SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE NEWS FOR SUNDAY 16 SEPTEMBER 2018
Good morning and welcome to the weekly news bulletin of the South African Radio League read by ...................................................... [your name, call sign and QTH]
The South African Radio League broadcasts a news bulletin each Sunday in Afrikaans as well as English at 08:15 and 08:30 Central African Time respectively, on HF as well as on various VHF and UHF repeaters around the country. The bulletin is relayed via Echolink by ZS6JPL. A podcast is available on the League website. 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 start the bulletin this morning with news of a silent key.
It is with deep regret that we must announce that the key of Louis Jordaan, ZS2EN of Port Elizabeth went silent on Wednesday 12 September 2018.
We extend our sincere condolences to his wife Elsabé, family and friends.
PAUSE
In the news, today:
OCTOBER RAE REGISTRATION CLOSING DATE EXTENDED
THE IARU ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL MEETING FOCUSES ON WRC-19 PREPARATION
and
TWO 40-METER BROADCAST INTRUDERS GONE, IARU REGION 1 MONITORING SYSTEM REPORTS
Stay tuned for more information on these and other interesting news items.
OCTOBER RAE REGISTRATION CLOSING DATE EXTENDED
The October examination is only a few weeks away, to be written on 13 October 2018. There are many individuals who have registered but have not yet completed all the required forms or even uploaded the required documentation. For this reason, the closing date has been extended to Friday 28 September 2018. Please make sure that all documents have been completed in full and that all required documents are uploaded. No late entries will be accepted after this date.
THE IARU ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL MEETING FOCUSES ON WRC-19 PREPARATION
The Administrative Council (AC) of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) held its annual in-person meeting on 8 and 9 September 2018 in Seoul, Republic of Korea, immediately prior to the IARU Region 3 Conference. The AC is responsible for the policy and management of the IARU and consists of the three IARU international officers and two representatives from each of the three IARU regional organizations.
With the 2019 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-19) of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) now little more than a year away, the efforts of two dozen IARU volunteers to defend amateur radio's frequency allocations against commercial pressures and to seek worldwide harmonization of the 50 to 54 MHz band are reaching a critical stage. Coordination of this team is an ongoing task leading up to the ITU Conference Preparatory Meeting in Geneva in February 2019 and to WRC-19 itself in Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt, in October and November. The work involves presenting the IARU positions on the WRC-19 agenda items to national administrations through the IARU member-societies and actively participating in the ongoing preparations being done in regional telecommunications organizations and the ITU Radiocommunication Sector. The potential for crippling levels of interference to radiocommunications from High Power Wireless Power Transfer (WPT) for electric vehicles is high on the list of concerns.
With these challenges in mind, the AC reviewed its strategic plan to develop support for amateur spectrum allocations and approved the action plan for implementation during the remainder of 2018 and 2019. To resource the plan, the IARU budget for the years 2019 to 2021 was reviewed and adopted. The budget is based upon anticipated financial contributions from the IARU International Secretariat (IS) and the three regional organizations and reflects ongoing efforts to minimize expenses while maintaining the essential activities for achievement of the plan.
The growth of amateur radio, especially how to attract young people, is a common concern of IARU member-societies. The AC will set out to identify those barriers to growth that the IARU can assist member societies to address and will encourage member societies to share successful strategies for growth with one another.
After consideration of several possible alternatives, the theme for World Amateur Radio Day, 18 April 2019, was confirmed as "Celebrating Amateur Radio's Contribution to Society."
You are listening to a news bulletin of the South African Radio League.
TWO 40-METER BROADCAST INTRUDERS GONE, IARU REGION 1 MONITORING SYSTEM REPORTS
The IARU Region 1 Monitoring System (IARUMS) reports that two long-time broadcast intruders on 40 metres are gone. IARUMS Coordinator Wolf Hadel, DK2OM, said in the August IARUMS newsletter that Radio Hargeisa in the Republic of Somaliland on 7,120 MHz, and Radio Ethiopia on 7,140 MHz, departed the band during the last week of August. "We did not miss them," he commented.
IARUMS did report increasing military traffic on 7 and 14 MHz, "especially on digital modes from Russia and China." In addition, a wideband over-the-horizon (OTH) radar in China has caused serious problems on 20 meters, while an Iranian radar on 28,860 MHz "could be heard under sporadic E conditions." German telecommunications authorities have filed a formal complaint. Hadel said a Russian Navy system believed to be in Moscow appeared on 7,182 MHz on F1A, a 200 Hz shift, identifying as RDL. German telecommunications authorities were notified.
Hadel also reported "childish behaviour" by amateurs in western and eastern Ukraine "insulting each other or playing music every day" on 7.055 MHz (LSB). Reports of amateur band intruders can be submitted via the IARU Region 1 Monitoring System Logger at http://peditio.net/intruder/bluechat.cgi.
AWA RADIO RESTORATION PRESENTATION
The Sandton Amateur Radio Club will be hosting an informative presentation by the Antique Wireless Association (AWA) on the restoration of antique radios. Andy, ZS6ADY, Rad, ZS6RAD and Oliver, ZS6OG will be on hand to give the talk and display some interesting radios from days gone by. Come and join us at the NARC on Saturday 29 September at 10.00 for 10.30. All are welcome but come early as seating is limited. Boerewors rolls and cold drinks will be on sale.
FINAL RESULTS OF THE SARL HF CW CONTEST
In terms of General Rule 9 of the 2018 SARL Contest Manual, the results of the SARL HF CW contest as published in HF Happenings 811 are now deemed as the final results.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the solar activity is expected to remain at 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. With the equinox approaching the 15, 20 and 30 m bands may, especially at sunrise and sunset, provide lots of DX fun. Please visit the website spaceweather.sansa.org.za for further information.
Finally, a Diary of some upcoming events:
17 September – Closing date for NFD Logs
22 September – Cape Town ARC Meeting
23 September – Spring Equinox
24 September – Heritage Day and National Braai Day; closing date for VHF/UHF Digital Logs and articles for the October Radio ZS
28 September – the Provincial schools close and the October RAE Registration closes
29 – 30 September – CQ WW RTTY Contest
1 October – the closing date for All Africa logs
4 October – the SARL 80 m QSO Party
6 October – the East Rand Branch Flea Market
6 and 7 October – the AWA Valve QSO Party
7 October – the RSGB DX contest (formerly the RSGB 15/10 m Contest)
To conclude our bulletin a quick overview of our main news item:
The October examination is only a few weeks away, to be written on 13 October 2018. There are many individuals who have registered but have not yet completed all the required forms or even uploaded the required documentation. For this reason, the closing date has been extended to Friday 28 September 2018. Please make sure that all documents have been completed in full and that all required documents are uploaded. No late entries will be accepted after this date.
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 4 895 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 Emile Venter, ZS6V, edited by Dennis Green, ZS4BS/3 and read by ……………………................
From the news team, best wishes for the week ahead.
/EX
