SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE NEWS SUNDAY 31 JANUARY 2016

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 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 the 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 morning’s bulletin with a silent key.

It is with deep regret that the passing of Jim van Loggerenberg, ZS2LR, on 24 January 2016 must be announced.

We extend our sincere condolences to his son Donovan, ZS2DL, his other family and his many friends

PAUSE for 5 seconds………



In the news today

THE FEBRUARY 2016 RADIO ZS IS AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD

and

PROJECT LEXICON MAKES GOOD PROGRESS


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

**** The February 2016 issue of Radio ZS is available for download from the League web site. The theme for this 52 page issue is VHF/UHF and above. In his VHF/UHF News column, Mike, ZS2FM, tells us about some of the first Microwave contacts made in South Africa and in the article 'From Shortwaves to Microwaves', Mike tells us more about the history of radio experimentation. The Sasolburg Amateur Radio Club has provided an article about the antennas they have installed on their repeaters, the Northern Cape Amateur Radio Club tells us how they moved the Oilfantshoek repeater, and Stu, W0STU, explains how to use FM repeaters.

Hans, ZS6AKV, talks about the SA Amsat CubeSat project, and Stu, W0STU, gives us guidelines on making amateur satellite contacts. Ian, ZS6BTE, gives us plans to build a bi-directional Yagi for 144 MHz and Ronald, WBZCQM tells you how to recycle old TV antennas for 2 metres. In addition, there is more in this issue.

The theme for the March 2016 Radio ZS is emergency communications. Thank you to Grant, ZS1GS, and Brian, G0GSF, for their contributions. Send your article by Wednesday 24 February 2016 to radiozs@sarl.org.za


**** Project Lexicon is now in full swing after the quiet December holiday period. The first NET on the Pretoria Amateur Radio Klub’s repeater on 14 January was a great success with many useful and valuable inputs from the project members. The project's first milestones have been set which are: finalising the list of English words and terminology, to be completed by the end of January in order to kick off the translation process; the second milestone is to finalise the layout, index and format of the dictionary, which should be done by the end of February; the third milestone is to finalise the project web site and content which should be completed by the 9th of February 2016.

The aim and purpose of the web site as well as the functional overview of the translation process will be discussed in more detail in February when the web site will be introduced to the amateur community. Stay on the look out for more news and information on project Lexicon and how you can be part of this project.


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


**** Applications for membership of the SARL have been received from the following persons:

. ZR6CMG Jaco Cronje
. ZS3HC Hendrik Coetzer

The following clubs have submitted applications for affiliation.

ZS5HAM Highway Amateur Radio Club
ZS1SKR South Cape Amateur Radio Club

Any objections to the acceptance of the applications must reach the Secretary before or on the Tuesday after the bulletin.

Membership of the SARL currently stands at 1622 plus 45 affiliated clubs.


**** Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the solar activity is expected to be at low to moderate levels. Sunspot AR2488 is crackling with C-class solar flares and may even produce some M-class 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 10 m bands will provide lots of DX fun.

Please visit the website spaceweather.sansa.org.za for further information.


**** And now for the diary of events
31 January - The closing date for nominations for Council and the submission of motions for the AGM.
31 January - closing date for the summer QRP logs.
13 and 14 February - the SARL National Field Day.
15 February - closing date for the PEARS VHF/UHF logs.
22 to 24 April - the 2016 SARL National Convention in Sasolburg.


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


**** The February 2016 issue of Radio ZS is available for download from the League web site. The theme for this 52 page issue is VHF/UHF and above.


**** Project Lexicon is now in full swing after the quiet December holiday period. The projects’ first milestones have been set, which are; finalising the list of English words and terminology; the second milestone to finalise the layout, index and format of the dictionary and the third milestone to finalise the project’s web site.


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 Etienne Naude, ZS6EFN, edited by Dick Stratford, ZS6RO and read by ______________

From the entire news team, best wishes for the week ahead.

73 and thank you for listening

/EX