BULLETIN READERS PLEASE TAKE NOTE THAT THERE ARE TWO AUDIO INSERTS AVAILABLE FOR THE SAAMSAT ITEM. SEE ITEM FOR MORE INFO
SARL NEWS SUNDAY 28 JUNE 2015
Good morning and welcome!
You are tuned to the News Bulletin of the South African Radio League, read by . . . . . . . . (name, callsign and QTH)
You can listen to the South African Radio League news broadcast on Sunday mornings at 08:15 South African Standard Time (SAST) in Afrikaans and at 08:30 in English on HF and many VHF and UHF repeaters around our country. Echolink listeners can connect to ZS0JPL for a relay. A podcast is also available from the SARL web site at www.sarl.org.za.
This audio bulletin can be downloaded from the SARL-website. While you are there, you can sign up to receive bulletins by e-mail.
SILENT KEY
It is with sadness that we learned that James Richard Dansie, ZS5AEG has passed away on the 5th of June 2015. James, in Ham circles known as Jimmy, was a long standing and very active member of the Durban ARC until ill health stopped him to do so. Our deepest sympathy to his family and friends.
PAUSE – 5 SECONDS
IN THE NEWS TODAY
MAY RAE SCORES 86% PASS RATE; NEWS ABOUT KLETSKOUS; AMATEUR RADIO COVERS A WIDE FIELD AND NEW COMMITTEES TO FAST TRACK PROJECTS
Stay tuned for more info on these topics and other news in this bulletin
MAY RAE SCORES 86% PASS RATE
** Of the 147 candidates who enrolled for the May Radio Amateur Examination, only 112 wrote it, 110 in Class A and 2 in Class B. The pass rate was 86%. The oldest person in Claas A was 64 years of age and the youngest 13. In Class B there was a candidate of only 11 years old. The highest marks obtained was 98% and 88% respectively. Two candidates 100% in Regulations and one achieved 98% in the Technical part. If you did not pass this time, do not give up. Try again in October.
The biggest challenge is to get all the documents and HF assessments to the administrators on time. The SARL and ICASA agreed to ensure that the correct procedures are followed at all times. Persons with incomplete documentation will not even allowed to enter the examination room.
The RAE Manager, Gideon ZS4GJA, thanks all who contributed to the May RAE success.
KLETSKOUS SYMPOSIA
NOT TO BE READ ON AIR! An audio conversation between Etienne ZS6EFN and Hans ZS6AKV, on the Kletskous-project, was received. It is trancribed and edited for the news readers. For those who would like to download the audio for their own bulletins,please go to www.podpage.co.za
Introduction to the audio insert
Our field correspondent, Etienne Naude, ZS6EFN, had a chat with Hans van de Groenendal, ZS6AKV and Hannes Coetzee ZS6BZP during the recent SAAMSAT Space symposium
** During the recent SAAMSAT Spasymposium Etienne Naude ZS6EFN spoke to Hans ZS6AKV Etienne asked Hans about the plans and purposes of the symposia. Hans explained they had decided to build their own communication satellite and put it in space. The launch date is set for July 2017. It will give the radio amateur of SOUTHERN Africa access to this field again and on a more continuous basis. Some of the satellites aged and they were no longer available. The amateurs did not use them anymore. They hope to get greater involvement and a new interest in this type of communication with the locally developed SATELLITE.
According to Hans the plans and goals of the Kletskous symposia is that these gatherings is an oppertunity to get people involved, hone their skills and give feedback. Hans said he was satisfied with the present interest in the project. He also said he preferred to see more people from other parts of the country being involved but understood that fuel prices, long distances and time were influencing factors.
THE AMATEUR RADIO SERVICE COVERS A VERY WIDE FIELD
** Most people believe that radio amateurs only talk to each other locally or make DX contacts on HF and collect QSL cards. This is of course great fun, exciting and how Amateur Radio started. The modern Amateur Radio Service covers a much wider field of activities, like experimentation, exploration and research of VHF, UHF and Microwaves, Earth-moon-earth (EME), Satellites, Space communications, astronomy and the new Terahertz band. Software Defined Radio (SDR) and Digital communications should also be more fun for today ‘s younger amateur generation.
FINAL DATES FOR ARIA SYMPOSIA
The dates for the Amateur Radio in Action symposia for the 2015 starts with one on 22 August at the NARC and one on 19 September in Pretoria. The Cape Town event is on 10 October at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. Bookings will open on Monday 13 July. The kit offered at the RTA is a micro controlled frequency counter. More details will soon be published on the web.
