BOOST
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more details on these and other important and interesting items.
RE-APPLICATION FOR AN AMATEUR LICENCE
ICASA recently published a Government Gazette with the requirements that every Radio Amateur must re-apply for his or her license by 25 January 2013. The SARL prepared a simplified form which has been approved by ICASA. It is available on www.sarl.org.za. If you missed the deadline, you can still complete the form and post or email the application to ICASA. Also fill in the section for late application and state "Just become aware of the requirement to reapply for my amateur license"
No fees are required and no new examinations. Simply complete the form, scan it and send by email or ordinary mail to ICASA. The SARL web has full detail of the email and postal address. There is also a guideline on how to fill in the form.
CLUBS AND HF ASSESSORS MUST REGISTER FOR THE MAY RAE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE
The SARL RAE Manager, Gideon Jannasch, ZS4GJA, last week announced the details of the 2013 RAE. The May examination will be held on 16 May 2013 and the October examination on 17 October 2013. Clubs wishing to manage an examination centre must complete the application form as soon as possible and mail it to rae@sarl.org.za. HF Assessors must also register as soon as possible.
Full details and all the forms are available on the SARL web under licensing. Select the RAE Administration button.
A new Regulation study guide is also available which contains a summary of all regulations pertaining to amateur radio. Any questions regarding the RAE should be sent to Gideon at rae@sarl.org.za.
ADF GETS A MAJOR BOOST
This week the SARL Antenna Defence Fund increased to R37 100 edging closer to the R50 000 target. To see a list of donors and to find out how to add your name and donation visit www.sarl.org.za and select Antenna Defence Fund from the left hand menu. This past week the Secunda Amateur Radio Club made a substantial donation. Our first contribution from industry came from Radio Accessories & Data Modems who made a R6 000 donation to the fund. Sam Ford and all the other donors, the SARL appreciates your support.
SA AMSAT CALL FOR PAPERS
Towards the end of last year SA AMSAT issued the first call for papers for the 2013 SA AMSAT Space Symposium which will be held at the Innovation Hub in Pretoria on 18 May 2013. The theme of the conference is "Space - a challenging Amateur Radio frontier".
If you are planning to submit a paper please send in a brief synopsis of the proposed paper by 31 January to saamsat@intekom.co.za. For more information visit www.amsatsa.org.za.
AMERICAN SCOUTS GET SPECIAL BADGE IF THEY ARE RADIO AMATEURS
The National Boy Scouts of America is now recognizing any youth or adult who has an amateur radio license with a special patch that can be displayed on the uniform. The patch, in the form of a strip, has the words: "Amateur Radio Operator" on it.
Jim Wilson, K5ND, is the BSA's director of communications services, but known in the amateur community as chairman of the national Radio Scouting Committee and national Jamboree on the Air organizer says that the recognition came from discussions that began some months ago with the scout committee that selects awards and insignia for the scout uniform. He says research shows amateur radio was recognized by the Scouts as early as the 1940s. At the time of writing SARLNEWS it could not be established if there is such a recognition for South African Scouts and Girl Guides and Voortrekkers but it is worth following it up by those involved.
MOTIONS FOR DISCUSSION AT THE SARL ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The closing date for motions and discussion items at the SARL Annual General Meeting is 31 January 2013. A motion must include a full motivation and must be signed by a proposer and seconder who both must be members of the South African Radio League. The address to email items for the AGM Agenda is secretary@sarl.org.za.
WAYNE MILLS, N7NG, NAMED CQ MAGAZINE DX EDITOR
Renowned DXer, DXpeditioner and contester Wayne Mills, N7NG, of Jackson, Wyoming, has been named CQ magazine's new DX Editor.
First licensed in 1953 at age 11, Mills began DXing in 1956 and went on his first DXpedition in 1985. He was part of the Zed-A-1-A team that reintroduced amateur radio to Albania in 1991, and the inaugural operation from the newly-independent Republic of Kosovo in 2008.
From 2000 to 2007, Mills was manager of the ARRL's Membership Services Department and worked on developing the Logbook of the World electronic confirmation system. He also set several contesting records over the years, but says he considers himself much more of a DXer than a contester.
N7NG will begin writing the CQ DX column as of the magazine's April 2013 issue. Mills who was a 1999 inductee into the CQ DX Hall of Fame succeeds Carl Smith, N4AA, who has stepped down after writing the magazine's DX column for 13 years.
NEW MEMBERS
The SARL welcomes 8 new radio amateurs WHO joined our organization as members. They are:
Peter Scott - ZR1KW
Leon Uys - ZS6ALU
Jacques Swanepoel - ZS6WDL
Machael Castelyn - ZS6BML
David Schofield - ZS6DOG
Mev J Snyman - ZS6JAQ
CC Mc Kenzie - ZS6AUF
Charles Derel van der Spuy Louw - ZR1ABA
The SARL’s membership is at present 1674.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the solar activity is expected to be at low to very low levels. None of the currently visible sunspots are actively flaring.
If you want to do your own frequency predictions, the expected effective sunspot number for the week will be around 47.
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 10 m openings on sunlit paths in the afternoons.
Please visit www.spaceweather.co.za for further information.
DIARY OF EVENTS
20 January – Last day of the PEARS National VHF/UHF contest.
26 January - SARL Summer QRP Contest 12:00 to 15:00 UTC.
31 January – Last day for submission of nominations for councilors for the next term and motions for the 2013 AGM.
31 January – Last day for submission of a brief outline of a proposed paper at the SA AMSAT Space Symposium on 18 May 2013 to saamsat@sarl.org.za.
31 January – Last day to submit applications for a SAARDT bursary by RAE students. Details from www.amateurradio.org.za.
2-3 February - AWA CW Activity.
9-10 February - SARL National Field Days.
23 February - SARL Youth Sprint 10:00 to 12:00 CAT with a special event starting at 09:00.
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 16:30 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 and edited by George Honiball, ZS6NE.
Thank you for listening, 73.
/EX
