SARL NEWS SUNDAY 13 OCTOBER 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 MHz from Pretoria, with a relay on 7,066 MHz SSB. (Other news readers change to suit).
IN THE NEWS TODAY
ICASA SAYS IT HAS ISSUED ALL OUTSTANDING AMATEUR LICENCES
SARL@HOME NOW ON 30 NOVEMBER
ESSAY COMPETITION FOR LEARNERS LAUNCHED
5 260 kHz REPORTS URGENTLY NEEDED
THE SOUTH ATLANTIC ANOMALY
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more details on these and other important and interesting items.
ICASA SAYS IT HAS ISSUED ALL OUTSTANDING AMATEUR LICENCES
At the quarterly SARL/ICASA liaison meeting held on Thursday last week, ICASA confirmed that all outstanding one year and multiyear licenses have been issued and posted. If you have not received your license please send an email to dkuhrau@icasa.org.za with your full names, callsign and address details.
The meeting also discussed the corrections to the amateur regulations. Now that the legal case, which was holding up any changes to the regulations, has been removed from the court roll and the issue is being negotiated between the two parties, work on the revised regulations will start. The SARL has requested ICASA to separate annexure H from the main body of the regulations, as changes to the table of amateur frequencies is determined by the national table of frequency allocations which was gazetted earlier this year. This means that Annex H does not require public consultation. ICASA is investigating the SARL proposal and has undertaking to advise the SARL within the next two weeks of the outcome.
SARL@HOME NOW ON 30 NOVEMBER
The next SARL@Home will be held at the National Amateur Radio Centre on 30 November and not next week as reported in last week's SARL News. The reason is the delay in the production of the CD and supporting material for the event. The workshop will run from 09:00 - 13:00.
In a practical session participants will be shown how to work with surface mount components and will build a low power FM transmitter or as it is called a bug. The event will be supported with a CD with the presentation, videos and details about the FM transmitter The transmitter or FM bug is an ideal gadget in the shack to retransmit audio from a receiver on a free FM channel around the house. The cost for the event will be R200 for SARL members and R300 for non-members including the CD and kit of parts. Bookings will open on the SARL web soon. Only 20 participants can be accepted. Participants must bring their own soldering station and magnifying glass. Magnifying glasses can be ordered as an extra. Full details will be on the booking form.
ESSAY COMPETITION FOR LEARNERS LAUNCHED
As part of SARL Youth Week 2014 which will be held from 10 - 15 February 2014, the SARL has launched an essay competition with the theme "Amateur Radio your gateway to a career in engineering and science." Young people under age of 20 are invited to put pen to paper, or may be more appropriate today, hands to the keyboard and explore how amateur radio has shaped the development of radio science and how amateur radio can be a gateway into a career into the engineering and science.
The competition has been divided into two age groups, one for under 15 years and the other for 15 to 20 years old. The winner in each category will be presented with a laptop at the SARL annual dinner in April 2014 and the best entry will be receiving from RS components a Raspberry Pi complete with screen, keyboard and mouse.
Entries may be in any of South Africa's official languages. The closing date is on 28 February 2014. More detail can be found on www.hamradio.org.za.
GET READY FOR THE RaDAR CONTEST ON 2 NOVEMBER 2013
The RaDAR contest is an event aimed at promoting the use of Rapidly Deployable Amateur Radio stations. This contest is for all licensed radio Amateurs. A choice is made prior to the contest to participate in one of the defined categories. The points system is so structured as to encourage portable operation especially moveable stations.
The contest will be held on 2 November 2013, starting at 14:00 UTC and ending at 18:00 UTC. All amateur bands, besides the WARC bands, are allowed including cross band contacts via amateur radio satellites. Modes - CW, SSB, AM, FM or any digital mode. QSOs via terrestrial repeaters will not be allowed.
Watch a promotional video on Amateur Radio Today page on www.sarl.org.za.
5 260 kHz REPORTS URGENTLY NEEDED
An interim report to ICASA is due this month. Please send in your logs with a brief description of the equipment you are using and antenna details. The log must include both your locator and the one of the stations you made contact with.
Please send a copy as soon as possible to propresearch@sarl.org.za.
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS AND NOMINATIONS
Applications for membership have been received from the following radio amateurs:
ZS6AMA, Mark Feldman (was a member 10 years ago); Richard Rabe, ZS6RAR; Alan Beacham, ZS1AJB.
Any objections against acception of these applications must reach the Secretary on or before the Tuesday following this bulletin.
Members and clubs are reminded that nominations for members of the SARL Council must reach the Secretary not later than 31 January 2014.
