SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE NEWS SUNDAY 23 AUGUST 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 in to the South African Radio League news bulletin 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 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.

We start this edition of SARL News with a silent key notification.

It is with regret that we learnt that Piet Coetzee, ZS6NKA, passed away very suddenly and unexpectedly on Sunday 16 August.

We extend our deepest condolences to his wife Petra, his family and friends.

PAUSE

In the news today

THE SEPTEMBER RADIO ZS AVAILABLE TOMORROW

BELONGING TO THE IARU BENEFITS AMATEUR RADIO IN SOUTH AFRICA

and

SASOLBURG IS CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF AMATEUR RADIO

Stay tuned for more on these and other interesting news items.

** The September 2015 issue of Radio ZS will be available for download from the League's web site from Monday 24 August. In this issue, Ian, ZS6BTE, gives you plans to build a three-element yagi for 40,680 MHz. Kevin, ZS6KMD, has two more projects in his Arduino column and Gail Hammond tells us about the Hammies ARC. Craig, NM4T, tells about an achievable car-based mobile operating platform and Viv, ZS6VD, shows off his Antenna Rotator Digital Readout project. John, VE3IPS, goes picnic table operating and Mike, ZS2FM, fills us in on VHF and above news. There is more in this 40-page issue of Radio ZS.

If you wish to contribute to the October Radio ZS, please submit your article by 20 September and the editor will have Radio ZS on the web site by 1 October. Send your article in English or Afrikaans to radiozs@sarl.org.za

** Belonging to the International Amateur Radio Union benefits Amateur Radio in South Africa. Speaking at the South African Radio League's Amateur Radio in Action symposium yesterday at the National Amateur Radio centre, League President Fritz Sutherland, ZS6SF, said that for the South African Radio League to be a member to the International Amateur Radio Union benefits Amateur Radio in South Africa.

He said that the regulation of the hobby of amateur radio is protected in the international sphere, by the interaction of the IARU with the ITU and that local regulation largely follows the guidelines of international regulation. "Should we not be members of the IARU, the fierce competition for resources in the radio communication industry, would soon force the amateurs out. Your radios and other equipment will become interesting conversation pieces, but useless, like cars without roads, boats without water, computers without software or firearms without ammunition."

The IARU also offers other services and enhancements to amateur radio; they are amongst many others –

The IARU Monitoring System monitors the amateur radio spectrum for intruders or non-amateur radio stations transmitting on the amateur radio frequencies and takes steps to have the signal removed from amateur radio bands.

The IARU Beacon Project maintains a series of radio beacons in various parts of the world so that amateur operators can determine propagation patterns and participate in propagation studies.

The IARU sponsors the yearly IARU HF World Championship contest. IARU member-societies and IARU volunteers are encouraged to join the contest to promote awareness of the IARU.

The Worked All Continents award is the oldest operating award in amateur radio. The basic award is earned by confirming contacts with the six continental areas of the world.

The IARU sponsors World Amateur Radio Day each year in April. IARU member-societies are encouraged to take advantage of this special day to promote amateur radio in their countries.

Being a member of the South African Radio League means, you are increasing the voice of the IARU and enhancing the note that the world takes of amateur radio. It is in your hands to join the League and support the future of Amateur Radio.

** Bursaries for Class A RAE students under 25. The South African Amateur Radio Development Trust, as part of the Tony Reumerman Bursary Fund, has two bursaries available for students under 25 years old to study for and write the October
Class A Radio Amateur examination. The value of each bursary is R1 000. For details and an application form visit www.amateurradio.org.za

** SARL News has received a note from Gert, ZS6GAS, informing that Braam Devenier, ZS6AYE, has achieved his DXCC and Worked All Continents Award for 6 metres. Further, Braam is also the holder of a meteor scatter record for a distance of 2 011 km with the Comoros Islands and a F2 layer record via long path with E51CG over a distance of 25 312 km. Braam, congratulations on your six metre achievements.

You are listening to a news bulletin of the South African Radio League.

** The membership of the South African Radio League currently stands at 1 371 members and 38 affiliated clubs

** Sasolburg ARC is celebrating 50 Years of Amateur Radio on 5 September 2015. Time is running out! The 50 years of amateur radio festival is getting closer and closer! Have you contacted the Sasolburg Radio Club to bring your amateur radio related group to Sasolburg? Contact the club via zs4srk@gmail.com to enquire on how you can become part of this historic event.

** The provisional results of the South African Radio League YL Sprint, held on 9 August have been released. The committee received 14 logs of which eight came from the young ladies.

1st Colette Rundle, ZS2CR, 172 points
2nd Talanne van Tonder, ZS6TVT, 136 points
3rd Kempton Park ARTS, ZS6KTS, operated by Mary Harding, ZS6AKR, 121 points
4th Pam Momberg, ZS6APT, 117 points

Congratulations Colette!

** The South African Radio League HF CW Contest will take to the air on Sunday afternoon 30 August from 13:00 to 16:30 UTC with activity on 80, 40 and 20 metres. The rules are the same as for the HF Phone Contest of 2 August and the HF Digital Contest of 16 August. Get the rules in the 2015 Blue Book.

** You can arrange skeds or ask for advice from VHF amateurs via their mobile phones. There is list of mobile phone numbers of about 120 VHF operators posted on the SARL Forum, where you can contact many radio amateurs countrywide. The main purpose of this list is to enable amateurs, especially beginners, to arrange skeds or ask for advice from more experienced VHF amateurs. This service will be of benefit to many including those who live in remote areas.

** The West Rand Amateur Radio Club is hosting its next flea market at 12:00 on Saturday 29 August 2015 at their clubhouse in Kroton Street, Weltevreden Park, Roodepoort. Everybody is welcome. For more information, contact Johan, ZS6JVV, on mobile 082 558 5811.

** Mike, ZS2FM asks, “will massive solar storms affect the electronics on planes and its passengers?” One of the largest solar geomagnetic storms occurred on 1 - 2 September 1859, a coronal mass ejection (CME), which produced aurorae that reached latitudes 25 degrees north and south; it was as bright as the full moon. It affected the telegraphic networks in parts of the USA and Europe and telegraphists experienced shocks when they touched their Morse keys.

On 12 March 1989, another CME hit the Earth's magnetic field that produced spectacular aurorae, including electrical currents in the ground and knocked out the Quebec power grid for 12 hours. What will happen to aircraft and passengers if a CME type 5 would hit us? Satellites could be silenced, radio and electronic equipment damaged and substation transformers burnt out. Fortunately, we will have an early warning of about 17 hours for high speed CME's and several days for slower ones.

** In the propagation report, Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the solar activity is expected to be at moderate levels. Growing sunspot AR2403 poses a threat for solar flares. If you want to do your own frequency predictions, the expected effective sunspot number for the week will be around 57.

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 spaceweather.sansa.org.za for further information.

And now for the diary of events

Today – submit your log for the SARL HF Digital Contest to zs4bfn@gmail.com by midnight
29 August – West Rand Flea Market starting at 12:00
30 August – the South African Radio League HF CW Contest
5 September – 50 Years of Amateur Radio Festival hosted by the Sasolburg ARC
6 September – closing date for HF CW logs
12 and 13 September – SARL National Field Day
19 September - Amateur Radio in Action, Pretoria
19 and 20 September – the SARL VHF/UHF Contest

To end this bulletin, a recap of our main news item this morning.

The September 2015 issue of Radio ZS will be available for download from the League's web site from Monday 24 August. This 40-page issue of Radio ZS is filled with interesting articles.

** Clubs and individuals are invited to submit news items of interest to radio amateurs 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 evenings 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