SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE NEWS FOR SUNDAY 17 NOVEMBER 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 in English at 08:15 and 08:30 Central African Time respectively on HF and on various VHF and UHF repeaters around the country. The bulletin is relayed on Echolink by Johan, 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 begin this bulletin with the news of two silent keys:
It is with deep regret that we announce that the key of Flip de Beer, ZS6FBD went silent on Thursday 7 November 2019. He was a member of the East Rand Radio Club. We extend our condolences go to his wife, children, grandchildren and friends.
It is with deep regret that the Zululand Amateur Radio Club announces that the key of Sakkie Viljoen, ZS5ID went silent during October, after a long fight with cancer. Sakkie was an honorary life member of the ZARC. We extend our sincere condolences to his wife Betty, family and friends.
PAUSE
In the news, today:
THREE CONTESTS IN THIS WEEK
THE SARL VHF AND RF NOISE WORKSHOP ON 23 NOVEMBER
and
THE SARL NOVICE AWARD
Stay tuned for more information on these and other interesting news items.
THREE CONTESTS IN THIS WEEK
The last leg of the 2019 SARL Wednesday 80 meter Club Sprint takes place from 17:00 to 18:00 UTC on Wednesday 20 November with CW and phone activity. The exchange is an RS or RST report and your grid square (e.g. KG30). You earn 2 points per QSO and 5 points for the first QSO with each ZS call area and country outside South Africa. Send your log sheet by e-mail to zs4bfn@mweb.co.za by Wednesday 27 November and remember to write the name of your Club on the log sheet. The MS Excel log sheet can be found on the Contest page of the League web site.
Are you a new radio amateur? Then you must participate in the Newbie Party from 08:00 to 20:00 UTC on Saturday 23 November 2019. It is a phone contest on 20, 40 and 80 metres and the exchange is an RS report and an alpha character depending on how long you are licensed. Get all the information on page 43 of the 2019 Blue Book.
For the CW enthusiasts there is the CQ WW DX CW contest which runs from 00:00 UTC on Saturday 23 November to 23:59:59 UTC on Sunday 24 November with activity on 160, 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 metres. Observance of established band plans is strongly encouraged. The exchange is an RST report and your CQ Zone, for South Africa, that is Zone 38. Find the rules at www.cqww.com/rules.htm
THE SARL IARU WORKING GROUP TO MEET ON 20 NOVEMBER
The SARL IARU workgroup to discuss papers for the IARU Region 1 conference will meet via Skype at 20:30 on Wednesday 20 November. In response to motion 3, accepted at the 2019 AGM and in order to achieve maximum benefit from SARL attendance at the IARU Region 1 General Conference at Novi Sad, Serbia from 10 to 16 October 2020, the council of the SARL has appointed Deon Coetzee, ZR1DE to establish a workgroup to consider proposals and papers to be submitted to the conference as well as the SARL response to other papers. Papers from the Region 1 Interim Meeting held in April 2019 can be found at https://vienna.iaru-r1.org/conference-documents/
Deon Coetzee invites radio amateurs who would like to join the workgroup or make input to send their contact details to pgcoetzee@hotmail.com with a copy to sarlregwg@sarl.org.za. Details must include: your skype name, telephone or mobile number and e-mail address. The first Skype meeting is planned for 20:30 on Wednesday 20 November 2019.
THE SARL VHF AND RF NOISE WORKSHOP ON 23 NOVEMBER
Time is running out for bookings for the last workshop for 2019 to be held on Saturday 23 November at the NARC. The programme features a variety of presentations from killing mains noise in the radio room to building a noise monitoring system. There have been interesting developments on the Bethlehem 2 m beacon and on the testing of two different active antennas which will be presented. Download the programme and the booking form from www.sarl.org.za.
ICASA RESPONDS TO SARL REQUEST ON TYPE APPROVAL RELIEF
The CEO of ICASA, Dr Mdimoeng has responded to the SARL's request for relief on the type approval requirements for commercial amateur radio equipment. In his letter he states, "Unfortunately the authority is bound by the prescripts of the Electronic Communications Act and cannot operate beyond these legislative and regulatory prescripts until such time as the prescripts are amended." He also wrote that the Authority is in the process of developing a new Conformity Assessment framework which will introduce efficient ways of equipment authorisation to reduce regulatory burden on stakeholders like the SARL and promote innovation in the ICT environment. The Authority is aware of the SARL and other stakeholder's concerns and is considering them in the finalisation of the new Conformity Assessment Framework. The final framework is due to be finalised by 31 March 2020 subsequent to which the Authority will prescribe the relevant regulations to support the framework.
