Subj : SA Radio League News Bulletin for Sunday 5 November 2000
To : SA Radio League
From : Richard Peer
Date : Sat Nov 04 2000 03:29 pm
SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE
SARL NEWS SUNDAY NOVEMBER 5 2000
This is Amateur Radio Station ZS6SRL transmitting Amateur Radio News, a
service by the South African Radio League 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
[email protected] to e-mail it to you in either text or
MSWord 6.0 format.
Here are the headlines of today's news:
NEW TROPO OPENINGS COMING!
SPACE NEWS
2 m BANDPLAN: PROPOSED RESTRUCTURING
NOMINATIONS FOR RADIO AMATEUR OF THE YEAR AWARDS
PROPAGATION REPORT
You are listening to ZS6SRL. The news follows in detail.
NEW TROPO OPENINGS COMING!
The Port Elizabeth Amateur Radio Society, the leader in long distance
VHF/UHF communication in the RSA, brings the following to our notice:
The months of November through to February provide the best long distance
openings on Tropo propagation that could extend the range over several
thousand kilometres. Temperature inversions which are responsible for these
conditions are weather related, so keep an eye on the barometer for a change
from high pressure. The VHF and UHF bands that excel on Tropo are 144, 432
and 1296 MHz and in that order.
For starters, a high gain horizontally polarized Yagi and a mast top mounted
low noise amplifier are desirable for top results. Now is also a good time
to prepare and test your radio equipment for the next PEARS National VHF/UHF
contest scheduled for 19-21 January 2001. You can also try to achieve the
coveted new WORKED ALL DIVISIONS AWARD offered by the PE Amateur Radio
Society on the abovementioned bands. See the SARL web page for details of
these events.
Do look out for long distance signals on 144,400 MHz, the new national FM DX
channel, in the evenings between 16:30 to 17:30 and/or 18:30 to 19:30 CAT.
SPACE NEWS
The following two items have been condensed from the ARRL bulletin:
ALL-HAM CREW SETTLES IN ABOARD ISS
The all-ham crew of US astronaut and ISS Expedition 1 Commander William
"Shep" Shepherd, KD5GSL, and Russian cosmonauts Yuri Gidzenko and Sergei
Krikalev, U5MIR, now is aboard the International Space Station. After
blasting off from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan October 31, the crew
arrived at the ISS early November 2 aboard a Soyuz vehicle that will remain
docked with the space station.
The Expedition 1 crew's four-month stay in the station will begin the
permanent human habitation of space.
The crew has a busy schedule that primarily involves getting the ISS up and
running for future research activities. Amateur Radio operation is not
expected to commence until mid-month, although the crew is said to be
enthusiastic about firing up the initial Amateur Radio on the International
Space Station--or ARISS--gear. Once installed temporarily aboard the Zarya
module, the equipment will provide FM voice and packet capability on 2
meters.
PHASE 3D GETS FIRM LAUNCH DATE
AMSAT NEWS SERVICE says it's been informed by "various sources" that the
Ariane 507 carrying Phase 3D and other satellite payloads aloft will head
into space Wednesday, November 15, at 01:07 UTC from the European Spaceport
in Kourou, French, Guiana.
More in later bulletins.
2 m BANDPLAN: PROPOSED RESTRUCTURING
Clubs are reminded to study and discuss the restructuring proposal drafted
and distributed by the SARL Band-Planner, John, ZS5JF, and to submit their
comments to John by the end of this month. His e-mail address is:
[email protected].
SARL ON THE AIR INDABA RETURNS
Next Sunday November 12 the SARL Indaba on the air returns. Make a note of
the date now and participate in an interactive discussion on Amateur Radio.
Your participation can make a difference and help the SARL to shape the
future.
The programme starts at 20:00 CAT. Clubs are invited to link their
repeaters. To book a port on the conference bridge please Email
[email protected] with the details: the telephone number to be linked and
the frequencies on which you will be interactive.Please Email this
information before 6 November or fax to 012 991-5651.
NOMINATIONS FOR SIEMENS RADIO AMATEUR OF THE YEAR AWARDS INVITED
Rember the closing date for nomiations for the Siemens Radio Amateur of the
Year Awards is November 18. The awards will be presented on November 30.
