SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE NEWS FOR SUNDAY 3 FEBRUARY 2019
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 on 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 with news of a silent key
It is with deep regret that we announce that the key of Neil Slogrove ZR5NAS went silent on Monday 28 January 2019. Neil was the vice chairman and a Life Member of the Durban Amateur Radio Club.
We extend our sincere condolences to his daughter Lindsey, family and friends.
PAUSE
In the news, today:
THE AWA CW ACTIVITY DAY THIS AFTERNOON
DO NOT MISS THIS SATURDAY'S VHF AND ABOVE WORKSHOP
and
THE ZULULAND ARC NEEDS YOUR ASSISTANCE
Stay tuned for more information on these and other interesting news items.
THE AWA CW ACTIVITY DAY THIS AFTERNOON
The aim of the CW Activity Day is for participants to contact as many amateurs as possible on the 20, 40 and 80 m amateur bands, and is on the air from 13:00 to 15:00 UTC this afternoon. You can participate as a single operator all band - low power (maximum 100 w); a single operator all band - QRP (maximum 5 w); a single operator single band - low power (maximum 100 w); a single operator, single band - QRP (maximum 5 W); or a shortwave listener.
The exchange is an RST report, your call sign and your grid locator and you score 1 point for a low power QSO and 2 points for a QRP QSO. Submit your log sheet by Monday 18 February to andyzs6ady@vodamail.co.za or by snail mail to Southern African Antique Wireless Association, PO Box 12320, Benoryn, 1504. (Thank you, Andy, ZS6ADY)
DO NOT MISS THIS SATURDAY'S VHF AND ABOVE WORKSHOP
One of the many facets of Amateur Radio is exploring the spectrum above 30 MHz. It is much more than just talking on a repeater. This frequency region has so many opportunities for exploration. If you think working HF DX is fun, then you have not tried to make a long-distance contact on VHF and UHF, which will blow you away with the pride of the achievement.
Attend the next workshop on Saturday 9 February 2019 at the National Amateur Radio Centre. The workshop starts at 09:00 and ends at 14:00. Register now. For details, the full programme and the registration form, follow the link from the SARL home page or point your browser to www.amsatsa.org.za. Take up the challenge and learn how to predict when openings happen, and when long distance contacts on VHF can happen, even with very basic antennas. To help with catering arrangements please book before the end of the day on Thursday 7 February. See you at the workshop.
SARL RESPONDS TO ICASA'S DRAFT CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK FOR EQUIPMENT AUTHORISATION.
The SARL has submitted its response to the draft Conformity Assessment Framework which is aimed at simplifying type-approval and paving the way forward for the development of an "exemption from type-approval" protocol. The document can be downloaded from www.sarl.org.za/public/ICASA/ICASA_Update.asp
REGISTER NOW FOR 2019 AMSAT SA SPACE SYMPOSIUM
Book now for the 2019 AMSAT SA Space Symposium. The symposium will be held on Saturday 16 March 2019 at the Premier Midrand Hotel. This is a new venue with better facilities and surroundings. The rate remains at R400 per person for AMSAT SA and SARL members and R600 for non-members. There is an early bird rate of R350 for AMSAT SA and SARL Members if booked and paid for by 28 February 2019. Accommodation is also available at the hotel at R1 150 for the room only. The registration includes refreshments and eats on arrival, mid-morning and afternoon tea and coffee with eats, and a buffet lunch. More details on www.amsatsa.org.za. Bookings made and paid for by 15 February will go into a public draw at the conference for an ARRL Satellite Handbook.
You are listening to an amateur radio news bulletin of the South African Radio League.
THE 2019 DAY OF THE RADIO AMATEUR
The SARL Secretary has received five nominations to serve on Council and three motions to be discussed at the AGM. Nominations for all but one trophy has been received. Council will be meeting on Friday 8 and Saturday 9 February at the NARC to discuss the motions and awards as well as other matters. The AGM Booklet will be made available to members on Friday 1 March 2019.
