SARL NEWS SUNDAY 19 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:

MEMBERS CAN DOWNLOAD SARL LOGO'S

UPDATE YOUR REPEATER INFORMATION

CHANGES TO ALL AFRICA AWARD

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

SILENT KEY
Mike Lauterbach, ZS5ML, secretary of MARC reported that the key of Fred Straus, ZS5AS, went silent during the previous month. The SARL would like to offer our condolences to Fred’s family and friends.

NEWS FROM THE SARL COUNCIL
During a SARL Council Meeting that was held on the 15th of May a change to the rules for the All Africa Reward was decided on. This is the topic of a separate item in today’s bulletin.

It was also decided that the 2014 AGM will be held on Saturday, 12 April 2014. The ‘Magalies Radioamateurklub’ (MRK) will be the hosts of this event. The place and other arrangements will be announced on the SARL website and on the SARL News Bulletin.

MEMBERS CAN DOWNLOAD SARL LOGO'S
A new feature has been added to the member's only section of the SARL web which will allow members to download the SARL logo for use on QSL cards and their own stationary or websites. The download page has logos in various formats with instructions on how and where the logos may be used as well as information on preferred type faces. Go to www.sarl.org.za and click on the member's only button on the top right-hand of the home page and from there follow the links.

UPDATE YOUR REPEATER INFORMATION
The long awaited Repeater Data Base programme is ready for use by all amateur repeater owners in South Africa. The problems with the hosting ISP has been resolved and after extensive on-line testing and debugging of the Data Base the program is now available to update all the information of repeaters owned by clubs or individuals.
To use the program go to www.zs6fz.co.za/ click on 'Log In', click on "Create a new user' and follow the instructions to register. After the registration, log in with your username and password, claim your respective repeaters and start updating the information.
The next step will be to integrate the facility in the SARL web system but in the interim please update the information as soon as possible. All repeater related requests and applications for repeaters should be addressed to repeater@sarl.org.za.

CHANGES TO ALL AFRICA AWARD
The council of the SARL have accepted a proposal to allow credits on Logbook of The World (LoTW) to be used when submitting applications for the All Africa Award. The rules are currently being modified. Once finalised the new rules and details on how to use LoTW credits will be published after which applications can be submitted. Details will be given in SARL News and on the SARL Web pages.

5 MHZ OPERATION ALREADY SHOWING INTERESTING PROPAGATION PATHS
A large number of SARL members have already registered to operate on the 5MHz band. The SARL recently purchased licenses for two frequencies, 5250 and 5260 kHz. The two frequencies are only available to SARL members who have registered. Check the website on www.sarl.org.za and select 'Propagation Research' in the left hand panel and follow the links. If your name and callsign are not listed you may not operate on the two 5 MHz frequencies. Use by unregistered persons amounts to unauthorised use and could result being fined by the licensing authority. Registration is normally completed within 3 days.

The SARL is considering various proposals for propagation experiments on 5250 kHz and hold a teleconference on Wednesday 22 May at 20:00 to discuss proposals. Some proposals have already been received and are being evaluated. If you have ideas, submit a proposal in as much detail as possible. Include your contact details so that you can be invited to the teleconference and receive a copy of all the proposals on the agenda. Proposals should be sent to propresearch@sarl.org.za by Tuesday afternoon 21 May. Only a maximum of 10 participants can be accommodated on the teleconference and only landlines can be accommodated.

SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE FOR SKA
The first scientific paper based on observations performed with South Africa's new KAT-7 radio telescope, has been accepted for publication by the prestigious journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomy Society. "This is a significant milestone for South Africa's SKA project, proving that our engineers are able to deliver a cutting-edge scientific instrument, and that our scientists are able to use it for frontier science," says Derek Hanekom, Minister of Science and Technology. "It bodes well for the delivery of our 64-dish MeerKAT telescope, currently under construction in the Karoo, and for our ability to play a key role in building and commissioning thousands of SKA antennas over the next ten years."

Using the new KAT-7 telescope in the Karoo and the existing 26 m radio telescope at the Hartebeesthoek Radio Astronomy Observatory (HartRAO), South African and international astronomers have observed a neutron star system known as Circinus X-1 as it fires energetic matter from its core in extensive, compact jets that flare brightly. The details of the flares are visible only in radio waves.
Read the full story and watch a brief video on www.amsatsa.org.za/

RSGB CENTENARY PLAQUE TO BE UNVEILED BY PRINCE PHILIP

2013 marks the Centenary of the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) the 20 000 strong body that represents Britain's radio amateurs. The RSGB announced that its Patron, HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, KG, KT will be joining the Society for Centenary Day at the National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park on 5 July 2013. He will meet with Members and invited guests before unveiling a plaque to commemorate the Centenary. A number of activities, talks and displays are planned in which RSGB Members and members of the public can take part during the day. If you are in the UK on 5 July head to Bletchley Park for a Royal event!

THE DAY OF YLs 2013
The SA YL Group would appreciate your involvement in this event which is currently taking place.

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.

COMPETITION NEWS
The May 2013 issue of CQ Magazine lists the results of the 2012 CQ WW DX CW Contest held in November 2012. There is a good showing of stations from Southern Africa.

Congratulations to Bernie van der Walt, ZS4TX, who achieved second place in the World in the Single Operator High Power 15 metre category. Congratulations also to 7P8D, who achieved a second place in Africa in the multi-operator two-transmitter category and 41st out of 72 stations worldwide.

The second leg of the SARL Digital Contest will be run on Sunday 26 May from 13:00 to 16:00 UTC with PSK and RTTY operation on 80, 40 and 20 metres. A station my be contacted twice per band, once on PSK and once on RTTY. The exchange is a RST report and a serial number starting at 001. Log sheets must be submitted by Monday 3 June to contest@sarl.org.za. Find the rules on page 42 of the 2013 SARL Contest Manual.

The CQ WW WPX CW Contest is on the air from 00:01 UTC Saturday 25 May until 23:59 UTC on Sunday 26 May with activity on 160, 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 metres. The exchange is a RST report and a serial number starting at 001. Single operators may only work 36 of the 48 hours. Find all the rules at www.cqwpx.com/rules.htm




CLUB NEWS
No Club news was received the previous week.

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.


HF PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the solar activity is expected to be at moderate levels. The sun is peppered with several large sunspots but only AR1748 has a delta class magnetic field that harbours enough energy for X-class flares.

If you want to do your own frequency predictions, the expected effective sunspot number for the week will be around 89. The geomagnetic field may be unsettled.

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 some good 10 m openings on sunlit paths.

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

DIARY OF EVENTS
25/26 May – CQ WW WPX CW Contest
26 May - Second leg of the SARL Digital Contest
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.
2 June – Deadline for submitting SARL Digital Competition logs.
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.

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 Louis Kirstein, ZS1LK.

Thank you for listening, 73.

/EX