SARL NEWS SUNDAY 5 OCTOBER 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). You may tune in to a SARL news bulletin on Sunday morning at 08:15 local time in Afrikaans and at 08:30 local time in English on HF and many VHF and UHF repeaters around the country. Echolink listeners can connect to ZS0JPL for a relay. A podcast is also available from the SARL webpage at www.sarl.org.za.
You can find this bulletin and previous bulletins in text format on the SARL webpage under the news link on the left-hand side. While you are there, you can sign up to receive future bulletins by e-mail.
IN THE NEWS TODAY
ACTOR TIM ALLEN GETS HIS AMATEUR RADIO LICENCE FOR REAL
4 TO 10 OCTOBER IS SPACE WEEK
AWA AM AND SSB VALVE QSO PARTY
and
THE SARL NATIONAL FIELD DAY
Stay tuned for more on these and other interesting stories
** Actor Tim Allen Gets His Amateur Ticket For Real. Actor and comedian Tim Allen now not only plays an Amateur Radio operator on television, he is one! Allen got his Technician ticket on 4 September, but did not release the news until this week. In his weekly ABC comedy TV show "Last Man Standing," Allen plays Mike Baxter, KA0XTT, and the show, which starts its new season on 3 October, has featured amateur radio in some episodes.
"Last Man Standing" producer John Amodeo, NN6JA, told the ARRL that the agreement with Allen was that they would not publicise his license until he approved it. Allen subsequently revealed to Tom Medlin, W5KUB, that he had passed his Technician license test but, per Allen's request, did not mention his call sign, Amodeo said. The call sign has since been disclosed elsewhere.
The Amateur Radio operators on the crew of 'Last Man Standing' are delighted that Tim has taken and passed his Technician exam and received his own, real call sign. It took more than 3 years to make it happen, and it started with Tim's personal interest in radio technology and his request to make the Mike Baxter character an Amateur Radio operator. The radio shack on the show is a working station.
Amodeo expressed gratitude to the ARRL for its continued support, starting with the assistance of former ARRL Media and Public Relations Manager Allen Pitts, W1AGP, in the creation of the KA0XTT call sign and the more recent assistance of ARRL VEC staffers Maria Somma, AB1FM, and Amanda Grimaldi, KB1VUV.
We hope Tim will find Amateur Radio to be an enjoyable and useful hobby for many years to come," he added.
** The UN General Assembly declared 4 to 10 October World Space Week to celebrate each year at the international level the contributions of space science and technology to the betterment of the human condition. It commemorates the first artificial Earth satellite launched on 4 October 1957 by Russia.
The World Space Week Association is a non-government, non-profit organization, which is supported by national coordinators in over 50 nations. An all-volunteer Board of Directors including Buzz Aldrin, Bill Nye, Tom Hanks and space leaders from around the world leads it. Its goals are to educate people around the world about the benefits that they receive from space, encourage use of space for sustainable economic development, foster enthusiastic education and interest in science and cooperation between nations through space outreach and education.
Some of the themes for earlier years were - 2008 "Exploring the Universe", 2009 "Space for Education", 2010 "Mysteries of the Cosmos", 2012 Human Safety and Security through Space" promoting awareness of the roles that space satellites play in safeguarding the environment and protecting humans. 2013 The next Frontier: "Exploring Mars, Discovering Earth. The 2014 theme focuses on the relevance of "Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)" for position, navigation and timing on Earth. This theme will highlight the many applications of GNSS in many fields.
You are tuned to a news bulletin of the South African Radio league and we now continue with news from the league office
** Applications for membership of the SARL have been received from the following persons:
Bob Greenberg, W2CYK; Dries Fourie, ZS6BZU, and Thomas D Rheeder, ZS6ALA.
Any objections against the acceptance of the applications must reach the Secretary before or on the Tuesday after this bulletin. Membership of the SARL currently stands at 1 467 members with 32 affiliated clubs
** The Antique Wireless Association AM and SSB Valve QSO Party will be held over two sessions on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 October 2014 between 15:00 to 19:00 CAT on each day. The AM section will be held on Saturday and the SSB section on Sunday with phone activity on 40 and 80 metres.
The frequencies to use on 40 metres is 7 063 to 7 100 kHz and on 80 metres, 3 603 to 3 650 kHz. The exchange is your call sign, a RS report, a consecutive serial number starting at 001 and the type of radio used, e.g. HT37 TX. If you are using an all valve radio, you earn 3 points per contact; using a Hybrid (valve & solid state) radio is 2 points per contact and using a Solid State radio is 1 point per contact. The multiplier for an all valve radio is 3 points per contact; for a Hybrid (valve & solid state), it is 2 points per contact and for a Solid State radio it is 1 point per contact. Certificates will be awarded to the first three places in each category - AM and SSB.
Submit your log by 31 October to the Southern African Antique Wireless Association, PO Box 12320, Benoryn, 1504. Or by e-mail to andyzs6ady@vodamail.co.za
** The second leg of the South African Radio League National Field Day and the South African Radio League VHF/UHF Contest will take place from 10:00 UTC on Saturday 15 November to 10:00 UTC on Sunday 16 November.
Both these contests are great for Club outings and can even be combined into one event. Start planning your Club weekend, get the tents and caravans ready and check the radio equipment, antennas and batteries. Activity for the National Field Day is CW, phone and digital operation on 160 to 10 metres.
The Boland ARC is already planning their weekend. The rules are available in the South African Radio League Contest Manual.
** On Saturday 20 September the East Rand Radio Club held their annual meeting and the following committee members were elected
Francois Jacobs, ZS6COI, Chairman
Ben Fourie, ZS6BEN, Vice Chairman
Judy Pretorius, ZS6JDY, Honorary secretary
Chris Gryffenberg, ZS6COG, Honorary treasurer
Pieter Jacobs, ZS6XT, HF manager
Willem van der Merwe, ZS6WIM, News Coordinator
Scott Bigwood, ZS6BYT, RAE coordinator
Francois Jacobs, ZS6COI, Buildings & Terrain
Ben Fourie, ZS6BEN, web master
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the expected solar activity will be at moderate levels. Sunspot AR2178 has a 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 88.
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.
Diary of events
5 October, today, you can participate in the RSGB 21/28 MHz contest
11 -12 October - the AWA AM and SSB contests
17-19 October - the 56th Jamboree on the Air
18 October - CQ Hou Koers
25 & 26 October - the CQ WW DX Phone Contest
1 November - RADAR Contest
9 November - PEARS HF Contest
15&16 November SARL National field day as well as the SARL VHF/UHF/Microwave Contest
Find out more about these events by going to the SARL webpage where you may download a copy of the diary of events
** And to end this bulletin, a quick recap of the leading story:
Tim Allen, the lead actor in the sitcom Last Man Standing has, after three years, just passed his technicians license. The sitcom features a working amateur radio station on the set. This was Mr Allens idea since he developed a interest in amateur radio. We wish Tim and his team, who now consists of mainly amateur radio operators, many happy QSOs
You are invited to submit news items of interest to the SARL by following the newsinbox 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 local time. The program may be heard on 7 082 Lower side band and on 7 205 kHz and 17 660 kHz AM. A rebroadcast may be heard on Monday evenings at 18:30 local time on 3 230 kHz AM. The transmissions on the non-amateur frequencies are sponsored by Sentech
You have listened to a news bulletin compiled by Dawie Conradie ZR6DHC, edited by Dennis Green ZS4BS and read by
..
Thank you for listening and from the entire news team, best wishes for the week ahead, 73s
/EX
