SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE NEWS SUNDAY 28 SEPTEMBER 2014

Good morning and welcome! You are tuned to a news bulletin of the South African Radio League read by __________________________ (Name and Call sign) from _____________________(QTH).

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IN THE NEWS TODAY:

MESSAGE FROM THE IARU PRESIDENT

RTA HEADS FOR PORT ELIZABETH ON 4 OCTOBER.

IARU REGION 1 CONFERENCE ENDS IN BULGARIA AND A NEW EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE IS ELECTED

HABEX LAUNCHES AGAIN ON 4 OCTOBER

** IARU President Tim Ellam, VE6SH, says amateurs will face a number of challenges in the years ahead and will need the assistance of member societies to meet the goals of the IARU. In 2015, there will be new leadership at the ITU and we will have to work to establish a rapour with that leadership in order that they fully understand the benefits of the amateur radio service.

WRC-15 is also fast approaching. Our first and primary goal at any WRC is to maintain and protect existing spectrum. While we are working to gather support for an allocation at 5 MHz, we need to keep our primary goal in mind when we are considering future agenda items. We need to carefully consider our work to push for future agenda items given our resources and the hard work required to obtain new spectrum allocations.

On that point, we obviously are indebted to the support we receive from our member societies and the work that a number of individual amateurs from your societies carry out on behalf of the IARU.

In order to continue those efforts we will be writing to each member society in the next few months to outline how you can assist these efforts by seeking support from your administration for the 5 MHz agenda item at WRC-15. We appreciate that many societies are already taking these steps and our goal is to ask all societies to work with their administrations to support our efforts, he said.

** Port Elizabeth is next stop for the SARL Radio Technology in action symposium. The RTA will be held at the Saturday 4 October at Magnetic Storm in Newton Park. Full details, programme and registration forms are available are on the SARL web. Booking for this event will close on 2 October.
It is important to book now to assist with adequate seating arrangements and catering. It is important that at least 30 delegates attend the conference to make it viable and secure that Port Elizabeth will be on the calendar again next year.

The keynote address will be presented by Prof Prof Ernest van Dyk, Director of Centre for Energy Research who will discuss the Southern African Universities Radiometric Network (SAURAN) .Other presentation include antenna modelling, the new SARL interface kit, Digital modulation, Smartphone applications in Amateur Radio and the 5 MHz propagation research project. To book visit www.sar.org.za to get the full programme and booking form. There is also an attractive lucky attendance prize draw.

The Cape Town RTA will be held on 1 November. The programme and booking forms will go on line on Monday.

** The three South African Radio League delegates, Geoff Levey, ZS6C, Rassie Erasmus, ZS1YT, and Riaan Greeff, ZS4PR, who attended the IARU Region 1 General Conference in Albena, Bulgaria, reports that real progress was made at the meeting on a number of topics that are of key concern to radio amateurs. This came from getting people together over several days and facing them with the realities that we need to protect our spectrum as well as address the declining numbers of active Radio Amateurs. It was heartening to see the real progress made by Lisa Leenders, PA2LS, the Region 1 Youth Coordinator in this latter respect.

The Conference reviewed the strategy of IARU Region 1, its finances and membership. Other matters reviewed includes the work of a number of permanent Committees, Working Groups and coordinators, including EMC, Political Relations, Emergency Communications, Youth, ARDF, Development of Amateur Radio in developing countries (STARS Working Group), Spectrum development and protection via ITU, CEPT and the World Radiocommunication Conferences (External Relations Committee), Intruder Watch, Space and High Speed Telegraphy.

Of particular importance was the amendment of the Terms of Reference for the EMC and Political Relations Committees that now provides a clear requirement for Region 1 to lobby at political, governmental and business levels on matters of EMC and related legislation and standards.

Conference also reviewed policy in the key spectrum areas of LF/HF and VHF/UHF/Microwave. Discussions extended over a range of areas, including band planning, contest, remote working and innovative developments in the areas of satellites and digital TV. The position on future World Communication Conferences was also discussed.

