SARL NEWS SUNDAY 13 APRIL 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.

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).

SILENT KEY

It is with regret that we must announce that the key of OM Rinus Hartog went silent on Friday 4 April 2014. He was for years a listener and a member of the North West Amateur Radio Club, Klerksdorp. Our deepest condolences goes to the relatives and friends.

(PAUSE)

In the news today:

SARL CONVENTION A GREAT SUCCESS

SARL AGM ELECTS A NEW COUNCIL

AWARDS PRESENTATION

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

SARL CONVENTION A GREAT SUCCESS

The SARL Convention, which was held yesterday and hosted by the Magalies Radioamateurklub, was a great success with a number of exhibitors, presentations and activities for the ladies that were well attended. Congratulations to MRK for being an excellent organiser and host.

SARL AGM ELECTS A NEW COUNCIL

Following changes were accepted at the 2013 AGM:

The Council of the SARL will in future consist of 10 Councillors. In the election, the first one in many years, the following members were elected to serve on Council: Rassie Erasmus, ZS1YT, Geoff Levey, ZS6GRL, Fritz Sutherland, ZS6SF, Riaan Greef, ZS4PR, Dennis Green, ZS4BS ,Hans van de Groenendaal, ZS6AKV, Frik Wolff, ZS1FZ, Johann Marais, ZS1JM, Gideon Jannasch, ZS4GJA, and Nico Janse van Rensburg, ZS6QL.

At a brief council meeting held after the AGM Geoff Levey was elected as President, Fritz Sutherland as Vice President and Secretary and Riaan Greeff, ZS4PR, as treasurer. The Council will meet again today to elect the other portfolio holders.

The AGM also accepted the motion to introduce individual electronic voting. There was a fair amount of discussion and a few amendments dealing with timing were accepted.

5 MHz ACTIVITY WEEKEND ON 10 MAY 2014

A 5 MHz activity weekend will be held 10 and 11 May. A number of prizes can be won for stations participating in contacts on 5 260 kHz and submitting reception report of the KART beacon on 5 250 kHz which will operate in WSPR, CW and PSK 31. Full details will be published next weekend and after that on the SARL Web.

AWARDS PRESENTATION

At the annual awards dinner, awards were presented to the various amateurs and amateur radio clubs as follows:

Awards by the Council of the SARL.

SARL Honours

Honorary Life Membership - the SARL’s highest honour awarded to:
Colin de Villiers, ZS6COL
Peter Hers, ZS6PHD

Willie Wilson Gold Badge
For the amateur who rendered exceptional and meritorious service to the League to:
Fred Scheepers, ZS1FCS
Laurie Devereaux, ZS5DL

Jack Twine Merit Award
For the recogbition of qualities such as unselfishness, clean operating and a genuine interest in Amateur Radio and its affairs. This prestigious Award will be made to Amateurs who, in the opinion of their fellow amateurs and the League's Council, exemplify the qualities desirable in a Radio Amateur awarded to:
Jean de Villiers, ZS6ARA
Willem Badenhorst, ZS6WAB

President’s Award to:
Hans van de Groenendaal, ZS6AKV

Technical Awards:

Icom Excellence Award, the “premier” award of the SARL went to:
Kempton Park ARTS

SARL HF Contest Awards
The following floating trophies are currently presented annually. They are awarded to the various category winners, of the SARL Annual HF Contests.

Silent Keys Memorial Trophy SSB
Awarded by the Contest Committee to the amateur who achieved the highest score during the annual HF Phone Contest, who is
Jan Botha, ZS4JAN

Silent Keys Memorial Trophy CW
Awarded by the Contest Committee to the amateur who achieved the highest score during the annual HF CW Contest to:
Bernie van der Walt, ZS4TX

Joseph White Trophy
Awarded by the Contest Committee to the amateur who achieved the highest score on any one band, during the annual HF Phone Contest, to:
Jan Botha, ZS4JAN

ZS4BS Digital Trophy
Awarded by the Contest Committee to the amateur who achieved the highest score on any one band, during the annual HF Digital Contest, to:
Bernie van der Walt, ZS4TX

