SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE NEWS FOR SUNDAY 20 MAY 2018
Good morning and welcome to the weekly news bulletin of the South African Radio League 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 Central African Time in Afrikaans and at 08:30 Central African Time in English, on HF as well as on many VHF and UHF repeaters around the country. Echolink listeners may connect to ZS6JPL for a relay. A podcast is available from the League’s web site.
Audio and text bulletins may be downloaded from the League website at www.sarl.org.za where you can also sign up to receive future bulletins by e-mail.
We begin the bulletin this morning with news of a silent key.
On 13 May 2018 the key of Mike Bosch ZS2FM became silent. He passed way at his home in Port Elizabeth two days after writing his regular VHF column on the SARL web and his script for Focus on VHF on Amateur Radio Today, his last. Mike was 92 years.
He was born in 1926 and licensed as ZS2FM in 1948. He dedicated his amateur radio career to the promotion of activities on VHF, UHF and Microwave. Condolences to his wife Susan, son and daughter. His key is silent now, but his legacy will live on. Rest in Peace Mike.
You can listen to a tribute to Mike in Focus on VHF on Amateur Radio Today.
PAUSE
In the news, today:
THE ZS3 SPRINT THIS AFTERNOON
SARL COMMITTEE MEMBER VISITS PORT ELIZABETH AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY
and
HELP WITH THE VHF/UHF COLUMN IN RADIO ZS
Stay tuned for more information on these and other interesting news items.
THE ZS3 SPRINT THIS AFTERNOON
The ZS3 Sprint is a fun activity to promote contacts between radio amateurs in the Northern Cape and radio amateurs in Southern African countries and this phone and CW contest is on the air this afternoon between 14:00 and 15:00 UTC. The exchange is a RS or RST report and your provincial or country abbreviation. Activity is on 7 000 to 7 040 kHz for CW and 7 063 to 7 100 and 7 130 to 7 200 kHz for phone.
Contacts with stations in the Northern Cape are worth 2 points and contacts with the Northern Cape ARC, ZS3NC, the Namaqualand Aero Sport Association, ZS3FLY, the Bo-Karoo ARC, ZS3VDK, or the Sutherland ARC, ZS3OBS, are worth 5 points each. Log sheets in ADIF, Cabrillo or MS Excel format and labelled “my call sign ZS3 Sprint,” must be sent by e-mail to zs3nc@qsl.net by 27 May 2018. Consult the 2018 Blue Book before the contest begins.
SARL COUNCILLOR VISITS PORT ELIZABETH AMATEUR RADIO SOCIETY
During the 2018 SARL AGM, there were no less than 12 awards that were awarded to amateurs in Division 2. To market the SARL outside of Gauteng, the SARL Council undertook to visit the Eastern Cape and to hand over these awards to the amateurs concerned. During the PEARS Annual General Meeting on Saturday 19 May 2018, Rassie ZS1YT, Councillor of the SARL, attended the AGM and handed the awards. Rassie also shared information and other amateur radio issues of interest with those present at the AGM. The advantages of membership of the SARL was high on the agenda.
A moment of remembrance was observed as 3 of the awards, which were to go to Mike Bosch ZS2FM, were handed over to the Committee of PEARS. PEARS will in turn see to it that the awards are passed on to Mike’s family.
VHF/UHF RECORD TABLE
Paul Smit, ZS6NK and Bernie van der Walt, ZS4TX have agreed to take over the management of the VHF/UHF Record Table following the passing of Mike, ZS2FM. Paul asks that radio amateurs will forward their QRB's to him at e-mail zssixnk@gmail.com so that the records can be updated. The e-mail zulu sierra sierra india x-ray november kilo at gmail.com
HELP WITH THE VHF/UHF COLUMN IN RADIO ZS
The editor of Radio ZS asks the VHF and higher community for assistance in keeping the monthly VHF/UHF Column going in the magazine. Is there someone willing to pick up the column or someone who is willing to collect news items and assist the editor in compiling the column. Please contact Dennis, ZS4BS at radiozs@sarl.org.za is you are interested.
You are listening to a news Bulletin of the South African Amateur Radio League.
THE CQ WPX CW CONTEST
The big contest for the weekend of 26 and 27 May is the CQ WW WPX CW Contest. This contest traditionally sees plenty of activity. Do not forget to review the rules at www.cqwpx.com/rules.htm to find the best entry category that suits your station's capabilities and your personal goals.
SPACE STATION DIGITAL AMATEUR TELEVISION SIGNAL NOT BEING SEEN ON THE GROUND
The signal from the digital amateur television (DATV) transmitter aboard the International Space Station (ISS) cannot be detected on the ground, the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) has reported. The unit indicates that it is functioning. So far, ARISS has not been able to pin down the problem.
"A series of steps are currently being undertaken to try to diagnose the problem," a 10 May announcement from ARISS said. "However, if an actual failure occurred, only a ground-based evaluation will fully diagnose the problem. The ARISS International team is working diligently to bring the system back to full operation as soon as practical." The DATV system is known variously as "HamVideo" and "HamTV." ARISS said it has begun coordination with its space agency partners and sponsors to "expeditiously troubleshoot the issue onboard and, if necessary, troubleshoot and repair the device on the ground."
INFORMAL AMATEUR RADIO NETS BEING MAINTAINED IN WAKE OF VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS IN HAWAII
Two informal informational nets remain open on the island of Hawaii ("The Big Island") in the wake of recent and ongoing volcanic eruptions and seismic activity, Pacific Section Emergency Coordinator Clement Jung, KH7HO, reports. No formal traffic has been passed, but frequencies are being monitored.
"All normal communications, such as cell, landline phones, internet, and public safety, are operational," Jung told the ARRL. Fissures associated with the Kilauea volcano on The Big Island began erupting on 3 May, spewing lava and venting high levels of sulphur dioxide.
An Amateur Radio net is in operation on 7,088 MHz SSB and the Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) 146,720 MHz repeater (100 Hz tone) on Mauna Kea was activated after Hawaii's governor issued an emergency declaration. A federal disaster declaration has been approved.
The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory reports active venting of lava and hazardous fumes continues, with no end in sight. The Hawaii Volcanoes National Park closed after roads and trails were damaged. The Observatory this week increased the Aviation Colour Code to RED, due to increased ash emission.
These two items with thanks for the ARRL Letter.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the solar activity is expected to remain at very low levels. Currently there are no sunspots visible. If you want to do your own frequency predictions, the expected effective sunspot number for the week will be around one.
The 15 to 30 m bands may provide lots of DX fun. Please visit the website spaceweather.sansa.org.za for further information.
Finally, a Diary of some upcoming events:
This afternoon – the ZS3 Sprint
21 May – the closing Date for AWA Valve QSO Party Logs
24 May – the closing date for June Radio ZS articles
26 May – the Johannesburg ARC Flea Market
10 June – the Hammies Sprint
16 June – the East Rand Club Flea Market
17 June – Father’s Day and World QRP Day
To conclude our bulletin a quick overview of our main news item:
The ZS3 Sprint is a fun activity to promote contacts between radio amateurs in the Northern Cape and radio amateurs in Southern African countries and this phone and CW contest is on the air this afternoon between 14:00 and 15:00 UTC. The exchange is a RS or RST report and your provincial or country abbreviation.
This concludes our bulletin for this morning.
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 program, 'Amateur Radio Today' at 10:00 Central African Time. The program 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; 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 Andy Cairns, ZS6ADY, edited by Dick Stratford, ZS6RO, and read by ..............
From the news team, best wishes for the week ahead.
/EX