Conference considered and made recommendations in the areas of trans-border QSL management, responsible QSLing, malicious QRM, Youth Initiatives, copyright and article reproduction and CW procedures. A full report of the proceedings of the final Plenary will be published in due course on the IARU Region 1 web site at www.iaru-r1.org

** The Region 1 Roy Stevens, G2BVN, Memorial Trophy was awarded to Gaston Bertels, ON4WF, for his meritorious service to amateur radio over many years. Gaston was the chairman of the Eurocom Working Group and then the chairman of the ARSPEX Working Group. Gaston, aged 87, has decided to step down as ARSPEX EG chairman. He received a standing ovation when the award was announced.

** A new Executive Committee was elected during the Final Plenary of the 23rd IARU Region 1 General Conference. 43 member societies were present at Conference with 17 member societies represented by proxy. The South African Radio League held the proxy of the Namibian Amateur Radio League.

The Executive Committee for 2014 to 2017, who will start their term of office on 31 October 2014, are
President: Don Beattie, G3BJ
Vice President: Faisal Al-Ajmi, 9K2RR
Treasurer: Eva Thiemann, HB9FPM
Secretary: Dennis Green, ZS4BS
Members:
Thilo Kootz, DL9KCE
David Court, EI3IO
Oliver Tabakovski, Z32TO
Ivan Stauning, OZ7IS
Ranko Boca, 4O3A

The 24th IARU Region 1 General Conference will be held in September 2017 in Wildbad Kreuth, near Munich, Germany, hosted by the DARC.

Thanks to the RSGB for this summary report. The conference was plagued by server breakdown and poor internet connectivity particularly during the last few days of the conference hence the lack of coverage on the SARL web for the last two days of the conference. Once settled back, the SARL delegates will prepare a full briefing. Watch this space for details

** The SARL has requested ICASA to change the beacon frequency of 5 250 to 5 290 kHz to line up with the same allocation in Europe and other countries. This will greatly enhance the coverage of beacons. ICASA has agreed and this week changed the 5 250 kHz frequency for 5 290 kHz. To received WSPR beacons, set your radio to SSB and tune 1,5 kHz lower to 5 288,5 kHz. To learn more about the WSPR software, download a tutorial by Stewart Moss, ZS6SGM, from the South African Radio League web. Click on Propagation Research on the left hand side of the home page and follow the link. WSPR stations operating on 5 250 kHz are requested to move frequency on 4 October to 5 290 kHz

** The Secunda Amateur Radio Club will launch two balloons carrying amateur radio equipment from the Vryburg airstrip FAVB on 4 October 2014 from 06:00 to 08:00 CAT. This date also marks the start of Space week 2014. We will commemorate the launch of SPUTNIK on 4 October 1957 by attaching an active model replica of Sputnik to one of the balloons. The replica will transmit a Morse message on 144,076 MHz.

Please e-mail a screen print of the decoded message with date, time, GPS location, radio and antenna used to christo.kriek@live.co.za to receive a special certificate from the launch team, if you are one of the lucky ones that can "decode" by ear, please mail the above information without the screen print. The transmitter used is a flea power transmitter.

SANSA and eight High Schools (80 children) form part of the programme. Each school programmed their own data logger with two sensors. The eight data loggers with sensors will be part of the payload of the balloon payload. Each of the schoolchildren had to write a radio amateur test of 10 questions as part of their registration and the results will be allocated to their final presentation.

There will be a web link with cameras from the launch site at Vryburg airport, one camera at Hartbeeshoek and one at Secunda High School. Please send your e-mail information to christo.kriek@live.co.za to get access to the webcams on the internet.

We will launch the first balloon anytime from 06:00 CAT onwards.

The ground stations will use HF on 3 650 kHz, 7 080 kHz or 14 280 kHz between the ground control, the chase cars, Secunda High School and Hartbeeshoek. The bands/frequencies may change due to propagation. If your hear the ground stations operate, please keep the frequency clear for ground control operations. If you have any feedback in tracking the balloons, specifically on the descent please, report it on the abovementioned HF frequencies.

Due to the low APRS Digipeater and IGate density in the Vryburg area, we would like to request amateurs in the adjacent areas to help track the payloads as well. It is vitally important to retrieve the payloads since we have data loggers on-board from several schools in the Secunda area. They need the data to complete their assignments.

A High Altitude Glider will also be launched on 4 October 2014.

On the same day at the Secunda High School, Unisa University will also have a ROBTICS exhibition. SANSA will have a presentation via the webcam about GPS's the same day.

