SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE NEWS SUNDAY 1 FEBRUARY 2015
Good morning and welcome! You are tuned to a news broadcast of the South African Radio League read by ............................................. (name, call and QTH)
You can tune to the South African Radio League news broadcast on Sunday mornings at 08:15 central African time in Afrikaans and at 08:30 central African time in English on HF and on many VHF and UHF repeaters around our country. Echolink listeners can connect to ZS0JPL for a relay. A podcast is available from the South African Radio League web site.
This audio bulletin can be downloaded from the South African Radio League website at www.sarl.org.za. You will find this bulletin and previous bulletins in text format under the news link on the left-hand side of the web page. While you are there, you can sign up to receive future bulletins by e-mail.
We start this mornings bulletin with 2 silent keys.
** It is with deep regret that SARL news has learnt that the keys of 2 radio amateurs went silent. The first is Jack Kirstein, ZS5KN, Jack was an honorary life member of the Bloemfontein ARC. We extend our sincere condolences to his wife, family and friends.
It is also with regret that SARL news has learnt, that the key of Jannie de Beer ZR6PHD went silent at 16:00 on Monday 2015-01-26. Jannie was a physically handicapped amateur who contributed a lot to amateur radio. He was a member of the Pretoria Amateur Radio Club and a formerly a member and one time chairman of MRK. Jannie was awarded a Jack Twine in 2001. For many years, until stopped by failing health, he was a bulletin compiler and translator for SARL News. Our condolences to his wife Dina and his two daughters.
PAUSE
IN THE NEWS TODAY
INTECHNET BACK ON THE AIR ON TUESDAY 10 FEBRUARY.
NEXT SARL@HOME AT NARC.
CHRIS BURGER ZS6EZ RECEIVE YET ANOTHER ALL AFRICA AWARD.
DURBAN AMATEUR RADIO CLUB 90 YEARS OLD.
Stay tuned for more on these and other interesting news.
** The SARL Interactive Technical Network or Intecnet is back on the air Tuesday 10 February at 19:30. The guest speaker will be Herbert Teubner, the General Manager of Sinetech. He will talk about solar power for radio amateurs. He will explain the various types of solar panel and their application as well as how solar can be used as a back-up system to deal with load shedding. This is an on the air discussion you do not want to miss.
Clubs wishing to link to the network via landline are invited to send their details by not later than 5 February 2015 to artoday@sarl.org.za
** Join us at the National Amateur Radio Centre for SARL@Home when the discussion will be about the SARL 5 MHz propagation study project. Join us for a cup of coffee or tea and learn more about how WSPR operates, how to install it and how to join the research project. Stewart Moss ZS6SGM will present the latest findings.
All amateurs are welcome. You do not have to have any experience, come and enjoy the fellowship. To help us with catering send us an email to rta@sarl.org.za confirming youre attendance or give Vonnie a call on 011 675 2393
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:
Ian James Stanbridge, ZSL1133;
Edgar Morne Wallace, ZSL1134.
Any objections to the acceptance of the applications must reach the Secretary before or on the Tuesday after this bulletin.
Membership of the SARL currently stands at 1608 plus 36 affiliated clubs
** During January, Chris Burger ZS6EZ submitted several applications for All Africa Award. SARL Awards Manager Tjerk Lammers ZS6P reports that he issued Chris with awards for RTTY and for each of 1,8, 10, 18 and 25 MHz.
Chris already holds 5 Band AAA, so the new endorsements entitle him to claim a 9 Band All Africa Award. He also holds AAA on all three modes.
Chris reported that his main challenge was the required contacts with ZS5. On all of the four bands, ZS5 was the only call area that Chris had no confirmation on the SA-QSL system. He had old QSL cards for three of the bands, but the entire application was delayed by a month as Chris searched for a ZS5 on 10 MHz. A brief contact with ZS5J finally allowed him to submit the paperwork.
The Award continues to attract interest, and is a challenging operating goal for anyone. Confirmed contacts with all ZS call areas and 25 DXCC entities on the African continent are required.
To date 1,720 All Africa Awards have been issued since 1950 with 186 going to South African amateurs.
You are listening to a news bulletin of the South African radio league.
** A very special good morning to our friends at the Durban amateur radio club who are celebrating its 90th anniversary today with a luncheon at their monthly club meeting, congratulations.
Originally known as the Durban Branch of the SARL, the Durban Amateur Radio Club started out on the 24th of November 1924 when the first organized meeting took place in Durban. The original attendance register confirms meetings and those attending up to 1934 , is still intact.
