SARL NEWS SUNDAY 12 May 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 and 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:
ICASA ANSWERS QUESTIONS AROUND PAYMENTS AND LICENCES
NOMINATIONS FOR MTN RADIO AMATEUR OF THE YEAR AWARDS INVITED
NEW SAATI AWARD
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more details on these and other important and interesting items.
ICASA ANSWERS QUESTIONS AROUND PAYMENTS AND LICENCES
Following requests from members the SARL asked ICASA to clarify license payments and the issuing of licence documents. In its reply ICASA said that multiple year licences are not issued automatically after payment of the prescribed fees. A renewal application form for such a licence must first be submitted and the Authority has started to implement this process from the 2013/14 licence year. Any licensee who has paid the fee for a multiple year licence during the previous licence year must still submit the application form before the licence period can be amended. Licensees who do not submit the application form will be credited with the amount paid which will be off-set against the annual licence fees and a new invoice will be rendered once the fee is used after the fourth year.
"A licensee may request that a licence be issued for a period of one to five years. The application forms that were distributed and used by the Authority for this licence year did not provide for an indication of the period requested. It was therefore the responsibility of the licensee to indicate separately the amount of years that the licence must be issued for. The majority of radio amateurs have merely completed the application form which shows only the intent to renew the licence. The Authority has therefore issued annual licences to those licensees that did not indicate the amount of years to be licensed. They can still indicate their intent to amend the licence period after which a new updated licence will be issued."
"The Authority had some challenges this licence year in acquiring the licence stationary which lead to a delay in issuing the paid-up licences. All these licences have now been issued and posted and licensees should receive their licences in due course.
If you have not completed form B, please do so. It is available on the SARL home page.
LAST CHANCE TO BOOK FOR THE SA AMSAT SPACE SYMPOSIUM
Don't miss the 2013 SA AMSAT Space Symposium. It will take place on Saturday 18 May 2013 at the Innovation Centre in Pretoria. Booking can be accepted till Thursday this week. Get details on www.amsatsa.org.za. You may also book online and pay at the door on arrival.
The programme has something for every interest. Make this year's event a success. Durban had 80 delegates attending, for this year we are still very far short of that number. Book now!
ANTENNA DEFENCE FUND NOW AT R61 750
The Antenna Defense fund now stands at R61 750 thanks to a donation from the members of the Hibiscus Coast Amateur Radio Club - ZS5HAC. At the SARL Annual General Meeting, SARL Legal Adviser, Johann Marais, ZS1JM, presented an update on the work done to date. Full details about the funds, who have contributed, how to support the initiative and the AGM presentation are available on the web at www.amateurradio.org.za/ADF.htm.
NOMINATIONS FOR MTN RADIO AMATEUR OF THE YEAR AWARDS INVITED
The South African Amateur Radio Development Trust invites nominations for the 2013 MTN Radio Amateur of the Year Awards. There are three award categories: Garth Milne Technical Innovation Award, MTN Radio Amateur of the Year Award and the MTN Amateur Radio Community Service Award.
The Garth Milne technical innovation award is made for the support, development and application of Technological Innovation in Amateur in South Africa. The recipient will be a person who has promoted the use of technology in amateur radio at club level, nationally, at schools or tertiary education institutions.
The MTN radio amateur of the year award is made for the support and development of the Amateur Radio Service in South Africa, not for individual achievements such as DXCC and other operational awards or contests. The recipient will be a person who has given of his or her expertise and time to the promotion of Amateur Radio in South Africa.
The MTN amateur radio community service award recognises a radio amateur or a group of radio amateurs for service to the community. Community service can be assistance to a handicapped radio amateur, communications support during a sporting event or a disaster situation like a road accident or a natural disaster like a flood, veld fires, or an earthquake. Nominations are invited for an individual or a group of people like a radio club, or an association.
Each award carries a R2 000 cash award and a 2013 ARRL Handbook. Nomination forms and full details are available on www.amateurradio.org.za. The closing date for nomination is 10 June with the award presentation on 26 June 2013 at a lunch at the Mid Rand Protea Hotel.
NEW SAATI AWARD
One of the functions of a national body for amateur radio is to recognise outstanding ability and achievements on a national level. The South African Radio League (SARL) has done this for many years, providing a variety of awards for both service and operating achievements.
The South African Amateur Telecommunication Institute (SAATI) has tasked the SARL to present an annual award on its behalf. Thanks to some recent substantial donations by SAATI, the SARL is in a position to honour outstanding development work by radio amateurs in the digital field. This will be done by means of the SAATI award, an award of R4 000 for development work in the digital field, on either hardware or software.
SARL members and affiliated clubs may nominate a radio amateur at any time. The award nominations close on 31 January and will be presented at the following SARL AGM. Nominations should include a detailed motivation setting out what the nominee has achieved and what the impact of his development is making on amateur radio.
Address nominations to the secretary@sarl.org.za or contact the Secretary or the Awards Manager for assistance.
The SARL takes this oppurtunity to thank SAATI for their donation on behalf of all South African amateurs.
