• SA Radio League News Bulletin for Sunday 25 March 2001

    From Richard Peer@5:7106/22 to SA Radio League on Saturday, March 24, 2001 15:17:00
    SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE
    SARL NEWS SUNDAY MARCH 25 2001

    This is Amateur Radio Station ZS6SRL transmitting Amateur Radio News, a
    service by the South African Radio League, the National Society for Amateur Radio in South Africa, for the interest of all Radio Amateurs, Short-wave Listeners and Electronic Enthusiasts. For a complete list of broadcast times and frequencies please send a SASE to Amateur Radio News, SARL, P O Box 1721, Strubensvallei 1735.

    This bulletin is also available on the SARL's web pages hosted by Intekom at www.sarl.org.za, as well as the packet radio bulletin board system. You may also request sarlnuus@mweb.co.za to e-mail it to you in either text or MSWord 6.0 format.

    SILENT KEY

    The council of the SARL regrets to announce the sudden passing away of Jaap Seymore, ZR6JJS, on 21st March 2001 in the age of 57 years. He was a member
    of Magalies Radioamateurklub and always prepared to provide assistance where ever required. To his wife Thea, ZR6TA, and son Adanus, ZR6SDS, we offer our sincere condolences.

    Here are the headlines of today's news:

    SARL SHOW POSITIVE GROWTH

    AMATEUR RADIO DAY WORLD BROADCAST

    INTECNET 2001

    SARL HAMNET 40-METRE SIMULATED EMERGENCY CONTEST

    SARL 80 M QSO PARTY.

    PROPAGATION REPORT

    CALIFORNIAN AMATEURS PROVIDE EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION IN HOSPITAL

    You are listening to ZS6SRL. The news follows in detail.

    SARL SHOW POSITIVE GROWTH

    The South African Radio League has shown a turn around in membership and recorded a year on year growth of 8%. While we have a long way to go, the
    new trend shows that radio amateurs realise that there is strength in unity, SARL President Hans Potgieter ZS6ALJ said.

    Amateur Radio is more vulnerable today than ever before. The SARL is constantly engaged in assessment of the developments in frequency allocations and is continually putting forward the case why Amateur frequencies need to
    be protected. I welcome all the new and reinstated members and look forward
    to other non-members to come forward and join our ranks, he said.

    Visit the SARL-Multisource Icom Convention 2001 in Belville on April 28 or Amateur at Home at the National Amateur Radio Centre on May 19 and become involved. Full details and programme are on the SARL Web: www.sarl.org.za

    AMATEUR RADIO DAY WORLD BROADCAST

    On April 18 Amateur Radio Mirror International will be broadcasting a special programme to the world to celebrate World Amateur Radio Day. The 50-minute broadcast will be dedicated to the theme for 2001: Providing Disaster Communications: Amateur Radio in the 21 st century.

    The programme is sponsored by Sentech, the common carrier for broadcast
    signals in South Africa and Telkom. The programme will be broadcast at the following times:

    1400-1455 UTC to India/Pakistan
    Frequency: 21725 kHz (13 metre band)

    1800-1855 UTC to Southern Africa
    Frequency: 3215 kHz (90 metre band)

    1905-1955 UTC to Central and North Africa
    Frequency: 17590 kHz (16 metre band)

    2005-2055 UTC
    Frequency: 15475 kHz (19 metre band)

    0200-0255 UTC on 19 April (18 April in North America)
    Frequency: 9580 kHz (31 metre band)

    The exact frequencies may change slightly after the world's short-wave broadcasters have changed their schedule this weekend. Sentech's frequency planner will do a worldwide check next Wednesday and finalise the exact frequencies. Stay tuned for more details. Shortwave listeners world-wide
    are requested to monitor the above frequencies on Wednesday and to check
    ifthe channels are clear. Please Email your findings to armi @
    intekom.co.za.


    QSL and reception reports should be mailed to P O Box 90438, Garsfontein,
    0042 and include a SASE or 2 IRC's if a reply QSL card is required.

