SARL NEWS SUNDAY 21 SEPTEMBER 2014
Good morning and welcome, you are tuned to a newscast of the South African Radio League read by ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬¬__________________________ (Name and Calsign) from _____________________(QTH). You may tune in to a SARL newscast on Sunday morning at 08:15 local time in Afrikaans and at 08:30 local time in English on HF VHF and UHF frequencies around the country. Echolink listeners may connect to ZS0JPL for a relay and a podcast is also available from the official SARL webpage www.sarl.org.za.
You may find this and previous bulletins in text form on the SARL webpage under the news link on the left. While you are there you may also sign up to receive future bulletins via e mail.
IN THE NEWS TODAY
CHANGE OF FREQUENCY FOR THE 5MHZ BEACON
VHF CONTACT BETWEEN SOUTH AFRICA AND REUNION ISLAND
CALLING ALL SCOUTS AND SCOUT MASTERS
AND
RTA HEADS FOR PORT ELIZABETH
Stay tuned for more on these and other stories in this weeks bulletin
** The SARL has requested ICASA to change the beacon frequency of 5250 to 5290 kHz to line up with the same allocation in Europe and other countries. This will greatly enhance the coverage of beacons. ICASA has agreed and this week change the 5250 kHz frequency for 5290 kHz. To received WSPR beacons set your radio to SSB and tune 1, 5 kHz lower to 5288,5 kHz. To learn more about the WSPR software, down a tutorial by Stewart Moss, ZS6SGM from the SARL web. Click on Propagation Research on the left hand side of the home page and follow the link. WSPR stations operating on 5250 kHz are requested to move frequency on 4 October to 5290 kHz
The three SARL delegates, Geoff Levey ZS6C, Riaan Greeff, ZS4PR and Rassie Erasmus, ZS1YT left for Bulgaria on Thursday to attend the International Amateur Radio Union Conference which started today. Reports will be posted on the home page of the SARL web on a daily basis. The three will represent the SARL and South African Radio Amateurs. Dennis Green, ZS4BS who is secretary of the IARU Region 1 is also in Bulgaria as the secretary of the conference and as such is not representing South Africa.
** Four radio amateurs, of which three are enlisted in the Voortrekker movement activated summits in the Moolmanshoek area as part of the summits on the air project. This event took place on Saturday 20 September 2014 and the amateurs involved are Andries Visagie ZS6VL, Eddie Leighton ZS6BNE, Cliriska ZU6BV and Angelo ZU6M. Cliriska and Angelo are both in grade 9 and are both pathfinders in the Voortrekkers.
As far as can be established this is the first time Voortrekkers are involved, in their official capacity, with the Summits on the air project.
** On Sunday night 14 September 2014 Dave ZS5DJ heard the FR5DN beacon from Reunion Island on 144,418 MHz JT65b at 19:50 CAT with signal strength -13 dB. He gave a call to FR5DN and Phil came back immediately and completed a digital QSO within 30 minutes. John ZS2AH reported that he heard the piccolo tones from FR5DN on SSB twice that evening on 144,418 MHz at about 20:45 CAT and again at 21:15 CAT. The Hepburn Forecasts indicated good Tropo Ducting across this sea path.
Glenn ZS2GK made the first-ever contact with Phil FR5DN on 15 August 2008 on SSB and FM, and a year later also on JT65b. On 9 and 13 February 2010 a spate of digital contacts were made with FR5DN by Andre ZS2ACP (3247 km), Peter ZS2ABF (3005 km), Glenn ZS2GK (2875 km), Dave ZS5DJ (2713 km), Derek ZS5Y (2655 km). During this period Peter ZS2ABF established a record analogue SSB distance with FR5DN (3005 km) followed by John ZS2AH (2998 km).
** Calling all Scouts and Scouters who hold an amateur radio licence! Dennis, ZS4BS, would like to make contact with radio amateurs who are members of Scouts South Africa - it is in connection with an Amateur Radio Interest Badge and an amateur radio recognition badge. Send your contact details to Dennis at with Radio Scouting in the subject line.
** Port Elizabeth is next stop for the SARL Radio Technology in action symposium. The RTA will be held at the Saturday 4 October at Magnetic Storm in Newton Park. Full details, programme and registration forms are available are on the SARL web. Booking for this event will close on 1 October. The keynote address will be presented by Prof Prof Ernest van Dyk, Director of Centre for Energy Research. He will discuss the Southern African Universities Radiometric Network (SAURAN) which is an initiative of the Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies (CRSES) at Stellenbosch University and the Group for Solar Energy Thermodynamics (GSET) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. SAURAN aims to make high-resolution, ground-based solar radiometric data available from stations located across the Southern African region. Other presentation include antenna modelling, the new SARL interface kit, Digital modulation, Smartphone applications in Amateur Radio and the 5 MHz propagati
on research project.
