Subj : SA Radio League News Bulletin for Sunday 26 november 2000
To : SA radio League
From : Richard Peer
Date : Sat Nov 25 2000 03:27 pm
SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE
SARL NEWS SUNDAY NOVEMBER 26 2000
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
[email protected] to e-mail it to you in either text or
MSWord 6.0 format.
Here are the headlines of today's news:
RAE RESULTS AVAILABLE IN QUICK TIME
SARL TO TAKE OVER THE ISSUING OF CALLSIGNS FROM ICASA AND TO MODERATE FUTURE
RADIO AMATEUR EXAMINATION PAPERS.
MAJOR CHANGES IN RADIO ZS ARE AIMED AT SHARING NEWS AND EVENTS WITH MEMBERS
MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FORMAT WHICH WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE ON THE WEB IN
ADDITION TO A PRINTED VERSION.
2 m BANDPLAN: PROPOSED RESTRUCTURING
PROPAGATION REPORT
You are listening to ZS6SRL. The news follows in detail.
RAE RESULTS KNOWN
The November 2000 RAE results were released on Friday afternoon. Out of the
144 candidates that wrote the examination, 127 passed. This represents a
pass figure of 88%. This year the ladies really out performed the men.
The candidate who attained the highest marks, i.e. 100% in both the
regulations and technical is Linda Myburgh from Pietermaritzburg. The
youngest candidate that passed the examination is 12 year Alletta Castelyn
from Pietersburg, and the oldest successful candidate is 72 year George King
from Cape Town.
The SARL congratulates all the successful candidates with their achievements
and trusts that we shall hear them soon as new amateurs on the air.
The results are already available on the SARL webpage at www.sarl.org.za.
The results will be posted to all the candidates who wrote the examination.
The SARL examiner, Rassie Erasmus, ZS1YT, wishes to thank all the
invigilators in South Africa and Swaziland, for their co-operation which
resulted in the speedy availability of the results. SARL News also
congratulates Rassie with the smooth running of the examination
administration.
SARL TO ISSUE CALLSIGNS AND MODERATE THE RAE PAPERS
This week the Council of the Independent Communications Authority of South
Africa (ICASA) has approved a proposal that in future callsigns will be
issued by the South African Radio League. In a letter from the authority
the Chairperson Mandla Langa said that the SARL will be allowed to issue
callsigns to new applicants who have passed the Radio Amateur Examination
and to moderate the RAE on behalf of ICASA.
The SARL and ICASA will soon sit around the table to formally agree on the
procedures that will ensure that the process runs smoothly and is properly
administered.
Commenting on the ICASA agreement, SARL President Hans Potgieter said that
the new agreement will pave the way for more frequent Radio Amateur
Examinations where clubs have a group of students ready to write.
Successful candidates will also receive their results faster and will be
able to get their call signs in a shorter period of time. It is expected
that the new arrangements will come into force early in 2001.
This new agreement follows shortly on the ICASA approval of the new ZT 5
words per minute HF licence and the introduction of a learners licence. In
the case of the new licences, ICASA is waiting for the minister to sign off
before the revised regulations can be published in the government gazette
for implementation.
NEW LOOK FOR RADIO ZS
From January 2001 members of the SARL can expect to receive a new look Radio
ZS. Council recently agreed to change Radio ZS to a newsletter format which
would be mailed more frequently. The decision was made to greatly step up
the communication with members and to reduce the cost. Part of the
reduction in costs will be passed onto members. No increase in membership
fees is expected for the 2001/2002 membership period, there could even be a
marginal reduction.
The cost of publishing Radio ZS in its current format has been escalating
dramatically making it an unattractive proposition for advertisers and the
SARL.
While members will miss the glossy publication edited by Wolfy Matz, Council
is convinced that Radio ZS in its new newsletter format will serve members
better and bring amateur radio news and activities more frequently into
their shacks. The publication will also be available on the members section
of the web. The new Radio ZS Newsletter will still carry advertising and
hamads.
The Council of the SARL extends its thanks to Wolfy Matz for his dedication
and hard work on the magazine and looks forward to his regular contribution
to the new publication.
HLITA TO BE HELD ON 13 AND 14 JANUARY 2001
HLITA is the acronym for Hunting Lions in the Air, an international contest
that combines interaction between amateur radio operators and Lions clubs on
a world-wide basis.
The contest is run in January of each year on the weekend closest to the
Birthday of Melvin Jones, the founder of Lionism who was born at Ft.
