SARL NEWS - SUNDAY 20 NOVEMBER 2011

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 'Amateur Radio Today' 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 7,066 and 3,695 MHz SSB.

In the news today:

PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS ACT ON SARL WEB

ANNUAL REMEMBRANCE DAY SERVICE TODAY

ANOTHER MILE STONE FOR 500 kHz

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

PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS ACT ON SARL WEB

The Department of Communications has published proposed amendments to
the Electronic Communications Act for comment. The SARL is studying the
proposals for any possible changes that may affect amateur radio. A
copy of the proposed changes to the ECA can be downloaded from
www.sarl.org.za, select Amateur Radio TODAY from the left hand menu.
The SARL Council invites your input before 26 November 2011 to
.

ANNUAL REMEMBRANCE DAY SERVICE TODAY

The annual Remembrance Day service will be transmitted as part of
Amateur Radio TODAY at 10:45 this morning. The service will be
conducted in Afrikaans and English by Ds Jan Kramer, ZS6JRK, of the
Nederduits Hervormde Kerk gemeente Elsburg. The service was not
transmitted last Sunday because of a technical problem.

All radio amateurs are requested to keep radio silence between 10:45
and 11:00 this morning in memory of all who lost their lives in service
of their country.

ARISSat-1 MAY DE-ORBIT IN APRIL 2012

According to predictions from Mineo Wakita, JE9PEL, the ARISSat-1
satellite is due to re-enter Earth's atmosphere in early April 2012.
Launched from the International Space Station on August 8, the
satellite is traveling in a low orbit and is steadily losing altitude.
The rate of orbital decay may be accelerated by increasing atmospheric
density caused by increased solar activity. With that factor in mind,
some ARISSat-1 decay predictions suggest re-entry as early as February
1. ARISSat-1 remains quite active, sending voice messages, digital
telemetry and Slow Scan TV images. Amateurs have also been able to
enjoy contacts through ARISSat-1's linear transponder despite the fact
that the UHF antenna was apparently damaged prior to (or during)
deployment. Last month, AMSAT-NA announced a competition to see who can
record the last bits of telemetry as ARISSat-1 makes its final plunge.
To decode the CW or BPSK telemetry you must use the ARISSATTLM software
for Windows or Mac OS. T

he CW signal is transmitted at 145,919 MHz and the BPSK signal appears
at 145,920 MHz, plus or minus Doppler.

ANOTHER MILE STONE FOR 500 kHz

Preparatory studies for WRC agenda item 1.23 seeking a new amateur
service allocation somewhere in the range 415 - 526,5 kHz reached a
milestone with the approval of a Report on amateur experimental
operations in the above frequency range.

Working Group 1, the group responsible for amateur radio issues,
continued an updating and revision of Questions, Recommendations and
Reports pertaining to the amateur services. The IARU continues to show
leadership in the planning and implementation of these activities.

PROBLEMS WORSENING ON 10 METRES AS MUF RISES

A recent issue of the IARU Monitoring System newsletter reports that
the intruder situation on 10 metres is getting worse as the Maximum
Usable Frequency or MUF continues to rise in Solar Cycle 24.

The report said that it found much CB-like traffic using AM, FM and SSB
between 28 and 29,7 MHz in September and again in October 2011. It pegs
Europe, Brazil and the Far East as the primary originating points for
most of the illegal 10 metre traffic. The report goes on to say that
the band is also still filled with numerous taxi cabs operating FM.

The report says that with conditions on the upper High Frequency bands
improving that we could soon witness what it calls the "apocalypse" on
the amateur- exclusive 10 metre band. The newsletter also describes
interference on the 24 MHz band from Codar Radar and numerous "CB"
operators taking on those airwaves as well.

Last week Russia agreed to do all it can to remove illegal taxi radio
operators from the 10 metre band but just how successful that move will
be remains to be seen.

MEMBERSHIP EDGES TOWARDS 1 500

The current membership of the SARL is 1 414, still some way to go to
the 1 500 mark. I you have not yet paid your dues, please do it now and
get reinstated to receive member benefits and Radio ZS. By paying the
full 2011/2012 fee now you will not loose your membership record.

If you are not a member, is it not time that you consider joining and
supporting your hobby? In January 2012 the ITU meets in Geneva for
WRC12, the IARU is making good progress on getting an allocation in the
500 kHz band, their strength at representing amateur radio lies in the
strength of individual member societies. The SARL and ICASA are in
talks about an allocation in the 5 MHz band. All this need the support
of every radio amateur. Do it now, join the SARL and you support your
hobby.

CLUB EVENTS

South Cape Amateur Radio Club.

On Saturday, 5 November 2011, the SCARC held their AGM at Wilderness
with 30 members and non-members in attendance. The committee elected
for 2012 consist of the following members: Chairman: Jacques Vermeulen,
ZS1WC Vice Chairman: Casey Nootenboom, ZS1AAS Secretary/Treasurer: Bets
Meyer, XYL of ZS1M Repeaters: Hans Potgieter, ZS6ALJ/ZS1ALJ Additional
members: John Fletcher, ZS1ZR Chris Meyer, ZS1M, and Chris Nortier,
ZS1FA

Many thanks to the retiring committee members and strength to the new
committee.

After the meeting a Bring-and-Braai was enjoyed and the day ended with
a huge boot sale.

West Rand Amateur Radio Club.

The WRARC will host its next flea market at 12:00 on Saturday 03
December 2011 at the clubhouse in Kroton Street, Weltevredenpark,
Roodepoort. Everyone is very welcome. For more information, contact
Phillip, ZS6PVT, at 083 267 3835.

PROPAGATION REPORT

Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that many sunspots are producing
C-class flares and that sunspot 1 346 poses a slight threat for Earth
directed M-class flares. The sun's surface is peppered with smaller
sunspots promising exciting HF conditions.

For the people doing their own frequency predictions the expected
effective sunspot number for the week will be around 103, slightly down
on last week's record high for this solar cycle.

All the bands from 20 to 10 m will provide lots of DX fun with the
higher bands typically opening first and the lower bands opening later
during the day. 6 m is also waking up with some very nice TEP openings.

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

DIARY OF EVENTS

20 November - Field day competition still on. 20 November - CW leg of
80 m Club competition. 26 November - Last day to submit comments on the
proposed amendments to the Electronic Communication Act to
. 27 November - Digital competition. 30 November -
Last day to submit logs for Pears HF DX-expedition. 03 December - Flea
market of the West Rand Amateur Radio Club at 12:00. 31 January 2012 -
Last day for submission of nominations for Council members and also for
submission of motions for the 2012 SARL AGM. 31 January 2012 - Closing
date for submitting papers for SA AMSAT Space Symposium.

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 Today every Sunday
morning at 10:00 CAT on 145,750 MHz in the Pretoria area, with relays
on 7 082, 7 205 and 17 760 kHz. There is also a podcast by ZS6RO. For a
web-stream and Echolink by ZS6FCS, visit www.sarl.org.za, click on
'Amateur Radio TODAY', go down the green column and click on 'LISTEN ON
THE WEB'. A repeat transmission can be heard on Mondays at 16:30 UTC on
4 895 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 George, Z6SNE.

Thank you for listening, 73. /EX

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