    MORE WORLD AMATEUR RADIO DAY NEWS

    The SA Amateur Radio Development Trust and the South African Radio League are joining forces on April 18 to link learners in schools across the country to talk to each other. At least one school in each province will be identified
    to participate in this project. If you are willing to set up a station at a local school, please Email your details to armi@intekom.co.za or fax to 012
    991 5651.

    INTECNET 2001

    The next INTECNET 2001 will be held on Sunday 1 April 2001 at 20:00 CAT
    (18:00 UTC). The programme will be relayed on 3215 kHz by courtesy of
    Sentech.

    The net will discuss Propagation and analyse the current cycle. Questions
    such as when will this cycle end? When will the next one start? Will the
    next cycle be better? How long will the dip be and how severe? will be on
    the agenda. Join Ean Retief ZS1PR and international experts for this in
    depth look at propagation.

    Clubs wishing to link their local repeaters should book a link to the conference bridge before March 31. Please email details such as the
    telephone number to be linked, the frequency which will be interactive and contact details to armi@intekom.co.za or fax the information to 012 991 5651.

    80 METRE QSO PARTY

    The first leg of this contest will be held on Thursday 5 th April 2001. from 19:00 to 22:00 SAST. Frequencies to be used: 3600 to 3650 kHz SSB Single operator only. Exchange. Callsign, RS and serial number commencing with
    001, grid locater or location. Scoring. 10 points for South African
    contacts. 15 points for contacts outside South Africa.

    Log sheets to be sent to: Contest Committee, P.O. Box 21762, Bluff 4036, or e-mail to mally@eastcoast.co.za. Entries close 21 days after close of
    contest. All other details as per the Blue Book.

    SARL HAMNET 40-METRE SIMULATED EMERGENCY CONTEST

    This SSB Contest is open to all Radio Amateurs in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Mozambique, Lesotho, Marion Island and South African Antarctica. Only contacts with these areas will count. The contest takes place on Sunday 08 April 2001 from 14:00 to 16:00 SAST and as the name indicates on the 40-metre band.

    Amateurs may participate in one of four categories and there are eight call areas to work. The exchange will be the signal report followed by a serial number depending on the category of participation. Scoring will also depend
    on the category of participation, plus a multiplier of the number of call
    areas worked and the power output. The address for Contest Entries is Hamnet 40 m Simulated Emergency Contest, PO Box 50115, Colleen Glen, 6018.

    Visits the SARL website at www.sarl.org.za and download the SARL Contest
    Manual for the complete rules.

    PROPAGATION REPORT

    Ean Retief, ZS1PR, reports as follows: In the SARL news of last week it was mentioned that Sunspot group 9373 may be the source of a possible M-class flare.

    Forecasters were surprised by not one, but six M-class flares between early Tuesday morning and early Wednesday morning.

    The Geomagnetic Field reached minor storm conditions on Wednesday, but fortunately the activity settled down fairly quickly and by Thursday the
    Field was fairly quiet.

    Friday saw another three M-class Solar Flares and the effect of these can
    still be felt today. The Geomagnetic Field is unsettled and this is helped along by two Coronal Holes on the Sun. We can thus expect that the
    Geomagnetic Field will remain unsettled until Tuesday or even Wednesday.

    In Tropical regions around the local sunrise the Maximum Usable Frequencies
    may be considerably enhanced, rising to values well in excess of the
    predicted monthly value.

    As last Sunday, the 10-metre band should again give excellent contacts this afternoon. Again the band should remain open till after 20:00 SAST.

    CALIFORNIA HAMS RESPOND TO HOSPITAL PHONE OUTAGE

    Members of California's Glendale Emergency Amateur Radio Service provided communications at Glendale Memorial Hospital after a construction accident
    took down the hospital phone system. With the lives of patients hanging in
    the balance, the Glendale Emergency Amateur Radio Service was quick to
    respond.