According to the motion approved at the 2013 AGM, may members and clubs now submit nominations. The exact rules which are included in the SARL constitution may be read on the SARL web site. Nominations must be seconded by at least ten SARL members. A nomination form is available on request from secretary@sarl.org.za. To maintain a balance between continuity and renewal, it is necessary to obtain new councilors. Please submit your nominations early so that the porridge does not drop on the ground.
THE SOUTH ATLANTIC ANOMALY
The Bermuda Triangle, covering an area north of the Carribbean Sea, is well known for the mysterious disappearances of ships and aircraft that resulted in many myths and theories. But a real "Bermuda Triangle" does exist in the South Atlantic near Brazil that is very dangerous for high flying aircraft and satellites.
Since the magnetic south pole is about 25 degrees from the south rotational pole, the inner Van Allen radiation belt is sharply tilted to the south magnetic pole and almost touches the surface. The inner and outer Van Allen belts are shaped by the solar wind and as the whole system spins it causes changes in the South Atlantic Anomaly throughout the day: growing and shrinking, and changing intensity from strongest at noon to weakest at midnight. Their energies range from 100 - 400 keV and could penetrate 140 mm of lead. All electronics of satellites passing through this anomaly must be shielded and sensitive sensors turned off for the duration of the pass.
Rhodes University Physics Dept. made many observations of the South Atlantic Anomaly including the time when the SA Agulhas criss-crossed this region; they recorded a lot of Sporadic-E at night. In 2008 Denmark erected a magnetometer station on Tristan, the centre of the South Atlantic Anomaly, to observe and record the magnetic field of the Earth.
CQ HOU KOERS AND JAMBOREE ON THE AIR
ICASA has granted blanket permission for young people to operate amateur radio equipment during the two events under strict personal supervision of a licensed radio amateur. Show them how to operate, sit back, watch them and let the young people experience amateur radio hands-on, even calling CQ. On the log it must be indicated under who's supervision the station was operated.
ALBERTON AMATEUR RADIO CLUB OFFERS ASSISTANCE TO ERB CLUBHOUSE CONSTRUCTION
The East Rand Radio Club herewith extends a warm thank you to the Alberton Amateur Radio Club for assistance rendered.
The East Rand Radio Club is busy constructing a new clubhouse and needs many donations to get this clubhouse finished. OM Koos, ZS6JPY, and Michelle, ZS6TO, of the Alberton Amateur Radio Club kindly donated a 6 meter used shipping container as well as a 25 meter mast and JASCO Multiband Antenna.
The mast and antenna will be erected outside the new clubhouse and the container itself will form part of the clubhouse. ERB Members have been contributing towards a building fund and we are proud to announce that construction will start as soon as the paperwork is completed.
The ERB Committee signed a lease agreement with the SA Scouting Association this past week for a long term lease at Arrowe Park in Benoni.
If you want to be part of a long standing radio club with many traditions and good values, why don't you join the East Rand Radio Club now and help them preserve a great hobby.
Individuals and organisations are invited to donate funds to the building of the new ERB Clubhouse. For more information on where you can deposit funds or render assistance contact our Honorary Secretary Judy Pretorius via e-mail on zs6erb@gmail.com.
NEW CLUB COMMITTEE
At the AGM of the Bloemfontein ARC held on 28 September, the following members were elected to serve on the committee:
Chairman: Brendon Muller, ZS4BM
Vice Chairman: Warren Reilly, ZS4W
Secretary: Jennie Reily, ZS4J
Treasurer: Frans Marais, ZS4FM
Members: Aldo le Roux, ZS4AL (Contests)
Chris Visagie, ZS4CV
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the expected solar activity will be at moderate levels. Sunspot AR 1 865 has a "beta-gamma-delta" magnetic field that harbours enough energy for X-class solar flares.
If you want to do your own frequency predictions, the expected effective sunspot number for the week will be around 55.
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.
Please visit the new website spaceweather.sansa.org.za for further information.
DIARY OF EVENTS
12 October - Antique Wireless Association AM valve QSO party 15:00 to 19:00 CAT.
13 October - Antique Wireless Association SSB valve QSO party 15:00 to 19:00 CAT.
17 October - Radio Amateur Examination.
19 October - CQ Hou Koers.
22 October - High Altitude Balloon Experiment at 19:00 at the 9th Benoni Scout Hall, Ebenezer Road, Benoni.
31 October – Log sheets for Antique Wireless Association valve QSO party to be in.
02 November – RaDAR competition 14:00 – 18:00 UTC.
30 November - High Altitude Balloon launch from Klerksdorp airport between 06:00 and 08:00.
30 November - SARL@Home at the National Amateur Radio Centre.
31 December - Last day to submit amateur radio video; get details from www.amateurradio.org.za.
28 February 2014 – Closing date for Youth Essay Competition.
The SARL 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 17 660 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