Thomas, Arizona USA on January 13, 1879. The 2001 event is the 30th annual
event and will take place on the weekend January 13 - 14th.
The objective is to create and foster a spirit of international
understanding and co-operation" among radio amateurs and Lions through
world-wide radio communication. The contest period will be 48 hours and
will run from midnight UTC Friday/Saturday to midnight UTC Sunday/Monday.
The contest is open to all appropriately licensed radio amateurs. There are
2 classes:
Class 1 contestants are radio amateurs having no Lion affiliation.
Class 2 contestants are radio amateurs operating on behalf of a Lions,
Lioness or Leo Club. A radio amateur in Class 2 does not have to be a
member of the Lions Club for which he/she is operating. Stations in Class 2
must sign "Lion" and be reflected in log sheets as /L.
Full details will be available on the SARL web soon. Visit www.sarl.org.za
NEW TECHNOLOGY IN AMATEUR RADIO
New Technology in Amateur Radio is the subject for discussion on the next
Telkom SARL Intecnet 2000, which will be on the air on Sunday 3 December
2000 at 20:00 CAT. Make a note of the date. It is a talkshow you do not
want to miss.
SARL TO VOTE FOR PROPOSAL TO LIFT AGM VENUE RESTRICTION
SARL members are requested to read the postal ballot proposal carefully
which deals with holding of the AGM in other areas and not only in Gauteng.
Decide how you want to vote and please post the ballot paper to reach HQ by
15 December 2000.
SIEMENS RADIO AMATEUR OF THE YEAR AND INDUSTRY WORKSHOP
The Siemens Radio Amateur of the Year awards will be presented to the
nominees by the SA Amateur Radio Development Trust at a function at NARC on
30 November 2000. The two recipients will each receive a certificate and a
cheque of R1000. ICASA Councillor Yasmin Carrim will be the guest speaker.
After the presentation the SARL with join forces with the SA Amateur Radio
Development Trust to host an Amateur Radio - Industry workshop starting at
14:00.
Attendance is by invitation. Clubs who would like to send a representative
are invited to send the name and Email details of the nominated person to
[email protected] or by fax to 012 991-5251.
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].
SPECIAL EVENTS DATES
Wally Sime, ZS6WAL, HQ administrator, requests that clubs forward to him
special events dates for 2001 for inclusion in the calendar. Dates like CQ
Houkoers, Jota, Lions International etc are important.
PROPAGATION REPORT
Ean Retief, ZS1PR, reports as follows:
The Solar Flux rose a bit higher than expected during the past week and
reached the 200 mark before the weekend.
Thursday evening at 21:30 a long-duration C7 class Solar Flare occurred.
This flare was accompanied by a Coronal Mass Ejection.
The ejected material reached the Earth during the night hours and you may
notice that conditions are not as good as it was for the last few days. Our
planet's magnetic field should be unsettled to active for the entire day.
It is expected that operating on the 80 metre band tonight may be a bit
unpleasant.
On the other hand the higher Solar Flux values is the cause of the 20 metre
band staying open for DX around the clock. While there is a weakening in
the small hours of the morning, that is the time when you should be pointing
the beam east and be on the lookout for station from the Pacific region.
Tomorrow and Tuesday the Geomagnetic Field should be quieter and from
Wednesday it is expected that the Field will be very quiet. The Solar Flux
should remain above the 200 mark until Wednesday as well.
DIARY OF COMING EVENTS
SAATI's monthly meeting will be held in the library of Lyttelton in
Cantonments Ave on Monday 27 November at 20:00. Egbert ZS6AZG will talk on
software used in digital radio communication.
The Alberton Amateur Radio Club's Year end function and prize giving will be
on the 2 December 2000 from 12:00 at the Alberton Dam, Bloutulp Street,
Alberton. For more info Phone Michiel, ZS6MDK, at 083 212 5711.
The Midlands Amateur Radio Club will be operating a special event station,
ZS100ABW, 3 and 9 December, 2000 to recognise the foreign involvement in the
Anglo Boer South African War. You can QSL direct to MARC, PO Box 100220,
Scottsville, 3209 or via the Bureau. ZS100ABW will be on the air from 10h00
SAST on 40 metres.
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 Marten, ZS6ZY, 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 ZS6ZY moved by Richard de ZR6CK
Regards,
Richard.
--- Msged/Q 1.60
* Origin: QTHR KG44DG, Novell User Group, Pretoria, RSA (5:7106/22)
