SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE NEWS SUNDAY 07 August 2016

Good morning and welcome to the weekly news bulletin of the South African Radio League for Sunday 07 August 2016 read by ................ [your name, call sign and QTH]

You may tune in to the South African Radio League news bulletin on Sunday mornings, at 08:15 Local Time in Afrikaans and at 08:30 Local Time in English, on HF as well as on many VHF and UHF repeaters around our country. Echolink listeners may connect to ZS0JPL for a relay.

This audio bulletin may be downloaded from the League website at www.sarl.org.za where you will find this as well as previous bulletins in text format under the news link on the left-hand side of the web page. While you are there, you may sign up to receive future bulletins by e-mail.

** Correction to SARL weekly news of last week

We regret that in the SARL weekly news bulletin of 2016/07/31 Ettienne Vosloo, ZS1AX, was not mentioned. Our sincerest apologies to Ettienne for this oversight.

The new council consists of NINE councilors who are:

Ettienne Vosloo ZS1AX
Paul van Spronsen ZS1V
Rassie Erasmus ZS1YT
Dennis Green ZS4BS
Geoff Levey ZS6C
Chris Turner ZS6GM (Vice president)
Louw Erasmus ZS6LME
Nico van Rensburg ZS6QL (President)
Shane Bailey ZS6ZSB (Treasurer)

Etienne Naude ZS6EFN was co-opted to fulfill the Honorary Secretary function.


IN THE NEWS TODAY


FIRST REPORT ON TRANSATLANTIC TESTS

NEWS FROM THE SARL COUNCIL

CONTEST NEWS

PROPAGATION REPORT

UPCOMING EVENTS

** Pieter Jacobs, V51PJ, at Rosh Pinah, Namibia has informed us that Marcos Turbo, PY1MHZ, arrived on 1 August at 05:00 CAT this at his holiday QTH Grid locator GG98ic, and they will start their Transatlantic tests between Brazil and Namibia. They will be running skeds on the frequency of 144,250 MHz and will try various digital modes at this stage, such as ISCAT A and JT65b. Their operating times will be mainly around sunrise in Namibia and at sunset in Brazil that will enhance the cool air for Tropo Ducting. The Hepburn Forecasts indicate an improvement of Tropo Ducting conditions across the Atlantic Ocean from 5 August 2016. By the way Kobus ZS3JPY at Kleinzee has his new radio up and running and will also monitor the Brazilian signals.

You are tuned to a news bulletin of the South African Radio League and we now continue with news from head office.

** At its first meeting on 31 July, the new council discussed the issues of most concern to members and at its second meeting this week, established a set of immediate priorities and a go forward plan. The new Council has taken note of the comments that there is a seeming lack of communication from Council to the amateur fraternity. These comments have been taken seriously and your new council will be implementing improved and more regular communication. Radio ZS, the Sunday bulletins and regular news flashes will be used to keep you the SARL members informed and involved. A dedicated Facebook page www.facebook.com/officialsarl was established to further enhance communication and does not replace any other form of communiqué. Keep an eye on your inbox for a newsflash early next week.

** Applications for membership of the South African Radio League have been received from the following persons:
ZS6VDP Hubertus van der Ploeg
ZS1SLS Angela-Tafadzwa Shumba

Any objections to the acceptance of the applications must reach the Secretary before or on the Tuesday after this bulletin. The League now has 1268 confirmed members for the next term; there are still many renewals outstanding. If you have not yet renewed your membership, please do so now. At the end of August you will cease to be a member if you have not renewed. Thirty-four clubs have already renewed their affiliation.

** The ZS2 Sprint was a great success with QSOs from all over the country making it a fun event enjoyed by all. The sprint took place on the 24th of July 2016.

The results are:

1. ZS2CR, Colette Rundle, 152 POINTS
2. ZS2PE, operated by Theunis Potgieter, 119 POINTS
3. ZS2NF, Barry Nugent, 92 POINTS

The results have been posted to the PEARS facebook page.

PEARS would like to thank those who took part and sent in their logs. Certificates will be awarded for the first three places

** This afternoon from 13:00 to 16:30 UTC, you can participate in the South African Radio League HF Phone Contest. The aim of the HF Phone Contest is for participants to contact as many amateurs in Southern Africa as possible on phone from 14 125 to 14 300 kHz, 7 063 to 7 100 and 7 130 to 7 200 kHz and 3 603 to 3 650 and 3 700 to 3 800 kHz. You can participate as a Single Operator Single Band station, a Single Operator All Band station, a Multi Operator Single Band station or a Multi Operator All Band station.

The exchange is a RS report and a consecutive serial number starting at 001. Submit your log in ADIF, Cabrillo or MS Excel format and labeled "your call sign HF Phone", by 14 August 2016 by e-mail to zs4bfn@mweb.co.za


** Call "YL Sprint" on 9 August 2016 from 09:00 to 10:00 UTC for the SARL YL Sprint. It is a phone sprint with activity from 7 063 to 7 100 and 7 130 to 7 200 kHz and the exchange is a RS report and YL or OM. Contacts between YL stations are worth 5 points. Contacts between YL and OM stations are worth 3 points and contacts between OM stations are worth 1 point. Log sheets in ADIF, Cabrillo or MS Excel format and labeled "your call sign YL Sprint," shall be submitted by 16 August 2016 by e-mail to zs4bfn@mweb.co.za.

Get all the information in the 2016 Blue Book for both these contests and send your logs to zs4bfn@mweb.co.za. Do not use any other e-mail address.

** Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the solar activity is expected to be at low levels. The visible sunspots do not pose 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 15.

The 20 band will provide lots of DX fun.

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

Before we end this week's bulletin, a quick look at some upcoming events

7 August - SARL HF Phone Contest
9 August - SARL YL Sprint
14 August - SARL Youth Net
20 and 21 August - International Lighthouse and Lightship Weekend
21 August - SARL HF Digital Contest
28 August - SARL HF CW Contest

To end this week's bulletin we once again issue the correction of the SARL weekly news.

We regret that in the SARL weekly news bulletin of 2016/07/31 Ettienne Vosloo, ZS1AX, was not mentioned. Our sincerest apologies to Ettienne for this oversight.

For more information on councilors, their portfolios and also co-opted members please see the Radio ZS magazine which may be downloaded from the members only section of the SARL webpages.

That brings us to the end of this bulletin

** 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.

Persons interested in becoming involved with the news team may contact zr6dhc@zs6rtb.co.za

We invite you to join us every Sunday morning for the weekly amateur radio magazine programme 'Amateur Radio Today' at 10:00 Local Time. The programme may 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 may be heard on Monday evenings at 18:30 local time on 3 230 kHz AM.

We welcome your signal reports, comments and suggestions; please 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 Dawie Conradie, ZR6DHC, edited by Dick Stratford, ZS6RO, and read by ..............

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

/EX