SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE NEWS SUNDAY 31 MAY 2015
Good morning and welcome to the weekly news bulletin of the South African Radio League read by
[your name, call sign and QTH]
You can tune into the South African Radio League news bulletin on Sunday morn-ings 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 League web site.
This audio bulletin can be downloaded from the 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.
The bulletin commences with news of a silent key
It is with sadness that we have to announce the passing of Bert Lausecker, ZS5LB, on Monday 25 May 2015. Bert turned 94 in December and was in frail care in Kloof.
Bert was recently presented with the President's Award at the 2015 SARL Awards Dinner held in Bloemfontein. Bert was a gentleman, great radio amateur and a top DXer. His records and standings on the DX lists may never be equalled and he will be remembered as the one who set the height of the bar in South Africa.
We extend our condolences to his three daughters and five grandchildren.
PAUSE
In the news today
THE DIGITAL CONTEST THIS AFTERNOON
ZS90SARL AT THE GAUTENG OUTDOOR EXPO TODAY
and
8 METRES IS NOT A NEW ALLOCATION
Stay tuned for more on these and other interesting news items.
** This afternoon between 13:00 UTC and 16:00 UTC, you can operate PSK and RTTY during the second SARL Digital Contest. Activity will take place on 80, 40 and 20 metres. The exchange is an RST report and a serial number starting at 001. The six ZS call areas and neighbouring countries count as multipliers. The complete set of rules is on page 45 of the 2015 Contest Manual.
** The CQ WPX CW Contest ends at midnight UTC this evening. The contest is ac-tive on 160, 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 metres and the exchange is an RST report and a serial number. The deadline for logs is 5 days after the end of the contest.
** A reminder that the South African Radio League is operating ZS90SARL and showcasing amateur radio as a hobby of interest at the 2015 Gauteng Outdoor Expo this weekend until 17:00 this afternoon at the Waterfall Polo Estate in Kyalami.
The League would like sincerely to thank Mario, ZS6MAR, who made the exhibition opportunity possible at the Outdoor Expo at no cost. For more details, visit the web-site at www.gauteng.outdoorexpo.co.za. Do visit us at the League stand during the day! See you there!
** The South African Radio League would like to clear up a misunderstanding. The 8 metre allocation at 40,675 to 40,685 MHz is not a new allocation as per the radio regulations of 1 April 2015. This allocation has been in the Table of Frequencies for a number of years. The 8 metre band is for propagation studies.
** Make Satellites your next journey in Amateur Radio. Presentations on the agenda of the 2015 SA AMSAT Space Symposium to be held at the Innovation Centre in Pretoria on 20 June 2015 include: the Cape Peninsula University of Technology is building its second CubeSat; methods to increase the strength-to-weight ratio of a cube-satellite; building a ground station, solar sailing; and exciting updates on Kletskous.
Make satellites your next journey in amateur radio and make your reservation to at-tend now. There are attractive discounts for South African Radio League and SA AMSAT members plus an early bird lower fee. Full details and the programme can now be downloaded from www.amsatsa.org.za. Alternatively, send an e-mail to saamsat@intekom.co.za with Space in the subject line and the full package will be e-mailed to you.
** The May/June 2015 issue of Radio ZS will be available on the League web site in the middle of the coming week. In this issue, you can read Arduino a new breath for Amateur Radio by Kevin, ZS6KMD. Riaan, ZS4PR, shares more about the 50th anniversary of the Sasolburg ARC, while Mathew, M0LMK, tells us about his DIY Man Pack with a FT-857. Michael, 3D2JR, and his wife have been sailing slowly around the world, so read about the trip and the South African Maritime Mobile Net in Sailing to Africa. Then from the war front, Agent Tim tells us about Clandestine Radio in the Second World War.
From July, Radio ZS will become a monthly publication.
** There are various VHF nets active around South Africa. In the Gauteng area, a very successful net has been running for more than a year on Saturday and Sunday mornings starting around 06:00 to 07:00 CAT on the frequency of 144,300 MHz SSB and was initiated by Carl Minne, ZS6CBQ. Many stations in the Gauteng area are participating and often stations from Bloemfontein join in.
In Cape Town, Mike Kellett, ZS1TAF, recently gave a kick-start to a net on Thursday evenings at 19:00 CAT on 144,300 MHz SSB that has been growing ever since. Af-ter 20:00 CAT, some of the participants change to horizontal Yagis to look for distant stations.
Then, in Port Elizabeth on Monday evenings at 19:00 CAT, Al Akers, ZS2U, runs a net on 70,200 MHz FM and beaming west. Some are prepared to turn their horizon-tal beams north at 20:00 CAT for tests if requested.
You are listening to a news bulletin of the South African Radio League.
** The ARI Fidenza Radio Club (ARI is the IARU affiliated Italian Amateur Radio As-sociation) is organising a technical - cultural event, to be held at the Guglielmo Mar-coni Foundation (Villa Griffone, Marconi's birthplace - Pontecchio Marconi , Bologna, Italy) on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 June 2015.
