SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE NEWS SUNDAY 26 OCTOBER 2014
Good morning and welcome, you are tuned to a newscast of the South African Radio League read by ญญญญญญญญญญญญญญญญญญญ__________________________ (Name and Calsign) from _____________________(QTH). You may tune in to a SARL newscast on Sunday morning at 08:15 local time in Afrikaans and at 08:30 local time in English on HF VHF and UHF frequencies around the country. Echolink listeners may connect to ZS0JPL for a relay and a podcast is also available from the official SARL webpage www.sarl.org.za.
You may find this and previous bulletins in text form on the SARL webpage under the news link on the left. While you are there you may also sign up to receive future bulletins via e mail.
IN THE NEWS TODAY
YOUR INPUT ON THE SARL INTECHNET NEEDED
REPORT BACK FROM THE IARU REGION 1 CONFERENCE
ONLY TWO DAYS LEFT TO BOOK FOR THE RTA AT A DISCOUNT
FREQUENCY CHANGE FOR AMATEUR RADIO TODAY
** The SARL has a number of interesting topics and speakers lined up for INTECNETS but we are not sure on which day of the week to arrange it. For many years it was on a Sunday evening at 19:30. Then after some requests we did a survey and the outcome was the third Tuesday of the month at 19:30, but that has not worked. The few that we held on a third Tuesday were poorly supported which defeats the objective for holding a technical discussion. It is also very disconcerting to the speakers who have spent hours preparing.
Club Committees please assist us to find the best day of the week and month. Have a discussion on your next local net and let us know what your members would prefer.. Should we go back to a Sunday night at 19:30? Please send the responses you get from your members to artoday@sarl.org.za. The topics we have lined up are "Solar power for Radio Amateurs" and "Do we really understand lightning?"
** A detailed report back document from the IARU Region 1 conference is in the final stages of preparation and will soon be available for download from a link on the SARL web. During the conference many aspects of day to day amateur radio operations were discussed and decisions agreed on. Over the next two months SARL news will highlight some of these discussions.
One of the discussions concerned CW operating. An established CW operation practice is included in the publication "Ethics and Procedure for Radio Amateurs" written by ON4UN and ON4WW. The use of K, and AR at the end of a transmission is often used incorrectly. The correct procedure is as follows
"K" is an invitation to transmit at the end of transmission
A station ending a transmission with "AR" is not inviting callers. It signifies the end of a transmission.
"K" is also the most common used ending of a general CQ call.
"KN" is used when sending it over to the station you are in QSO with and you do not want another station to join the QSO
"SK" is used to end a contact or QSO, when one or both stations will remain on the frequency for any other calls.
What is your experience when operating CW. Share your views with us by email to artoday@sarl.org.za
** If you book for the SARL Technology in Action symposium which is to be held in Cape Town on the 1 November before the 28 October you only pay R100 if you are a member of the SARL. From the 28 October it increases to R130 for members. Non-members are charged R200 to attend the event. The full program and booking details can be found on the SARL web using the link on the home page.
** Around the world broadcasters change the frequency of transmission on 26 October each year. This is done to coincide with the change of the season. From today onward Amateur Radio Today will also be changing frequency. The Sunday morning transmission at 10.00 local time will be transmitted on 7205 and 17 760 kHz. The Monday transmission at 18:30 local time will be transmitted on 4895 kHz. As many broadcasters around the world make their frequency changes on the 26 of October, reception reports on the various frequencies will be appreciated. Please send your reception report to artoday@sarl.org.za
You are tuned to a news bulletin of the South African radio league. We now continue with some news from the SARL office
** Applications for membership of the SARL have been received from the following persons:
Helgard Rademeyer Honiball, ZSL1123
and David Theron, ZU1D
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 1482 plus 34 affiliated clubs.
** The Kempton Park Amateur Radio Technical Society (KARTS) and the Antique Wireless Associations (AWA) will be hosting a second combined flea market and an open day event for this year on Saturday 01 November 2014 from 08:00 onwards.
The venue is at the Impala Voortrekkers Centre, Rooibos Avenue, Allen Grove in Kempton Park. For directions please visit zs6kts.co.za. This event promises to be a most interesting, enjoyable and memorable day. The WAW annual general meeting will be held after the morning activities.
For table bookings or any queries, contact Selwyn, ZS6SEL, at 082 804 2782 or Nico, ZS6QL, at 083 269 9939.
** Over the past 7 months, a VHF/UHF interest group in Division 6, have been applying a lot of effort trying to create more interest and activity on the VHF/UHF simplex frequencies.
Currently the group meets on 144.300 Upper Side Band every Saturday and Sunday morning between 06:00 and 08:00 Local time. The group will have a VHF/UHF interest group day at the West Rand Amateur Radio Club House on the 01 November 2014 starting at 10:00.
With the VHF/UHF contest on the 15/16 November 2014 in mind all interested Radio Amateurs are invited to attend this day in order to discuss various VHF/UHF matters. The day will end with a bring and braai.
Bring your surplus VHF/UHF equipment along to swop or sell. For more information contact Carl Minne ZS6CBQ 072 794 5952 minnecd@absamail.co.za
** We like to apologize for the delay of the results of the 80m QSO Party but, even after extending the cut off date, only 3(three) logs were received.
Here are the final results of the 2014 80m QSO Party:
1. Johan van Zyl ZS4DZ 195 points
2. Marius Snyman ZS6MS 125 points
3. Dawn Snyders ZS5ME 120 points
There were 21 stations heard but only 3 logs received, possibly due to reported heavy QRN.
Our thanks and salutation to all the participants and congratulation to the winners and hope the next contest gives us better results and participation.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the expected solar activity will be at moderate levels with huge sunspot AR2192 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 160.
The 20 to 10 metre bands will provide lots of DX fun with some exciting 6 metre openings also possible.
Please visit the website spaceweather.sansa.org.za for further information.
The diary of events for the next couple of weeks
Today 26 October - the CQ WW DX Phone Contest
26 October - AR Today frequency change
28 October - early bird booking for the Cape Town RTA
1 November - RTA in Cape Town and the RADAR Contest
Also on 1 November the Karts and AWA combined fleamarket and the VHF UHF interest group day at the Westrand Amateurradio club house
3 & 4 November - CubeSat workshop at the Bellville Campus of CPUT
9 November - PEARS HF Contest
10 November - closing date for 2015 contest input
11 November - Armistice Day
15 and 16 November - the South African Radio League National Field Day as well as the South African Radio League VHF/UHF/Microwave Contest
Finally we recap on our leading story of this week, The SARL has a number of interesting topics and speakers lined up for INTECNETS but we are not sure on which day of the week to arrange it. Clubs are invited to discuss this matter at their next meeting and to provide feedback in this matter to artoday@sarl.org.za
And that brings us to the end of this news bulletin compiled and edited by ________________
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 not later than the Thursday preceding the bulletin date for inclusion in the bulletin.
You can also join us every Sunday morning for the weekly amateur magazine program Amateur Radio Today at 10:00 central African time. The programme can be heard on VHF and UHF repeaters countrywide, on 7 082 kHz lower side band and on 7 205 kHz and 17 660 kHz AM. There is also a podcast by Dick, ZS6RO. A rebroadcast may be heard on Monday evenings at 18:30 central African time on 3 230 kHz AM. The non transmissions on the non amateur bands are sponsored by Sentech.
You have listened to a news bulletin of the South African Radio League compiled and edited by Dawie Conradie ZR6DHC, thank you for listening from me _________________________ (Name) and the entire news team best wishes for the week ahead, 73s
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