    Incoming calls were routed to a bank of telephones set up in the Emergency Operations Centre at a local Chapter of the American Red Cross. As the phone company worked to repair the break, Amateur Radio operators, stationed at the E-O-C and at critical areas inside the hospital spent the better part of the day handling calls for doctors, nurses and other staff members using 2 meter and 70 centimetre repeaters. In all, more than twenty hams participated in
    the 10-hour emergency telephone outage communications emergency.


    CLUB ACTIVITIES

    Tubby Waldeck has informed Sarlnuus that he has formed an interest group in Durban known as The Morse Code Interest Group. It is for those who have a genuine interest in the preservation of Morse code. They meet on the second Saturday of each month at No. 30 Edwin Swales Drive, Durban at 14.00. They also have a weekly chat on Monday nights at 19.30 on the 145.600 or 145.725 (which ever one is available that night). They also monitor 7.012 MHz in the evenings for those slow operators who wish to brush up on their Morse Code.

    ZS2VHF BEACON NOW BEAMING NORTH

    The PEARS ZS2VHF beacon is once again transmitting in a northerly direction
    and will remain in that position until further notice. It radiates 160W horisontally polarised FSK signals on 144,415 MHz. The effective areas
    covered by the beam are, Bloemfontein, Welkom, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Pietersburg and Durban. Signal reports will be appreciated and if any
    openings occur, please alert Mike ZS2FM via cell: 082-654-0623

    DATES TO REMEMBER

    The Pretoria Amateur Radio Club will be holding a fleamarket and boot sale on Saturday 31 March at 08:00. Contact Hans ZS6KR for more information and
    table bookings at 012 333 2612.

    The next Intecnet 2001 on Sunday 1 April at 20:00 will discuss radio propagation. A panel of local and international experts will be looking at
    the current cycle. Have we reached mid point? How fast is the decline
    likely to be and what is in store after that?

    The Bloemfontein Amateur Radio Club will be holding a flea market on Saturday 07 April 2001 starting at 09:00 at The Shack at the Air Force Base
    Bloemspruit. Contact Dennis ZS4BS at 082 770 9126 for information and to
    book a table.

    The Coalfields Radio Club invites all Radio amateurs and clubs to participate in a food making contest and get-together day that will take place in Witbank on Saturday the 7th of April 2001 at 15:00 till late.

    The closing date for registration for the May RAE is April 10, registration
    fee R135, and for late registration April 17 with registration fee R235.

    The SARL AGM takes place on 27 and 28 April 2001 in Cape Town. Details will
    be mailed with the new Radio ZS or visit the SARL website at:www.sarl.org.za

    The SARL News Service invites Clubs and individuals to contribute information regarding Amateur Radio to sarlnuus@mweb.co.za with a copy to gth@mweb.co.za. Please submit in Afrikaans and English wherever possible.

    Also join us in the following activities: The President's Net on Sundays
    12:00 on 7082 kHz. Amateur Radio Mirror International Sundays at 10:00 on
    9750 and 21560 kHz which is repeated Mondays at 20:00 on 3215 kHz. Relays on various 2M repeaters can also be heard.

    Correspondence for Amateur Radio Mirror International is via armi@intekom.co.za. Include your telephone number to allow the producers to call you for a possible interview. Send written reports to PO Box 90438 Garsfontein 0042 and include a self-addressed envelope and sufficient postage so that you may receive a QSL card.

    These transmissions are sponsored by Sentech, the common carrier for broadcasting signals in South Africa and Telkom who provides the transmission lines. Various local repeater frequencies on 2 metres and 70 cm are also
    used in your area.

    We thank all contributors, individuals, clubs and other organisations to this bulletin and all stations who so reliably relay these bulletins. This
    bulletin was compiled by Marten, ZS6ZY and read by ZS.... in.......

    You have been listening to ZS6SRL.

    This bulletin now ends and Sarlnews wish you a pleasant week.

    Goodbye to all.

    /ex
    --------------------------------------------------
    Internet feed from ZS6ZY moved by Richard de ZR6CK

    Regards,
    Richard.

    --- Msged/Q 1.60
    * Origin: QTHR KG44DG, Novell User Group, Pretoria, RSA (5:7106/22)