** The SARL regrets the delay in the printing of Radio ZS. Radio ZS is now at the post office but due the post office strike it will sit there till the Post Office Management and their Union get their differences sorted out. The strike has been ongoing for 5 weeks and also has affected delivery of books ordered from the South African Amateur Radio Development Trust.
You are tuned to a newscast of the South African Radio League, ZS6SRL, read by ____________________ and we now continue with matters pertainng to the league
** Applications for membership of the SARL have been received from the following persons:
Marc Vanoverbeke, ZSL1116 ()N6DL);
Henk Veenendaal, ZSL5260;
Samuel G Janse van Rensburg, ZSL5311.
Pieter JM van den Berg, ZR6JPM
Any objections against the acceptance of the applications must reach the Secretary before or on the Tuesday after this bulletin.
Membership of the SARL currently stands at 1448 with 31 affiliated clubs
** On Saturday 13th of September Magalies Radio-Amateur club held their annual general meeting, which also included the clubs official 50th birthday celebration. A new committee for the 2014 / 2015 period was elected.
Chairman - Brian Jacobs ZS6YZ
Vice chairman - Thys Maree - ZS6MJM
Secretary - Irene Myburg
Treasurer - Pieter Myburg - ZS6PAM
Technical Coordinator - Sam van Zyl - ZS6JZ
Digital coordinator - Hannes Enslin - ZS6JDE
Social coordinator - Peet Greyling - ZS6PGN
Editor Teenspanning - Pieter van der Walt - ZS6BVT
Bulletin coordinator - Johann du Plessis - ZS6PSS
Webmaster - Thys Maree - ZS6MJM
P R O - Chris Smit - ZS6FCS
Competition coordinator - Pieter Human - ZS6PA
The outgoing committee and all members wish the new committee all of the best for the 2014 / 2015 term. The new committee was elected with a quorum of more than 75% members attending the AGM. The outgoing committee was also congratulated with their excellent way of managing the club as well as the presentation of the 2014 SARL AGM in Pretoria.
** And now for some upcomming events on the air
** The October leg of the South African Radio League 80 metre QSO Party will be held on Thursday evening 2 October from 17:00 to 20:00 UTC with activity between 3 603 and 3 650 kHz and 3 700 to 3 800 kHz. The exchange is the call signs of each station, a signal report and the operator's names. A QSO with a South African station counts 10 points and a QSO with a station outside South Africa counts 15 points. Submit your log by 11 October to
** Jamboree on the Air and CQ Hou Koers is almost upon us. These two events take place from Friday 17 to Sunday 19 October for JOTA and Saturday 18 October for CQ Hou Koers. Visit http :// scouts.org.za/scouts-near-you/ to find a Scout Group near you or visit www.voortrekkers.org.za/Gebiede.htm to find a Voortrekker Commando near you.
Be important in the life of a young person!
** The current 5MHz activity weekend started yesterday and will continue today. SARL members are invited to take part in in the activity dedicated to propagation research. The activity is focussed from 13:00 - 20:00 on each day and comprises various activities during designated time slots. The activity is open to all SARL members and to all radio amateurs living permanently outside the borders of South Africa. More details on the SARL web.
HF Propagation report
Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the expected solar activity will be at moderate levels. Sunspots AR2164, 2169 and 2170 have complex magnetic configurations and may produce M-class solar flares.
If you want to do your own frequency predictions, the expected effective sunspot number for the week will be around 60.
The 20 to 10 m bands will provide lots of DX fun with some exciting 10 m openings possible.
Please visit the website spaceweather.sansa.org.za for further information.
Diary of events
20 and 21 September - The SARL 5 MHz Activity weekend
2 October - South African Radio League 80 m QSO Party
17 to 19 October - Jamboree on the Air and CQ Hou Koers
1 November - KARTS and AWA Flea Market / Open Day
To end this newscast we once again take a look at our top story: In an effort to bring South Africa in line with Europe and other countries the SARL has requested ICASA for permission to relocate the current 5250khz beacon to 5290khz. This move will greatly enhance the global beacon network.
And that brings us to the end of this news bulletin compiled and edited by ________________
You are invited to submit news items of interest to the SARl by following the newsinbox link on the SARL webpage. Newsitems should reach the newsteam not later than the Thursday preceding the bulletin date for inclusion in the bulletin.
You may also join us every Sunday morning for the weekly amateur magazine program Amateur Radio Today at 10:00 local time. The program may be heard on 7082 Lower side band and on 7205kHz and 17660kHz Am . A. replay may be heard on Monday evenings 18:30 local time on 3230kHz AM. The non transmissions on the non namateur bands are sponsored by Sentech
You have listened to a news bulletin compiled and editied by ____________________, thank you for listening from me _________________________ (Name) and the entire news team best wishes for the week ahead, 73's
/EX
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