SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE NEWS FOR SUNDAY 23 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.
In the news, today:
GET YOUR PARK ON OPERATING EVENT SET FOR OCTOBER
THE 2018 CQ WORLD WIDE RTTY DX CONTEST NEXT WEEKEND
and
NEWS FROM THE CLUBS
Stay tuned for more information on these and other interesting news items.
GET YOUR PARK ON OPERATING EVENT SET FOR OCTOBER
What is hoped will be the first annual "Get Your Park ON" operating event will take place from 14 to 20 October in celebration of Earth Science Week. The event is open to Amateur Radio operators around the world and is sponsored by the national affiliates of World Wide Flora and Fauna (WWFF), which encourages radio amateurs to operate outdoors in protected nature parks.
During this on-the-air celebration, amateurs can participate in one of two ways. You can opt to be an Activator, setting up and operating in national and provincial as listed in the Southern African Fauna and Flora list found at https://zsfaunaandflora.wordpress.com/. Or you may decide to be a Hunter, operating from home and searching out and contacting the Activators. The week-long special event is reminiscent of the ARRL's popular National Parks on the Air (NPOTA) event in 2016. "Get Your Park ON" begins at 00:00 UTC on Sunday 14 October and continues to 23:59 UTC on Saturday 20 October. Visit the "Get Your Park ON" Facebook page for more information.
In October 1998, the American Geosciences Institute organized Earth Science Week, a national and international event to help the public gain a better understanding and appreciation for the Earth sciences and to encourage stewardship of the Earth, a common goal shared by WWFF. Both programs encourage participants to get outside and enjoy nature.
Earth Science Week 2018 engages young people and others with learning resources and activities exploring the relationship between the arts and the Earth systems. This year's theme of "Earth as Inspiration" promotes public understanding and stewardship of the planet. Of special interest to the Amateur Radio community and their families is an "Inspired by Earth" photo contest and an essay contest for students in grades 6 to 9.
(ARRL Newsletter)
RULE 2 REMOVED FROM THE SARL SWOP SHOP
Following a written request by a League member, Council has decided to remove Rule 2 “No advertising by members on behalf of non-members is allowed” from the Swop shop rules.
THE 2018 CQ WORLD WIDE RTTY DX CONTEST NEXT WEEKEND
The 2018 CQ WW RTTY Contest starts at 00:00 UTC on 29 September and ends at 23:59 UTC on 30 September with activity on 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 metres. The observance of established band plans is strongly encouraged. The objective is for amateurs around the world to contact as many other amateurs in as many CQ zones, countries, US states and Canadian provinces as possible. The contest exchange is an RST report plus CQ zone number of the station location (e.g., 599 38). Stations in the continental USA and Canada also send QTH (e.g., 599 05 MA). Find the rules at www.cqwwrtty.com/rules.htm
LOCAL CONTESTS IN OCTOBER
The second leg of the SARL 80 metre QSO Party is on the air from 17:00 to 20:00 UTC on Thursday 4 October. The e-mail address for logs has changed and will be given in next Sunday’s bulletin.
The second leg of the AWA Valve QSO Party takes place on 6 and 7 October, with the AM QSO Party on Saturday and the SSB QSO party on the Sunday.
The SARL Spring QRP Contest takes place on Saturday 13 October.
You are listening to a news bulletin of the South African Radio League.
NEWS FROM THE CLUBS
The Pretoria ARC held their AGM on 25 August 2018 and at the first committee meeting on 6 October the portfolios were allocated as follows:
Chairman and Watts Newsletter: Louis de Wet, ZS6SK
Vice Chairman, Treasurer and Website: Graham Reid, ZS6GJR
Club Secretary: Irene Myburgh, ZS6IEA
SARL Liaison and Bulletin Coordinator: Etienne Naude, ZS6EFN
Rallies, Repeaters and Club Membership: Johan de Bruyn, ZS6JHB
Technical and RAE Training: John Minter, ZS6LED
The following members were co-opted for the following portfolios:
Flea-markets: Alméro Du Pisani ZS6LDP
Competitions: Pierre Holtzhausen ZS6PJH
Youth Development and Competitions: Nic Louw ZS6NWL
Social and Competitions: Whitey Joubert ZS6JJJ
Repeaters: Pieter Myburgh ZS6PAM
Pretoria ARC thanks everyone sincerely in advance for their willingness to put in an effort for the next year and wishes them all the best.
At the first meeting of the newly reformed Johannesburg Amateur Radio Club, ZS6TJ, the following persons were nominated and elected as committee members for the coming year.
Chairman: Errol De Lange, ZS6KED
Vice Chairman: Ronald Verweerdt, ZS6RVC
Treasurer: Steven Baynes, ZS6XU
Secretary: Rory Crouch, ZS6RBJ
Members: Michelle Mcnally, ZS6MEM, Johan Coetzee, ZR6JC, David Le Grange, ZR6DLG, Marinus Brand, ZS6BM, and Derek Scott, ZR6DR.
JARC will secure their lease agreement for new premises in the Northcliff area shortly and will be holding various workshops and meetings going forward. For membership queries contact the club via e-mail zs6tjclub@gmail.com or visit their Facebook page.
The Johannesburg Amateur Radio Club will be hosting a Mini Hamvention and Flea Market on 27 October 2018 from 11:30 onward at their clubhouse at 9 Louie Street corner of Lawley, Waterfall Estates, Northcliff. Interested vendors can contact the club at zs6tjclub@gmail.com to make arrangements.
On Saturday 15 September 2018 the East Rand Radio Club held their Annual General Meeting. The following members were elected as the new committee
Chairman: Judy Pretorius, ZS6JDY
Vice chairman: Willem van der Merwe, ZS6WIM
Secretary: Linda Lessing, ZS6LML
Treasurer: Connel Paul ZS6CNP with the help of Shane Bailey, ZS6W
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 here the 15 to 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:
24 Sept – the closing date VHF/UHF Digital logs and for articles for the October Radio ZS.
29 and 30 September – the CQ World Wide RTTY Contest.
1 October – the closing date for All Africa Contest logs.
4 October – the SARL 80 m QSO Party.
6 October – the East Rand Branch flea market and the AWA AM Valve QSO Party.
7 October – the AWA SSB Valve QSO Party.
9 October – the provincial schools open.
11 October – the closing date for 80 m QSO Party logs.
13 October – the October Radio Amateur Examination and the SARL Spring QRP Contest.
19 to 21 October – Jamboree on the air
20 October – CQ Hou Koers and the VHF Day at the NARC
To conclude our bulletin a quick overview of our main news item:
What is hoped will be the first annual "Get Your Park ON" operating event will take place from 14 to 20 October in celebration of Earth Science Week. The event is open to Amateur Radio operators around the world and is sponsored by the national affiliates of World Wide Flora and Fauna (WWFF), which encourages radio amateurs to operate outdoors in protected nature parks.
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