Nominations may be submitted by Clubs or individual radio amateurs. Here is
an opportunity to recognise someone in your club. Forms are available by
sending a request to
[email protected] of by fax to 012 991 5651.
Full details are on the SARL Web: www.sarl.org.za.
NOVEMBER RAE
On Thursday November 9 a total of 149 candidates throughout South Africa and
Swaziland will write the RAE. If there are candidates who have not yet
received their examination numbers, they must immediatly contact the chief
examinator at 083 414 2606 or e-mail
[email protected].
On behalf of the SARL we wish the candidates every success with the
examination and request them to ensure beforehand where their eaxamination
centre is located. Do also not forget to take along your identification
document as well as your examination number.
REMEMBRANCE DAY SERVICE
Next Sunday, November 12, the annual remembrance day service in hounour of
those who gave their lives during two world wars will be broadcast at 10:45
on the SABC frequencies. The service will be conducted by Rev Lendus de
Villiers, ZS6LLV.
Clubs are requested to relay the service on their repeaters and radio
amateurs are requested to otherwise maintain radio silence during this 15
minutes.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Ean Retief, ZS1PR, reports as follows:
During the past week the solar flux rose a bit higher than expected and
peaked slightly above 200 on Wednesday.
From Wednesday onwards the geomagnetic field became quiet and conditions
were reasonably good.
In the north-eastern quadrant of the sun's visible disc an area has been
becoming more complex and active for the last few days. Just before the
weekend three coronal mass ejections took place.
It is expected that this ejected material will reach the earth tomorrow. No
major negative effects are expected, except that it may affect routes over
the southern ocean towards Antarctica and possibly also the route from South
Africa to New-Zealand.
For the rest of the week the prognosis is fairly good with a relatively
quiet magnetic field and the solar flux in the 190 to 160 region.
The long path over the Indian and Pacific oceans are still good and contacts
with the North-American continent in our afternoons can be made with
relative ease.
DIARY OF COMING EVENTS
The Magalies Radio Amateur Club is hosting a flea market at the Club house
on the corner of Breyer and Mill Streets, Waverley in Pretoria on 11
November at 08:00. Anyone who wishes to book a table or have a boot sale,
should contact Fritz Sutherland ZS6ASF at (012) 997-1114 or send an e-mail
message to
[email protected]. Refreshments will be available.
The West Rand Amateur Radio club will hold a boot sale on 25 November at the
clubhouse in Kroton Ave, Weltevreden Park, Roodepoort. The gates will open
at 09:00. Plenty to drink and eat will be available. For details contact
Bill van Zyl, ZS6REV at 011 726-6807 (office) and 011 &26-6892 (home).
Midlands Amateur Radio Club is pleased to announce a grand
Fleamarket/Bootsale which will take place at our new Clubhouse at the Natal
Carbineers, Greer Street, Pietermaritzburg, on Saturday 25th November,
starting at 11:00. Bring your families and your braai gear (AND lots of
spare cash) and help yourself, your pals and your Club. Talk in on the 750
repeater. No auction - just stacks of goodies at bargain prices. No charge
for tables, but donations to the Club by salesmen welcomed. SARL President
Hans Potgieter will attend - why not come and meet him? And see the reps
from Kenwood, Icom, and Antronic. COME....and enjoy yourselves.
The Alberton Amateur Radio Club's Year end function and prizegiving will be
on the 2nd of December 2000 from 12:00 at the Alberton Dam, Bloutulp Street,
Alberton.
It will be a bring and braai and everyone is welcome.
For more info Phone Michiel, ZS6MDK, at 083 212 5711.
The SARL News Service invites Clubs and individuals to contribute
information regarding Amateur Radio to
[email protected] with a copy to
[email protected]. 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. A transmission on 145,400 MHz
can be heard again.
Correspondence for Amateur Radio Mirror International is via
[email protected]. 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, especially clubs, to this bulletin and all
stations who so reliably relay these bulletins. This bulletin was compiled
by George, ZS6NE, and read by ZS.... in....... You have been listening to
ZS6SRL. This transmission now ends and we wish you a pleasant week.
/ex
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Internet feed from ZS6NE moved by Richard de ZR6CK
Regards,
Richard.
--- Msged/Q 1.60
* Origin: QTHR KG44DG, Novell User Group, Pretoria, RSA (5:7106/22)