The SARL Symposium will be run on Friday 12 April at the Protea Hotel adjacent to the Techno Park. The Boland ARC are planning a partners programme for Saturday morning 13 April with champagne and nougat, this while the AGM is being conducted at the Datavoice Auditorium in the Technopark. A cellar tour and wine tasting is planned for the afternoon. The Awards dinner will take place at the Stellenbosch Golf Club next to the Technopark.
The Boland ARC suggests that members from out of town make use of AirBNB and other such web sites to book accommodation in Stellenbosch for the weekend.
THE ZULULAND ARC NEEDS YOUR ASSISTANCE
Willie, ZS5WI reports that the Zululand ARC repeater is housed at Sentech Entumeni with the antennas at 40 and 60 m on the tower. One or maybe both antennas and the coax need attention. The Club needs a qualified tower climber, as Willie says he is almost 82 and will not be able to climb the tower! Can you help the Zululand ARC? Please contact Willie, ZS5WI at zs5wi@telkomsa.net or Jo, ZS5PO at jodawn@telkomsa.net.
THE SARL NATIONAL FIELD DAY NEXT WEEKEND
The first leg of the SARL National Field Day will take place from 10:00 UTC on Saturday 9 February to 10:00 UTC on Sunday 10 February with CW, phone and digital activity on 160 to 10 metres. The exchange is the number of transmitters at your station, the Field Day operating class and your Provincial abbreviation; the sending of a RS, RST or RSQ report is optional it has nothing to do with the scoring. There are six operating classes for the Field Day. Your log must be submitted by Monday 18 February to contest@sarl.org.za. Get all the details on page 40 of the 2019 SARL Blue Book.
During the weekend, you can also participate in the CQ WPX RTTY contest, and radio amateurs from the Netherlands would like to work you during the PACC Contest.
On Sunday 24 February, you can participate in the SARL RTTY Contest.
2019/2020 AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE FEE INCREASE
ICASA has informed the SARL that the licence fee will be increased by 4,7% on 1 April 2019. The new fees will be: 1 Year - R 148.00; 2 Years - R 283.00; 3 Years - R 406.00; 4 Years - R 517.00 and 5 Years - R 617.00. ICASA will start the invoicing process for the 2019/2020 period from 4 February 2019 (and hopefully the Post Office will deliver the invoices!)
Radio Amateurs are reminded that it is their responsibility to ensure their licence is up to date. If for some reason no invoice is received, check that ICASA has been informed of any address changes. The correct account for your ICASA Licence Fee is NEDBANK Account number: 14 62 00 29 27 Corporate Client Services - Pretoria, Branch Code: 146245 and in the reference field type in your licence number.
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. The 15 to 30 m bands may provide some DX fun. Please visit the website spaceweather.sansa.org.za for further information.
Finally, a Diary of some upcoming events:
This afternoon the AWA CW Activity Day.
4 February the closing date for Summer QRP Logs.
9 February the VHF/UHF workshop at the NARC.
9 and 10 February the National Field Day, the CQ WPX RTTY, and the PACC contests.
13 February World Radio Day.
15 February bookings made and paid for the Space Symposium in a draw for an ARRL Satellite Handbook; the closing date for PEARS VHF Logs.
16 and 17 February the ARRL DX CW Contest.
18 February the closing date for National Field Day and AWA CW Activity Day logs.
24 February the SARL RTTY contest.
27 February International Milk Tart Day.
28 February end of early bird bookings for the Space Symposium and closing date for SARL Hall of Fame nominations.
To conclude our bulletin a quick overview of our main news item:
The aim of the CW Activity Day is for participants to contact as many amateurs as possible on the 20, 40 and 80 m amateur bands, and is on the air from 13:00 to 15:00 UTC this afternoon. The exchange is an RST report, your call sign and your grid locator, and you score 1 point for a lower power QSO and 2 points for QRP QSO.
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 Dennis Green, ZS4BS, edited by Dave Reece, ZS1DFR and read by ..............
From the news team, best wishes for the week ahead.
/EX