** The ZS5 Sprint will be held from 14 hours to 15 hours UTC on Sunday 5 July 2015. The Sprint is run along the same lines as the ZS3 and ZS4 Sprints. Find all the details in the 2015 Blue Book.
** The 2015 IARU HF Championships will be held from zero hour UTC on Saturday 11 July until zero hour UTC on Sunday 12 July with CW and phone activity on all the HF-bands. If you are interested in operating the League's HQ station during the contest, please send an e-mail to contest@sarl.org.
YOU ARE LISTENING TO A NEWS BULLETIN OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE
NEW COMMITTEES TO FAST TRACK PROJECTS
** A number of committees were appointed by the league via Skype last Wednesday to fast track projects taking too long to be completed. The President, Fritz Sutherland ZS6SF, will head up the ADF committee. They will develop a multi-sectorial approach to find a solution to the current antenna restrictions in residential areas. With the assistance of legal experts, guided by Johann Marais ZS1JM and the financial support of radio amateurs, a clear picture of the legal framework was built up. They will now focus on various levels in government to resolve the issues and seek change to the restrictions. Regular updates will be published in the monthly SARL letter.
NO COMMERCIALS ON SWOP SHOP
** The Council aggreed that no commercial advertisements will be published on the SARL Web swop shop. Only members may post advertisements of their own surplus equipment. The rules will be published on the swop shop page as soon possible. The fees for commercial hamads are reduced to support smaller suppliers who wish to advertise their products and services on the SARL web page. The large display advertisement costs remains the same.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the expected solar activity will be at low levels. Decaying sunspot AR2371 has a complex magnetic field configurations and may still produce M- or X-class solar flares.
If you want to do your own frequency predictions, the expected effective sunspot number for the week will be around 45.
The 20 to 15 m bands will provide lots of DX fun, especially during the late afternoons and in the evenings.
Please visit the website www.spaceweather.sansa.org.za for further information.
USB TRANCEIVER KITS
** The SARL has a small quantity of the USB transceiver interface kits available to members only at R480 plus R70 for packing and postage by parcel post or R120 via Postnet to Postnet. The order form is available at www.sarl.org.za. in the members' only section and the instructions will also appear there. Members who order before 2 July may collect their kits from the NARC the following Monday.
DIARY FOR THE COMING WEEKS
Now until 29 June - Top Band QSO-party on 160 meters
5 July - ZS5-Sprint
6 July - Logsheets for Top Band QSO-party to contest@sarl.org.za
11 en 12 Julie – The IARU HF Championships on all the HF bands
22 August - ARIA Symposium at the NARC
19 September- ARIA Symposium in Pretoria.
To end this bulletin, here is a repeat of the main items
** Of the 147 candidates who enrolled for the May Radio Amateur Examination, only 112 wrote it, 110 in Class A and 2 in Class B. The pass rate was 86%. The oldest person in Claas A was 64 years of age and the youngest 13. In Class B there was a candidate of only 11 years old. The highest marks obtained was 98% and 88% respectively. Two candidates SCORED not scoured 100% in Regulations and one achieved 98% in the Technical part.
AND THAT BRINGS US TO THE END OF TODAY’S NEWS
If you have any news items of interest to amateur radio, please submit them by following the news-inbox link on the SARL webpage. News items for inclusion to the next amateur radio bulletin should reach the news team not later than the THURSDAY evening preceding the bulletin date.
Join us every Sunday morning at 10 hours SAST for Amateur Radio Today, the weekly amateur magazine program. This program may be heard countrywide on VHF and UHF repeaters, on 7082 kHz lower side-band as well as on 7205 kHz and 17660 kHz AM. A podcast by Dick ZS6RO is also available. There is a replay on Monday nights at 18 hours 30 SAST on 3230 kHz AM. The transmissions on the non amateur frequencies, are sponsored by Sentech.
We welcome your signal reports, comments and suggestions. Send these by e-mail to artoday@sarl.org.za
If you can assist the team with compiling or editing these bulletins, please contact Dawie ZR6DHC by email at zr6dhc@zs6rtb.co.za
You have listened to a news bulletin of the South African Radio League, compiled by
Flip Britz ZS4GE, edited by Brian Utterson ZS6AE and read by . . . . . . . . . . . . . (name, callsign and QTH)
Thank you for listening. Best wishes from me and the entire news team for the week ahead.
/EX
