SARL NEWS SUNDAY 2 MARCH 2014
Good morning, 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.
SILENT KEY
It is with regret that the SARL is announcing the passing away of Dave Larsen, ZS6DN.
Driving between Pretoria and Johannesburg, many a traveller has been intrigued by a farm of antenna masts on the hill overlooking the main road to the OR Tambo International Airport. Turning off the main road down a narrow farm track one finds the sign "SALBU" the home, the office, the research laboratories of Dave Larsen, ZS6DN, until recently South Africa's living legend of radio. His key has now become silent on 26 February 2014 at the age of 81.
During his life time he worked in the interest of Radio and Amateur Radio technology development. He installed and maintained a 5 five band HF beacon as part of an international Amateur Radio propagation research programme. The multi-band HF beacon is operational from Salbu, replacing the 14100 kHz beacon of which Dave has been the custodian since the inception of the programme many years ago. The beacon operates on 14100, 18110, 21150, 24930 and 28200 kHz.
During the seventies Dave and his team evolved an HF frequency hopping system. The concept was initially rejected by the experts at the time. Some 15 years later the authorative publication, Janes Defence weekly wrote in the 11 July 1987 edition : "Frequency hopping is probably the most popular spread spectrum technique. Claimed to have been pioneered in South Africa, it now appears in tactical equipment manufactured by most of the major international radio communication companies."
In 1989 Dave Larsen, ZS5DN was awarded the Order of the Star of South Africa Grand Officer in recognition of his contribution to electronics.
Today's Amateur Radio Today programme will take an in-depth look at the contribution Dave Larsen has made to the development of radio and amateur radio including historical audio featuring Dave talking about the development of SSB in South Africa. It is on the air a 10 am.
To his wife, family and friend's we offer our sincere condolences.
(Silence)
IN TODAY'S SARL NEWS:
GAREC 2014 TO BE HELD IN CONJUNCTION WITH 2014 HUNTSVILLE HAMFEST
2014 SARL NATIONAL CONVENTION
RESULTS OF THE PEARS NATIONAL VHF/UHF CONTEST
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).
GAREC 2014 TO BE HELD IN CONJUNCTION WITH 2014 HUNTSVILLE HAMFEST
The 2014 Global Amateur Radio Emergency Conference will be held this year just prior to the Huntsville Hamfest, in Huntsville Alabama. The conference will take place on 14 and 15 August at the Embassy Suites Hotel which is adjacent to the convention venue at the Von Braun Convention Centre. The Hamfest will immediately follow on the weekend of 16 and 17 August. Planners of the 2014 Global Amateur Radio Emergency Conference say that all emergency communication minded radio amateurs and professionals planners from around the world are invited to attend. They add that the conference agenda, full information and a website are currently being developed.
LEAGUE NEWS
2014 SARL NATIONAL CONVENTION
The Magalies Radio Amateur Club hosts the 2014 SARL National Convention in Pretoria from 11 - 13 April 2014. The venue is the Furrow Lane Hotel and Convention Centre in Pretoria. Visit the SARL web for full details of the programme and the booking form. If you are only attending the AGM and not the many other activities it is still necessary to complete the registration form so that adequate seating and refreshment arrangements can be made. It promises to be a weekend of great amateur radio fun with many side shows to keep the ladies entertained.
On Friday 11 April 2014 delegates arrive from 13:00 and can register at the Furrow Lane Hotel and enjoy the lush garden setting. The formal event starts at 18:30 with welcoming braai in the Lapa. The guest speaker will be Brian Frazer talking about "Monitoring sunspot and solar activities by monitoring ultra low frequencies".
On Saturday 12 April registration for the AGM starts at 07:30 with the meeting starting at 9 am..
During Saturday there will be many display of interest to visit during the tea break and in the afternoon with interesting side shows including : Plan your off-site/off road power requirements, Two-way Radio for Dummies and a talk by SABC Voetspore Host, Johan Badenhorst sharing his experiences and communication challenges during the Voetspore team's journeys through Africa. For the ladies there will be fashion shows, and hair and make-up demonstrations.
At 19:00 on the Saturday evening is the Gala Dinner where the annual awards will be presented. The guest speaker will be Dr Kobus Botha who will talk about real-time weather photo's and the systems involved. The latest amateur radio equipment will be on display. It is an event you should not miss. The general public is invited. Book now at www.sarl.org.za and the link from the home page.
JOIN THE SARL YOUTH FACEBOOK PAGE
The Council of the SARL has appointed Michel Mynhardt, ZS6YH as youth coordinator. Mitchel has already set up a facebook page "SARL YOUTH" if you are a young radio amateur or have an interest in becoming a radio amateur join the facebook page now and keep up to date with youth events. Also visit www.hamradio.org.za.
