SARL NEWS - SUNDAY 27 JUNE 2010

You are listening to ZS6SRL, the official radio station of the South
African Radio League, the national body for amateur radio in South
Africa, with a news bulletin every Sunday at 08:15 CAT in Afrikaans and
at 08:30 CAT in English. To listen to a web stream, visit
www.sarl.org.za, click on 'ARMI' and follow the links for details.
PLEASE NOTE: for audio via Echolink, connect to ZS0JPL-R.

You can download this bulletin and previous ones from www.sarl.org.za
and also subscribe to receive future bulletins by e-mail.

Your newsreader this morning is (name), (call sign), on 145,725 and
7,066 MHz from Pretoria, with relays on 10,130, 7,066 and 3,695 MHz
SSB.

In the news today:

MAY 2010 RAE-CALL SIGNS RELEASED

RADIO TECHNOLOGY-IN-ACTION CAPE

THE IARU's INTERNATIONAL AMATEUR RADIO SATELLITE FORUM

ARRL WARNS OF E-MAIL PHISHING SCAM

You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned for more details on these and
other important and interesting news items.

MAY 2010 RAE CALL SIGNS RELEASED

The SARL is pleased to announce that the long wait for your call sign
is now over and it is available on the SARL's web page.

To obtain your call sign, please click on the link on the top left hand
side of the web page www.sarl.org.za that refers to the May 2010 RAE
results and you will be directed to the results page. The SARL has an
agreement with ICASA that you may immediately start using your call
sign and get onto the air.

There are still a few candidates who have outstanding paperwork. Your
call sign will not be issued until the paperwork has been received by
the SARL office. If you call sign is withheld, there will be a 'reason
code' as to why this has happened and the SARL urges you to remedy the
issue by no later than next week Friday.

We look forward to having a chat with you on the air soon. Enjoy your
call sign and have fun with the hobby. Remember that you will only now
start your road of learning and the enjoyment of the hobby to its
fullest.

Any queries can be directed to Mariska at or
alternatively you can phone the office at 011 675 2393.

SUMBANDILASAT BACK ON THE AIR

SumbandilaSat is back on the air. Requests for operation over your area
should be sent to by Mondays for possible
inclusion in the schedule published on Thursday night/Friday morning
regarding the following week. It may not always be possible to accede
to every request. The weekly schedule will be published on
www.amsatsa.org.za. South African stations do not have to send requests
for operation as Allan Saul will do the required scheduling while SO67
orbits over Southern Africa.

With recent changes in software, please note that the operating
procedure has changed. Get full details on www.amsatsa.org.za.

RADIO TECHNOLOGY-IN-ACTION IN CAPE TOWN

Radio Technology- in-Action 2010 will be held in Cape Town at the Cape
Peninsula University of Technology in the Auditorium of the Gencor
Building at the Bellville Campus on 24 July. Get all the details and
the kit-ordering form from www.sarl.org.za. Click on 'RTA'.

Three kits will be on offer and will be available for purchase on the
day of the RTA. Payment will be cash only. Kits may also be pre-ordered
and paid for online prior to the RTA and be collected at the RTA. No
mail order facilities are available.

Registration for the RTA is R50 which includes some light morning and
lunch time refreshments.

The three kits on offer a

A 100 mw DSSS kit for 40 m. Two Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS)
transceivers built in open PCB fashion, as a learning tool for DSSS.
All sections of each transmitter and receiver are able to be explored
and tested with simple gear found in your shack. A CD containing
assembly and operating instructions are supplied - but no cables. The
cost is R350.

A TDR (Time Domain Reflectometry) 1 GHz Sampling Scope. Specifically
designed for TDR work - but can also be used for other applications. It
is a USB device that plugs into a PC and runs a Windows Program
simulating an image of a normal oscilloscope. A CD containing software,
assembly and operating instructions is supplied - but no cables are
supplied. The cost is R350.

A DSP (Digital Signal Processing) speaker kit. For use on speaker
output of any device to reduce or eliminate noise. It is ideal for HF
Receivers. Built in open PCB fashion and ideal as a DSP learning tool.
A CD containing assembly and operating instructions is supplied - but
no cables. The cost is R325.

More details about the presentations will be covered in next week's
SARL News, or you can download the full programme from www.sarl.org.za;
select 'RTA' and follow the links.

THE IARU's INTERNATIONAL AMATEUR RADIO SATELLITE FORUM

The IARU's International Amateur Radio Satellite Forum will be held
this year in combination with the AMSAT-UK Colloquium in Guildford,
England on the weekend of 31 July 31 to 1 August.

The forum, chaired by IARU Amateur Satellite Advisor Hans van de
Groenendaal, ZS6AKV, takes place on the Sunday morning. On the Agenda
is also a report back on the activities of the IARU's Satellite Advisor
and his advisory panel.

There will be a brief presentation covering the ITU's notification
requirements for satellites operating in the amateur service and the
requirements for disabling transmissions, should the signals interfere
with other users of the radio spectrum.

The forum is open to all delegates at the colloquium.

Colloquium Info at http://www.uk.amsat.org/colloquium/

NAME THE CUBESAT PROJECT

The competition to name the SA-AMSAT CubeSat project is attracting
international attention with several entries from overseas' countries.
Thus far no entries have been received from South Africa. This seems
somehow ironic that overseas' amateurs take a greater interest in the
SA-AMSAT project than local amateurs. Get the detail on how to enter at
www.amsatsa.org.za.