The aim of this event is to highlight, at an international level, the historical value and meaning of the Yacht "Elettra, - the moving laboratory of the great Italian scientist, on board of which a number of very important experiments dealing with radio communications were conducted.
Over the whole weekend, the radio amateurs of the Fidenza group will operate II4MB close to the derelict keel of the yacht "Elettra", kept at the Museum, and will ideally give new life to its "voice", allowing the radio amateurs all over the world to make contact with it. For more information, visit the website www.arifidenza.it
** Radio provides lifeline in quake-hit Nepal. We are all aware of the role played by amateur radio in the devastating earthquakes in Nepal. The BBC reports that com-munity radio stations in earthquake-hit Nepal have become a crucial provider of in-formation - in fact, the only source in places where newspapers do not reach and internet services do not exist.
Many of the stations are operating from tents after their permanent buildings were destroyed in the 25 April earthquake. Staff members from these stations have shown tremendous resilience in ensuring that the flow of information does not stop. More than 50 radio stations in the earthquake-affected districts have reported damage. Towers and buildings were wrecked and studio equipment and computers were smashed in the earthquake.
** Radio ZS Photo competition. Following a suggestion by Pierre, ZS6A, on the Zone 38 Facebook page, the editor of Radio ZS is challenging members to provide a photograph to grace the cover of Radio ZS. What is required is a portrait size photograph, not a 'selfie' of the operator, but of the station setup, possibly including the operator, capturing the magic and the ambience of Amateur Radio. Adventure Radio such as RaDAR, Islands on the Air, Summits on the Air, Castles on the Air, CQ Hou Koers, Jamboree on the Air, etc., will get preference. There is a small antenna related prize for the covers of the next five issues of Radio ZS.
** It is once again time for the annual Kempton Park Amateur Radio Technical Society (KARTS) and the Antique Wireless Association's (AWA) combined flea market and open day event that will take place on Saturday 6 June 2015 from 10:00 onwards. The venue is the Impala Voortrekker's Centre, Rooibos Avenue, Allen Grove, Kempton Park. Please visit the KARTS website at www.zs6kts.co.za/ for directions to the venue.
The big attraction is the great exhibition of antique amateur equipment of the AWA as well as the flea market activities including the eats on sale, which contribute to a most interesting, enjoyable and memorable day. For table bookings or any enquiries, contact Selwyn, ZS6SEL, on 082 804 2782 or Nico, ZS6QL, on 083 269 9939. KARTS and the AWA are looking forward to welcoming you there!
** The Winter Flea Market of the East Rand Radio Club will be held from 12:00 CAT on Saturday 27 June 2015. You are requested to bring lots of money because you may find something you need or want for a bargain. Also, bring all your unwanted stuff, which you want to get rid of because there may be someone that needs it.
You stand a chance to win a Daiwa CN-801 cross needle SWR/Power meter valued at R2 250 at the October 2015 flea market (thanks to Sam`s Radio Accessories) for only R30 per raffle ticket. The tickets will be on sale at the Winter Flea Market.
Boerewors rolls and cold beverages will be available. Bring the family and come and enjoy the day with us. To book tables at R30 each, contact Judy on mobile 079 730 2030 or e-mail to zs6erb@gmail.com
** In the propagation report, Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the expected solar activity will be at low levels. None of the earth facing sunspots poses a threat for strong solar flares. If you want to do your own frequency predictions, the ex-pected effective sunspot number for the week will be around 64.
The 20 to 15 m bands will provide lots of DX fun, especially during the late after-noons and in the evenings. Please visit the website spaceweather.sansa.org.za for further information.
And now for the diary of events
Today ZS90SARL is active from the 2015 Gauteng Outdoor Expo; the CQ WPX CW Contest; and the South African Radio League Digital Contest
6 June the KARTS and AWA open day
14 June the ZS4 Sprint
17 June World QRP Day
20 June the SA AMSAT Symposium
21 June Note to Family: Fathers Day!
26 to 28 June Ham Radio in Friedrichshafen
27 June the East Rand Winter Flea Market
To end this bulletin, a recap of our main news item this morning.
** This afternoon between 13:00 UTC and 16:00 UTC, you can operate PSK and RTTY during the second SARL Digital Contest. Activity will take place on 80, 40 and 20 metres. The exchange is an RST report and a serial number starting at 001. The six ZS call areas and neighbouring countries count as multipliers. The complete set of rules is on page 45 of the 2015 Contest Manual.
The CQ WPX CW Contest ends at midnight UTC this evening.
** Clubs and individuals are invited to submit news items of interest to radio ama-teurs and shortwave listeners, if possible, in both English and Afrikaans, 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 to join us every Sunday morning for the weekly amateur radio magazine programme 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 from Dick Stratford, ZS6RO. A rebroadcast can be heard on Monday eve-nings at 18:30 Central African Time on 3 230 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 Dennis Green, ZS4BS, edited by Dave Reece, ZS1DFR, and read by
..
From the entire news team, best wishes for the week ahead.
73's and thank you for listening
/EX
