SARL NEWS SUNDAY 27 APRIL 2014
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:
ZL TO WESTERN VK ON 630 METRES OVER 3100 MILE PATH
HAMNET TO SUPPORT NAMAQUA AFRICAN RALLY
BOOK NOW FOR THE SA AMSAT SPACE SYMPOSIUM ON 24 MAY
You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more details on these and other important and interesting items.
ZL TO WESTERN VK ON 630 METRES OVER 3100 MILE PATH
It seems perseverance has paid off for long-time 630 meter operator Murray Greenman, ZL1BPU, who uses the special-purpose call sign ZL1EE for contacts on that band. Amateur Radio Newsline's Jim Meachen, ZL2BHFsupplied the details. During the week of April 13th to the 20th ZL1EE had numerous reception reports from Berndt Josef Wulf, VK5ABN/8 some 2010 miles away near the city of Adelaide, Australia. But the real payoff came when he learned that his signal had been copied by Dereck Zeck, VK6DZ, in the Australian city of Elleker, some 3100 miles to the West.
Using the new WSPR 2 digital mode Greenman operated overnight using a small 23 foot high Marconi antenna that was squeezed into a 1/5 acre urban plot. It took a week of trying but with the reception report from VK6DZ, he finally broke the 3000 mile distance barrier.
As elsewhere the 630 metre allocation in New Zealand is from 472 kHz to 479 kHz. What undoubtedly helped ZL1EE achieve this remarkable low frequency DX is that his location is only about 7 miles from our West coast and most of the path to VK6DZ is over water, Activity between Australia and New Zealand on 630 meters is quite strong, especially over the winter months in the in the Southern Hemisphere. The window of opportunity for these contacts appears to be about two hours wide from local midnight.
SARL NEWS would like to hear from ZS amateurs who are operating or planning to operate in the medium wave band. Drop us a line at artoday@sarl.org.za
HAMNET TO SUPPORT NAMAQUA AFRICAN RALLY
HAMNET will be assisting with communications for the inaugural Namaqua African Rally from today 27 April to Friday 2 May in the Northernmost part of the Western Cape Province. This event is the South Africa's first multi-stage roadbook rally for off-road motorcycles and quad riders and will cater for all the facets of off road racing, rally raiding and adventure riding.
The communications are expected to be challenging, with the course covering a wide area primarily North of Vredendal, as far as Groenriviermond, Kliprand and Nieuwoudtville. There will be some forays into the Northern Cape at the extremities of the course. The distances involved will require the use of HF communications and given the NVIS predictions from SANSA and the time of day of the rally stages, these will most likely be in the 40m band. The team is gearing up for 2m FM and SSB operation as well.
Interested parties are invited to listen in, but kindly asked to keep the frequencies clear while they are in use for the rally. To get more detail about the rally get the URL from the SARL landing page.
BOOK NOW FOR THE SA AMSAT SPACE SYMPOSIUM ON 24 MAY
Discounted rates are available to SARL and SA AMSAT members who book for the SA AMSAT Space Symposium before 5 May. SARL members pay 50% less than non-members. The early bird rate is R150 which includes a copy of the papers on DVD. The symposium will be held at the Innovation Hub in Pretoria which is situated opposite the CSIR with a quick access via the Lynwood off ramp on the N1.
The date is 24 May. Some of the highlights include a demonstration of the KLETSkous hardware, presentations on FunCube, DynaCube and an innovative propulsion system that can be used to alter the obit of a CubeSat once launched in Space. For smartphone users apps to predict satellites passes and telemetry downloads will be demonstrated. The full programme is available on www.amsatsa.org. Get with it now.
LEAGUE NEWS
CLUB AFFILIATION
From the first of July the SARL will charge a nominal fee of R50 for club affiliation. Although the council of the SARL decided to offer free club affiliation as a promotional campaign from the 2012 financial year, this did not work very well and it was decided to return to the old system.
The main problem was that the system of free affiliation did not fit in with the administrative and financial systems. The system no longer sent out invoices to remind clubs and also caused problems on the membership database.
For the new financial year clubs will once again receive invoices for the affiliation fee. Clubs that receive this invoice can remain affiliated by simply paying the R50. Clubs not presently affiliated, can apply by filling in the club affiliation form. This form is on the website and also available by sending an email to secretary@sarl.org.za
GET TWO MONTHS FREE SARL MEMBERSHIP
If you are not a member of the SARL, join now and get May and June on the house by paying the 2014/2015 membership fee of R430 for ordinary membership. Membership include access to the online Radio ZS, the QSL bureau and access to two SARL licensed 5 MHz frequencies plus many on the air activities, discounts on the purchase of kits, booking for RTA and other events. Add a subscription for a printed copy of Radio ZS for only R150. Complete the subscription form online today or download the application form by pointing your browser to www.sarl.org.za/public/membership/join.asp.