He also said the Authority is cognisant of the significant work that the SARL does and it is important to note the appreciation that the Authority has of the new and advanced technology which the SARL wants to introduce. The SARL has made further representation and communicated with the Senior Manager Type Approval and Numbering requesting clarity regarding the test requirements.
You are listening to a news bulletin of the South African Radio League.
THE SARL NOVICE AWARD
The Council has approved the SARL Novice Award. This award is available to holders of a South African Novice Licence (ZU) and is designed to encourage activity across four designated bands for this licence class. Contacts may be made using CW, SSB or FM modes, as appropriate on 80 m, 40 m, 10 m and 2 m with a minimum of 10 contacts and maximum of 25 contacts per band. Multiple contacts with the same amateur and contacts via terrestrial repeaters do not count for the award. No QSL cards are needed. The Award information can be found on the League website.
JOIN THE SARL NOW AT THE HALF YEAR TARIFF
From Friday 29 November 2019, you can join the SARL and pay the half year tariff which normally comes into effect on 1 January. Complete the SARL Membership Application form and transfer your membership fee by EFT into the SARL bank account. Ordinary Members will pay R250; Senior Members (over 65) will pay R150; Spouse Members will pay R90 and Student Members will pay R60. The banking details are SA Radio League, ABSA, account no 4071 588 849 branch code 632 005, please type your call sign in the reference field.
BEHAVIOUR ON 40 METERS
SARL News has been informed that the behaviour of some radio amateurs on 7 070 kHz is extremely unprofessional. No or half call signs is the order of the day. And good radio
Manners are is thrown out the door.
Unfortunately, it is also a fact that the new amateurs and the listeners hear this and therefore puts us as professional radio operators in the bad light.
ANTIQUE WIRELESS ASSOCIATION AGM
The AGM of the Antique Wireless Association of Southern Africa was held on Saturday 9 November. The following Committee was elected:
President: Renato Bordin, ZS6REN;
Secretary/PRO: Andy Cairns, ZS6ADY;
Technical Advisor: Rad Handfield-Jones, ZS6RAD;
Western Cape Liaison: John Watson, ZS1WJ;
KZN Liaison: Don Radford, ZS5DR;
Historian and Museum: Oliver Gerondianos, ZS6OG.
The AWA thanks John Watson, ZS1WJ for serving 2 years as President and wishes Renato Bordinn, ZS6REN and his new committee all the best for the next year.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the solar activity is expected to remain at low levels. There are currently 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 will provide some good DX fun, especially around sunset. Please visit the website spaceweather.sansa.org.za for further information.
Finally, a diary of some upcoming events:
18 November - Closing date for PEARS HF logs
22 November - Closing date for the December Radio ZS
23 November – the SARL Newbie Party
23 and 24 November - the CQ WW CW Contest
30 November – the West Rand Flea market
1 December – the start of the YOTA Month
2 December – the closing Date VHF/UHF Analogue log sheets
4 December – Provincial schools close
9 December – the closing date for Newbie Party log
14 and 15 December – the ARRL 10 m Contest
To conclude our bulletin, a quick overview of our main news item:
The last leg of the 2019 SARL Wednesday 80 meter Club Sprint takes place from 17:00 to 18:00 UTC on Wednesday 20 November with CW and phone activity.
The Newbie Party takes place from 08:00 to 20:00 UTC on Saturday 23 November 2019. It is a phone contest on 20, 40 and 80 metres.
The CQ WW DX CW contest runs from 00:00 UTC on Saturday 23 November to 23:59:59 UTC on Sunday 24 November with activity on 160, 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 metres.
This concludes our bulletin for this morning.
We invite clubs and individuals 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 to include 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. A rebroadcast by Andy, ZS6ADY can be heard on Monday evenings at 19:30 Central African Time on 3 620 kHz. We welcome your signal reports, comments and suggestions; please send these by e-mail to artoday@sarl.org.za.
You have listened to a news bulletin compiled by Andy Cairns, ZS6ADY, edited by Paul Johnson ZS1S and read by ..............
From the news team, best wishes for the week ahead.