Did you know that the SARL has a youth category in all its contests? Find out more on www.hamradio.org.za
SARL MEMBERSHIP
Applications for membership of the SARL have been received from the following persons:
Koos Verhoef, ZS1KV;
Stephen Wellington, ZR6SFW;
Martin Swanepoel, ZSL1090;
Dave Lloyd, ZS6ACC;
Andries Lategan, ZSL1091.
Any objections against the acceptance of the applications must reach the Secretary before or on the Tuesday after this bulletin.
The SARL member count is now 1698
COMPETITION NEWS
RESULTS OF THE PEARS NATIONAL VHF/UHF CONTEST
All five bands 50, 70, 144, 432 and 1296 MHz were in use as reflected in the 24 logs received from divisions 1, 2, 3 and 6, covering the categories Base, Field, Limited and Rover.
GRAND OVERALL ANALOGUE WINNER
Overall Winner: Terence van der Linden ZS2VDL - 26 737 points 1st Runner-up: Allan Bowles - 22 484 points 2nd Runner-up: Andre Potgieter ZS2ZA - 5559 points
OVERALL DIGITAL WINNER
Overall Winner: Andre Botes ZS2ACP - 4320 points
1st Runner-up: Dick Coates ZS6BUN - 3150 points
2nd Runner-up: Sian van Deventer ZS3SVD - 1264 points
LIMITED CATEGORY
Overall Winner: Alex Gogos ZR2T - 16 618 points
Runner-up: George Pearson ZS2E - 1012 points
ROVER CATEGORY
Overall Winner: Mandy La Mude ZS2AV/R - 2184 points
Runner-up: Andrew GrayZS2G/R - 1404 points
DIVISIONAL ANALOGUE WINNERS
Division 1
Base Station Winner: Chris Tippett ZS1CEV - 1682 points
Division 2
Base Station Winner: Ken Victor ZS2OC - 2232 points
Field Station Winner: Terence van der Linden, ZS2VDL - 26737 points
Division 3
Base Station Winner: Sian van Deventer, ZS3SVD - 1074 points
Division 6
Base Station Winner: Koos du Plessis, ZS6BFD - 3408 points
WINNERS OF LONGEST DISTANCES ACHIEVED ABOVE 400 KM
50 MHz Digital
Winner: Andre Botes, ZS2ACP & Dick Coates, ZS6BUN - 882 km
144 MHz Analogue
Winner: Sian van Deventer, ZS3SVD & Koos du Plessis, ZS6BFD - 427 km
Please note that the complete scores of all the logs will be posted on the SARL VHF Forum and also published in the PEARS newsletter QSX. PEARS would like to express their thanks to all those who supported the contest and helped to keep VHF contests alive.
SARL HAMNET 40 M SIMULATED EMERGENCY CONTEST
This popular contest is on the air from 12:00 to 14:00 UTC this afternoon. It is a phone contest in the band segments 7 063 to 7 100 kHz and 7 130 to 7 200 kHz. Participation may be as a Single operator stationary mobile; a Single operator portable; a Multi-operator portable or a Single operator base station. It is open to all radio amateurs in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Mozambique, Lesotho, Marion Island and South African Antarctica. Only contacts with these areas will count.
The exchange is a signal report followed by a three-figure number as determined by the category of participation. Logs must be sent by 10 March to Hamnet Eastern Cape, Al Akers, ZS2U, 53 Clarence Street, Westering, Port Elizabeth, 6025 or by e-mail to contest@peham.co.za.
Get the complete rules for both contests in the 2014 SARL Contest Manual.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the expected solar activity will be at active levels. The Earth facing side of the sun is peppered with small to mid sized sunspots with Sunspot AR1990 posing a threat 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 125.
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 may also be some 6 m openings in the early evenings.
Please visit the website spaceweather.sansa.org.za for further information.
DIARY OF EVENTS
02 March - Hamnet 40 mSimulated Emergency Contest 12:00 to 14:00 UTC.
10 March - Last day to submit Hamnet Simulated Emergency Contest logs to contest@peham.co.za.
15 March - Last day to submit proposals for papers for the 2014 SA AMSAT space symposium to saamsat@intekom.co.za.
31 March - Closing date for submission of proposals for the School Satellite Project to SA AMSAT. Visit www.amsatsa.org.za
The 2014 SARL Diary of Events is available for download from www.sarl.org.za. Get a copy and keep it handy in your radio shack.
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 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 16:30 UTC on 4 895 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