Membership is subject to approval by the SARL Council. Details of other classes of membership can be found on the SARL web.
ICASA AWARDS LONG TERM 5 MHz LICENSE TO THE SARL
Almost a year ago the South African Radio League obtained a license from ICASA to do propagation search on 5 250 and 5 260 kHz to support the World Radio Conference (WRC15) agenda item 1.4 which will consider a possible new allocation to the amateur service on a secondary basis within the band 5 250 - 5 450 kHz. To support the agenda item propagation conditions, frequency sharing studies on the impact to other services currently allocated in the band and in the adjacent bands will need to be carried out. Last year the SARL submitted a proposal to the Council of ICASA for the sponsorship of long term license The Council granted the license to the SARL last week. The SARL received the official license this week which is valid to 31 October 2015.
The Council of the SARL expressed its appreciation for the support from ICASA.
In association with the Kempton Park Amateur Radio Technical Society (KARTS) some early result of the WSPR experiment have been released. Read more about 5 MHz on www.sarl.org.za, select propresearch from the home page.
5MHz ACTIVITY WEEKEND
The dates of the 5MHz weekend have been finalised as 17 and 18 May. The event will be held on the two days from 13:00 to 20:00 local time (11:00 - 18:00 UTC). This is an SARL only event as radio amateurs have to register with the SARL to be allowed to operate on the two frequencies. Some attractive book prizes and a free 2014/2015 SARL membership will be awarded in a lucky draw of all participants who send in logs.
Participation requires reception reports on the KART 5250 kHz beacon which will support WSPR, PSK31 and CW modes. The Propresearch web page features a tutorial on how to get started on WSPR and links to other interesting articles, including an article which appeared on the EngineerIT website and will feature in the May edition.
CELLPHONE NUMBERS OF VHF/UHF OPERATORS
A list of cellphone numbers comprising currently active VHF/UHF amateurs, or semi active during the past year or so, has been published on the SARL VHF Forum. The purpose of this is to alert other VHF amateurs of band openings on 50 - 1296 MHz.
For most amateurs it is not practical to monitor the beacons or the calling frequencies on 50,200 MHz and 144,300 MHz all the time. Therefore, those who are fortunate to detect openings should pass on this info to other VHF/UHF amateurs, who in turn could alert a few more and so forth. Since most amateurs carry their cell phones with them, it is the most effective way of getting hold of a person immediately through an SMS or a call. This list covers around a hundred call signs, names and Maidenhead locators of South African amateurs as well as from the neighbouring states, so make a printout from the computer and keep it in the shack for easy reference.
Please help to complete the missing cell phone numbers and/or update the info by e-mailing ZS2FM: mikecbosch@gmail.com
CLUB NEWS
KARTS & the AWA Flea Market / Open Day
The Kempton Park Amateur Radio Technical Society (KARTS) and the Antique Wireless Associations (AWA) combined flea market and open day event will take place on Saturday 24 May 2014 from 08:00 onwards.
The venue is at the Impala Voortrekkers Centre, Rooibos Avenue, Allen Grove, Kempton Park. Please visit the KARTS website at www.zs6kts.co.za/ for directions to the venue.
Apart from the flea market a display of antique radios and associated equipment an active HF, V/UHF station will be in operation from were the Saturday AWA SSB net will be operating from.
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 the AWA are looking forward to seeing you there!
PRETORIA AMATEUR RADIO FLEA MARKET 1 MAY 2014
The next ZS6PTA Mega fleamarket will be held on Thursday 1 May 2014 at Pretoria Motor Club in Keuning Street, Silverton from 08:00 to 11:00. It is a publick holiday and everyone is welcome to attend. For more information or to book a table please contact Almero, ZS6LDP on 0839388955.
HF PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the expected solar activity will be at lowlevels. Sunspot AR2038 has a "beta-gamma" magnetic field that harbours 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 60.
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.
Please visit the website spaceweather.sansa.org.za for further information.
DIARY OF EVENTS
17 – 18 May - 5MHz Activity Weekend
24 May - SA AMSAT space symposium
24 May – KARTS and AWA flea market/open day
24 – 25 may – CQ WW DX SSB Contest
25 May – SARL Digital Contest
The SARL invites you to listen to Amateur Radio Today every Sunday morning at 10:00 local time on 145,750 MHz in the Pretoria area, and on the 145,650 network in Johannesburg 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 230kHz. 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.
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.
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