Fred Mills Trophy
Awarded by the Contest Committee to the amateur who achieved the highest score during the annual HF Phone/CW Contest and who has never won a SARL HF Contest Trophy before, to:
Lukas Holtzhausen, ZS6LH

Anon Trophy
Awarded by the Contest Committee to the amateur who achieved the highest score on any one band during the annual HF CW Contest, to:
Bernie van der Walt, ZS4TX

HOS Trough (Highest Operating Score)
Awarded by the Contest Committee to the amateur who achieves the highest aggregate score in both annual HF Contests, to:
Bernie van der Walt, ZS4TX

The Club Participation Award
Awarded by the Contest Committee to the Club who achieves the highest participation in both annual HF CW and Phone Contests, to:
Bloemfontein Amateur Radio Club

The SARL Digital Trophy
Awarded by the Contest Committee to the amateur who achieved the highest score during the annual HF Digital Contest to:
Bernie van der Walt, ZS4TX

Operating Awards

Arthur Hemsley 2 metre Trophy
Awarded by Council to a Radio Amateur for his/her individual achievements with transmissions in the 2 metre amateur band.
This award is made for extraordinary performance on EME or modes such as Tropospheric propagation. It is not for the longest distance worked but rather for persistence in achieving something special on 2 metres, to:
“Pine” Jan Pienaar, ZS6OB

Bert Buckley Six metre Trophy
Awarded by Council to any radio amateur for his/her individual achievements with transmissions in the six metre amateur band. This award is not for the longest distance worked but for outstanding work or activity on six metres, to:
Braam Devenier, ZS6AYE

Radio ZS Two Metre Floating Trophy
Awarded by Council to the amateur who achieved the longest distance on the 2 metre band during the year, to:
Nasri Gasant, ZS1NAZ and Dick Coates, ZS6BUN

On Sunday 3 Feb 2013 at 07:20 SAST, these two stations established contact on 144,2 MHz SSB. Dick used a nine element Yagi and ZS1NAZ use a 12 element Yagi with a rectangular driven element. The distance was just under 1 300 km. Signals were strong enough to provide comfortable copy.

Radio ZS Awards

Gary Immelman RA Heritage Award Floating Trophy
Awarded by Council for the best article of an historic nature of an event that occurred more than 5 years previously or an interesting personality that has played an important part in the development of Amateur Radio in years gone by to:
Brian Austin, G0GSF (ex ZS6BKW)

JJ Pienaar Trophy
Awarded by the Editor of Radio ZS for the best article published in Radio ZS during the past year to:
Ian Roberts, ZS6BTE
for his article “Trans Equatorial Propagation in South Africa”

Radio ZS Shield
Awarded by the Editor of Radio ZS to a SARL affiliated Club or member who best supported Radio ZS during the year to:
Eddie Leighton, ZS6BNE

Hamnet Shield
The Hamnet Shield rewards an individual or group for excellent service in a particular area to the community, the authorities and to Hamnet in particular. Criteria include cooperation with disaster relief organisations and enthusiastic provision of emergency communications. The Shield is awarded by the National Director of Hamnet, normally based on nominations by the provincial directors to:
Francois Botha, ZS6BUU

RAE Awards

Arland Ussher Gold Pen Award
For the highest marks in the two RAE - awarded by Council to:
RI Coppin ZS6TAR
from Boksburg who obtained 100% average for class A to:
LG Schnetler ZU6LG
from Kemptonpark obtained 90% average for class B.

Congratulations to all of you, you deserved these awards.

MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

Application for membership of the SARL has been received from Nico Potgieter, ZSL1098.

Any objections against the acceptance of the application must reach the Secretary before or on the Tuesday after this bulletin.
Membership of the SARL currently stands at 1 716

PROPAGATION REPORT

Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the expected solar activity will be at low to moderate levels. Sunspot AR2032 harbors enough energy for M-class solar flares.

If you want to do your own frequency predictions, the expected effective sunspot number for the week will be around 90.

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

15 April – Intechnet on SKA at 19:30.
19 April - Last day to submit logs for the RaDAR Contest to edleighton@gmail.com.
24 May - SA AMSAT space symposium.

The 2014 SARL Diary of Events will be available for download in the coming week 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 George Honiball, ZS6NE.

Thank you for listening, 73.

/EX

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