COMPETITIONS
80 METRE QSO PARTY MARCH 2013 RESULTS
52 stations operated during the contest and 11 logs were received. The results are as follows:
1. ZS3R, Christopher van Rensburg 485.
2. ZS6LH, Lukas Holtshausen 430
3. ZS1ZS, Abe Zwiegelaar 425.
4. ZS5ME, Dawn Snyders 345.
5. ZR6DNS, Denis Wheeler 290
6. ZS6KN, Ken Gurr 250
7. ZS1VK, Russell Mycroft 205
8. ZR6MS, Marius Snyman 160
9. ZS4BS, Dennis Green 160
10. ZS6BNE, Eddie Leighton 130.
11. ZS5KL, Kurt Linsin 30.
Divisional Results as follows:
Div 6 20.
1 12.
5 7.
4 7.
2 5.
Other 3.
THE DAY OF YLs 2013
The SA YL Group would appreciate your involvement in this event.
For the 3rd time in the world, "THE DAY OF YLs" takes place from 06:00 UTC on 18 May till 18:00 UTC 19 May 2013.
The aim of the days is to promote YL’s activity around the world but of course all OMs are invited to participate.
Bands to use are: 3,5 - 7 - 14 - 21 - 28 MHz.
To help competitors to find each other it is proposed to use frequencies +/- 10 kHz from the following activity center frequencies:
CW: 3,533, 7,033, 14,033, 21,033 and 28,033 MHz
RTTY: 3,588, 7,044, 14,088, 21,088 and 28,088 MHz
SSB: 3,733, 7,133, 14,213, 14,240, 14,300, 21,233, 21.400 and 28,433 MHz
Exchanges: RS(T) + YL/OM (e.g. 59(9)+ YL/OM) The same station may be worked once on each band and mode.
Points accumulate as follows:
For OM/YL 2 points
For YL/YL 3 points
For YL/OM 1 point.
Mail logs to f5isy@orange.fr not later than 26 May.
CLUB NEWS
KARTS FLEA MARKET AND AWA OPEN DAY
The Kempton Park Amateur Radio Technical Society (KARTS) and the Antique Wireless Associations (AWA) have joined forces to present a combined flea market and AWA open day event on Saturday 1 June from 08:00 onwards.
It will be held at the Impala Voortrekkers Centre, Rooibos Avenue, Allen Grove, Kempton Park. Visit the KARTS website at www.zs6kts.co.za/ if necessary.
There will be the usual display of antique radios and associated equipment.
This event promises to be a most interesting, enjoyable and memorable day.
For table bookings or any queries, contact Selwyn, ZS6SEL, at 082 804 2782 or email to zs6sel@gmail.com or Nico, ZS6QL, at 083 269 9939 or email to nicolaasv@mweb.co.za.
KARTS and AWA are looking forward to seeing you there!
DURBAN ARC COMMITTEE
At the Durban ARC AGM on the 4 May 2013, the members decided unanimously to re-elect the full previous committee for the 2013/4 season.
The committee is as follows:
Chairman: Louis de Bruin, ZS5LP
Vice chairman: Neil Slogrove, ZR5NAS
Secretary: Kurt Linsin, ZS5KL
Treasurer: Louis de Bruin, ZS5LP.
Members: Aubrey Worthington ZS5L
John Norman ZS5JX
Alan Bartlett ZS5ADP (technical)
Glen Meyer ZS5GM (IT)
Sean Beukes (co-op general).
The Durban ARC has 40 members, including 4 new members who joined since 1 March 2013.
Their monthly open day/swopshop will, as in the past, be held the first Saturday of every month at the Dutch Club, Tara Road, Bluff, where they gather from 10:00 until 14:00 where The Dutch Club's facilities are available to visitors.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the solar activity is expected to be at low levels. The sun is peppered with several large sunspots but only AR1 736 has a beta-gamma class magnetic field that harbours enough energy for M-class flares.
If you want to do your own frequency predictions, the expected effective sunspot number for the week will be around 69.
All the bands from 20 to 10 m will provide lots of DX fun with 20 m providing the best openings with 15 m not far behind. There will also be some good 10 m openings on sunlit paths.
Please visit www.spaceweather.co.za for further information.
DIARY OF EVENTS
12 May – This afternoon 15:00 to 19:00 CAT Antique Wireless Association SSB Valve QSO Party.
13 May – Log sheets for ZS 3 sprint to be in to zs3nc@qsl.net.
16 May – Last day to book for the SA AMSAT annual space symposium in Pretoria at the Innovation Hub on Saturday 18 May 2012, visit www.amsatsa.org.za.
18 May – SA AMSAT SPACE SYMPOSIUM at the Innovation Hub in Pretoria.
26 May – Logs for The Day of the YLs to be in to f5isy@orange.fr.
31 May – Last day to submit suggestions on the type of activity young Amateurs in South Africa would like to see included in 2014 Youth Week programme. Send your suggestions to youth@sarl.org.za.
31 May – Last day to submit logs for the Antique Wireless Association AM/SSB Valve QSO Party to andy.cairns@xsinet.co.za.
15/16 June – First weekend of International Museums Weekend special event, register your museum station at www.ukradioamateur.co.uk/imw.
22/23 June – Second weekend of International Museums Weekend special event.
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, 7 025, and 17 660 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 16:30 UTC on 3 230 kHz. The website also lists various other retransmissions. Reception reports, comments and suggestions are invited. Send an email 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