ARRL WARNS OF E-MAIL PHISHING SCAM

The ARRL says that crooks are trying to use its identity to try to get
members' personal information. It warns members to ignore any requests
seemingly coming from the League, asking for such data. Amateur Radio
Newsline's Bruce Tennent, K6PZW, reports:

ARRL WARNS AGAINST SCAMS

In a posting on its website, the ARRL says that it has received several
reports from members with "arrl.net" e-mail accounts. They tell the
League that they have recently been contacted via e-mail with requests
asking for personal information such as user names and passwords.

The ARRL says that these e-mails are fraudulent attempts at phishing
and did not originate from that organization. For those not aware, the
term "phishing", which is pronounced "fishing" but spelled with a "ph",
is where a cyber criminal uses someone else's name, e-mail or both, to
try to get one to send them your personal information.

According to the ARRL's Chief Financial Officer Barry Shelley, N1VXY,
there is never a time when the League would ask via mass e-mail for
user names and passwords of "arrl.net" users.

BOOKING FOR THE PRETORIA PIC COURSE OPEN

Bookings for the PIC course on 14 August in Centurion can now be made.
Full particulars, as well as the booking form are available on the web
at www.sarl.org.za. Click on 'RTA' and follow the links. The four-hour
course will be presented by John Williscroft, ZS6EF, using various
audiovisual methods. At the end of the course you will be able to work
with PICs and programme them for other projects. Allow an additional
hour for question time and a refreshment break. The closing date for
bookings is 2 August.

If you have already booked, please make sure that your detail is
recorded on the website. You can access the page by going to
www.sarl.org.za, click on 'RTA' and follow the links to the booking
page. If your booking is not reflected, please send an e-mail to
. No other form of booking confirmation is sent.

CONTEST NEWS

SARL Digital Contest. The SARL Digital contest is on the air this
afternoon from 13:00 to 16:00 UTC on 40 metres as well as 2 metres
using PSK. The contest is open to all radio amateurs in Southern
Africa.

The exchange is a signal report plus a QSO number, starting at 001.
Logs must be sent to the Lichtenburg ARC, PO Box 410, Lichtenburg, 2740
or by e-mail to zs6lrk[at]nwinternet[dot]za[dot]org. the closing date
for log submissions is 12 July 2010.

IARU HF Championships. The annual IARU HF Championships takes place on
10 and 11 July 2010 and this year the WRTC will also be run on that
weekend. Is there a radio club or clubs who are interested in operating
ZS0HQ on phone and CW during the contest? What about ZS85SARL? If you
are interested please notify Dennis, ZS4BS, by e-mail to
zs4bs[at]netactive[dot]co[dot]za.

PROPAGATION REPORT

Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the solar activity is still at low
levels. Currently Sunspot 1 082 is the only sign of activity on an
otherwise very moderate sun. The effective sunspot number is expected
to be less than 10 for the coming week.

20 m will provide the best opportunities for DX followed by 15 and 17
m. Conditions to India will be excellent from the afternoons onwards.
During the late afternoons and early evenings it will also be
favourable towards Europe. Contacts with the USA are still tough.
Contacts with Australia and New Zealand are becoming promising on 20 m
at sunrise. Contacts with Brazil and South America are becoming
demanding.

For the CW and digital enthusiasts, 30 m may be very gratifying with
openings to many parts of the world.

Local conditions are going to be excellent during the daytime on 40 m.
With the change of season 30 m has taken over from 20 m for contacts
over the longer distances during the middle of the day. With the
decrease in noise levels, 80 m is the best for the shorter distances
and also during the early mornings and late afternoons.

80 m is the frequency of choice during the evenings.

Please visit www.spaceweather.co.za for further information.

DIARY OF EVENTS

27 June - This afternoon, The SARL Digital contest from 13:00 to 16:00
UTC on 40 metres as well as 2 metres; 10/11 July - IARU HF
Championships and WRTC; 18 July - Intechnet at 19:30 on VHF-/UHF- and
microwave matters; 23 - 24 July - Preparation and launch of the HABEX
balloon project; 24 July - RTA symposium in Cape Town.

SARL News invites clubs and individuals to submit news items of
interest to radio amateurs and shortwave listeners. Submit news items -
if possible - in both English and Afrikaans to
www.sarl.org.za/newsinbox.asp, not later than the Thursday preceding
the bulletin date.

The SARL also invites you to listen to Amateur Radio Mirror
International every Sunday morning at 10:00 CAT on 145,750 MHz in the
Pretoria-area, with relays on 7 082, 7 205 and 17 560 kHz. There is
also a podcast by ZS6RO.For a web-stream and Echolink by ZS6FCS, visit
www.sarl.org.za, click on 'ARMI' and follow the links. A repeat
transmission can be heard on Mondays at 21:00 CAT on 3 215 kHz. Sentech
sponsors the ARMI transmissions on the non-amateur frequencies.

You have listened to a bulletin of the South African Radio League,
compiled by Leon, ZS4V, and edited by Jannie, ZR6PHD.

Thank you for listening, 73.

/EX