Below are the payload frequencies:
Main balloon: APRS Tracking RX 144,8 FM
CW Telemetry RX 432,075 FM
Sputnik CW RX 144,075 FM
Crew Comms HF 40/80 m
Webcam
Second Balloon: APRS Tracking RX 144,8 FM
RTTY 433.92 USB/ 50 baud 500 shift ascii 7, n, 1
Crew Comms HF 40/80 m
Webcam

Third Balloon: Remote Glider
Webcam

Skype/Webb Camera: please register at www.anymeeting.com and send your e-mail address to christo.kriek@live.co.za to get access to live webcams.

You are tuned to a bulletin of the South African Radio League and we now continue with local news and news from the league.

** Applications for membership of the South African Radio League have been received from the following persons:
Pieter J M van den Berg, ZR6PJM, Richard Hooper, ZS6RKE and Vincent G Potgieter, previously ZR6VIN now ZS6UB

Any objections against the acceptance of the applications must reach the Secretary before or on the Tuesday after this bulletin. Membership of the South African Radio League currently stands at 1 459 members and 31 affiliated clubs.

**The South African Radio League regrets the delay in the printing of Radio ZS. Radio ZS is now at the post office but due the post office strike it will sit there until the Post Office Management and their Union get their differences sorted out. The strike has been ongoing for 6 weeks and has affected delivery of book ordered from the South African Amateur Radio Development Trust.

** The last ZS6PTA Mega flea market for 2014 will be held on Saturday 4 October 2014 at the Pretoria Motor Club in Silverton from 08:00 to 11:00. Everyone is welcome to attend. For more information or to book a table, please contact Almero, ZS6LDP on 083 938 8955.

** The October leg of the South African Radio League 80 metre QSO Party will be held on Thursday evening 2 October from 17:00 to 20:00 UTC with activity between 3 603 and 3 650 kHz and 3 700 to 3 800 kHz. The exchange is the call signs of each station, a signal report and the operator's names. A QSO with a South African station counts 10 points and a QSO with a station outside South Africa counts 15 points. Submit your log by 11 October to zs5lp@vodamail.co.za

** Jamboree on the Air and CQ Hou Koers is almost upon us. These two events take place from Friday 17 to Sunday 19 October for JOTA and Saturday 18 October for CQ Hou Koers. Visit http :// scouts.org.za/scouts-near-you/ to find a Scout Group near you or visit www.voortrekkers.org.za/Gebiede.htm to find a Voortrekker Commando near you.

Be important in the life of a young person!

PROPAGATION REPORT

** Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the expected solar activity will be at moderate levels. Sunspot AR2172 has complex magnetic configurations and may produce M- class solar flares.
If you want to do your own frequency predictions, the expected effective sunspot number for the week will be around 100.

The 20 to 10 m bands will provide lots of DX fun with some exciting 10 m openings possible.
Please visit the website spaceweather.sansa.org.za for further information.

DAIRY OF EVENTS

2 October SARL 80 meter QSO party
4 October - RTA in Port Elizabeth
4 October - HABEX launch from Vryburg airport
4 October - ZS6PTA flea market
17-19 October Jamboree on the Air
18 October CQ Hou Koers.

We end this news bulletin with this mornings leading story:

IARU President Tim Ellam, VE6SH, says amateurs will face a number of challenges in the years ahead and will need the assistance of member societies to meet the goals of the IARU. In 2015, there will be new leadership at the ITU and we will have to work to establish a rapour with that leadership in order that they fully understand the benefits of the amateur radio service.

You are invited to submit news items of interest to the SARL by following the news inbox link on the SARL webpage. News items should reach the news team no later than the Thursday preceding the bulletin date for inclusion in the bulletin.

You may also join us every Sunday morning for the weekly amateur magazine program Amateur Radio Today at 10:00 CAT. The program may be heard on 7 082 LSB and on 7 205 kHz and 17 660 kHz AM. A repeat transmission may be heard on Monday evenings 18:30 CAT on 3 230 kHz AM. The transmissions on the non-amateur frequencies are sponsored by Sentech

And this brings us to the end of this news bulletin compiled by Johann du Plessis, ZS6PSS, edited by Dawie Conradie ZR6DHC, and read by ……………………………………………………………………………….

The news team thank you for listening and wishes you an excellent week ahead. 73

/EX