Members attending will receive a personalized laminated award certificate indicating their attendance at the celebrations.
A review of the past 50 years will be delivered by Louis ZS5LP, pointing out the progress and happenings of interest during this period. This will include a list of past chairmen, committees, and others who served the local amateurs during those years.
A photo session will be followed by the lunch.
On behalf of the South African radio league news service we want congratulate the DARC on their 90th birthday.
** During the weekend of the 14th and 15th February, the Overberg Amateur Radio Club will be operating a field station at the QTH of John, ZS1DI, at Stanford. We will be holding our AGM at the same time with a bring and braai, foxhunt, AWA radios and a raffle as well. There is a possibility of radio control boats and off-road cars. Camping and braai facilities are available and visitors are welcome. Contact Andre at 028-5142018/072-7291680 after 18:00 or Sam at 028-3161470/073-2500428 for further details and directions.
**On 10 February the Western Cape will be starting its RAE classes.
Anyone is welcome to attend.
Classes conducted at Oakdale Recreational Club, Bloemhof Street, Oakdale/Bellville every Tuesday evening from 19:00 - 21:00.
Should you require more info, feel free to contact Karl at:
083 9557177 or email karlc@telkomsa.net .
** This is a special request to all those who participated in the 144,400 MHz FM category of the recent PEARS VHF/UHF contest. There is a prize waiting for the winner in Divisions 1, 2, 5 and 6 in the form of a dual 2 metre and 70 centimetre Yagi beam antenna valued at R850 each. All that is required on your log sheet is the date, time and station worked. You will score 10 points for every station you worked in your own division and 20 points from another division. Please make the effort even if you only worked a few stations as your log can still provide data for the footprint of activity. Thank you. The purpose of this category is to encourage the younger generation to become VHF active.
** The Surface Mount Technology workshop at the NARC planned for Saturday 7 February 2015 has been cancelled as no registrations have been received. A new date will be considered if confirmed request to hold the workshop at a future date are received, Send an email to rta@sarl.org.za if you would like to attend the workshop at a new date.
** The SARL Youth Net will be held today at 15:00. Join the discussion on 7070 kHz. Here is also an opportunity to invite a young friend into your radio room and share amateur radio with you. Under a licensed amateur's supervision your young visitor may operate and join the discussion. The suggested subject is "what radio means to me"
** Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the expected solar activity will be at moderate to high levels. Emerging sunspot AR2277 has the possibility to 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 113.
The 20 to 10 m bands will provide lots of DX fun.
Please visit the website spaceweather.sansa.org.za for further information.
Diary of events.
1 February – DARC 90 Anniversary.
1 February _ Youthnet today at 15:00.
5 February - HABEX flight mission meeting at the ERB clubhouse and landline request for INTECNET.
7 February – SARL@HOME.
7 & 8 February – AWA CW day.
10 February – Western Cape RAE classes commence at the Oakdale Recreational Club.
13 February – International Radio day.
14/15 February – Overberg field station on the air.
14 / 15 February – National field day.
15 February – last day to submit your PEARS log sheets.
14/ 15 March – Africa All Modes International DXCC contest.
9 April – last day to register for the May RAE.
To end this bulletin , a recap of our main news item this morning.
The SARL Interactive Technical Network or Intecnet is back on the air on Tuesday 10 February at 19:30. The guest speaker will be Herbert Teubner, the General Manager of Sinetech. He will talk about solar power for radio amateurs.
** You are invited to submit news items of interest to the South African Radio League by following the news inbox link on the South African Radio League web page. News items for inclusion in the bulletin, should reach the news team no later than the Thursday preceding the bulletin date.
You are welcome join us every Sunday morning for the weekly amateur radio magazine program Amateur Radio Today at 10:00 Central African Time. The programme can be heard on VHF and UHF repeaters countrywide and on 7 082 kHz lower side-band and on 7 205 kHz and 17 760 kHz AM. There is also a podcast available by Dick, ZS6RO. A rebroadcast can be heard on Monday evenings at 18:30 Central African Time on 4 895 kHz AM. We welcome your signal reports, comments and suggestions; send these by e-mail to artoday@sarl.org.za. Sentech sponsors the radio transmissions on the non-amateur frequencies.
You have listened to a news bulletin compiled by Johann du Plessis ,ZS6PSS, edited by Johann, ZS6PSS and Dawie Conradie ZR6DHC and read by ...................
From the entire news team, best wishes for the week ahead.
73’s and thank you for listening
/EX
