SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE NEWS SUNDAY 10 JANUARY 2016

Good morning and welcome to the weekly news bulletin of the South
African Radio League read by ................ [your name, call sign and
QTH]

You can tune into the South African Radio League news bulletin on
Sunday mornings at 08:15 Central African Time in Afrikaans and at 08:30
Central African Time in English on HF and on many VHF and UHF repeaters
around the country. Echolink listeners can connect to ZS0JPL for a
relay. A podcast is available from the League web site.

This audio bulletin can be downloaded from the League website at
www.sarl.org.za. You will find this bulletin and previous bulletins in
text format under the news link on the left-hand side of the web page.
While you are there, you can sign up to receive future bulletins by
e-mail.

We start this morning's bulletin with a silent key.

It is with deep regret that the Boland radio club has to announce the
passing away of JacoCloete ZS1JCA on Saturday 2 January 2016. Jaco was
in a wheelchair for years after he broke his neck in a diving accident
as a young boy. Jaco originally from Durbanville lived in Riversdal the
last couple of years. Our sincere condolences to his family and
friends.

PAUSE FOR 5 SECONDS

In the news today

THIS COMING WEEKEND THE PEARS NATIONAL VHF AND UHF CONTEST

UNEXPECTED 144 MHZ DX OPENINGS TO REUNION ISLAND ON SSB AND JT65b.

and

DECEMBER WAS YOUTH ON THE AIR MONTH

Stay tuned for more on these and other interesting news items.

**** The two sessions of the PEARS National VHF & UHF Contest will
spread out activity over two days and benefit from any changes in
propagation. The first session starts at 18:00 CAT on Friday 15th
January 2016 until 16:00 CAT on Saturday. The second session commences
immediately after 16:00 CAT and ends on Sunday 17th January at 14:00
CAT. It covers the 6m, 4m, 2m, 70cm and 23cm bands on both analogue and
digital modes.

Last year Michael Folkey ZR4MF was declared the Grand Overall Analogue
winner. Hopefully we will be joined by more Division 5 stations this
year. Do watch out for countrywide Tropo Ducting in the early mornings
on 50 and 144 MHz and especially at night on 144 MHz. Unexpected
Sporadic-E openings could appear during the day, especially around noon
for DX from Namibia and Zimbabwe. Also keep an eye on Aircraft scatter
during the peak flying times between the main centres. Several field
stations will also be active around the country. Good luck with the
contest.

**** DX openings from the East Coast to Reunion Island usually occur
during September, October and February months on 144 and 432 MHz, but
everyone was surprised by a good opening that started on Monday
afternoon 5 January 2016 and lasted until the evening. It began with a
144 MHz JT65b digital contact at 14:10 CAT between Phil FR5DN and Dave
ZS5DJ at Ramsgate.

The first contact in the evening with Phil was made by Hugo ZS5HV at
Durban on JT65b and then SSB. This was followed by a digital contact
from Andre ZS2BK at Port Elizabeth, while Lee ZS5LEE struggled a bit to
complete his digital contact because he is located about 26 km inland
and at 800 metres altitude. All indications are that January month is
going to provide some interesting Tropo Ducting this year, as we have
already observed improved propagation so far, even across land.

****The ZS9YOTA call sign was active during December and South African
youngsters participated in the annual IARU Region-1 December Youngsters
On The Air event. Forty two YOTA call signs were active across IARU
Region-1 from schools, scout groups, clubs or just used by young radio
amateurs under the age of 26 years. The main aim was to get youngsters
on the air and to make contact with youngsters all over the world,
promoting amateur radio amongst the youth. From Africa there were four
countries that participated, Botswana with A2YOTA, Tunisia with
3V8YOTA, Ceuta with EG9YOTA and South Africa ZS9YOTA.

The statistics as they are currently displayed on the IARU website
state a total of 82,694 QSOs electronically logged by all participating
stations. The ZS9YOTA call sign logged 357 contacts therefore 0.43 % of
total contacts made by the 42 participating call signs during December
month.

The Sasolburg Radio Club, ZS4SRK, Kempton Park Amateur Radio Technical
Society, ZS6KTS, Sandringham Scout Group, ZS6SSG and the ZS6ZU Hammies
club participated in this fun event.

Koos ZR6KF would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every
one who participated in order to make this event a huge success.

You are listening to a news bulletin of the South African Radio League.

****This is the first call for papers for the annual SA AMSAT Space
Symposium to be held at the Innovation Hub in Pretoria on Saturday 28
May 2016. A brief synopsis for a proposed paper should be sent to
by 31 March 2016. The theme of the conference is
"Make Space Sciences your leisure time activity."

****The SA Amateur Radio Development Trust is inviting applicants for
two Tony Reumerman Bursaries for students under 25 years old planning
to write the May Radio Amateur Examination. Full details and an
application form can be found on www.amateurradio.org.za.

****The league received application for membership from Reinhardt Britz
ZSL1156. Any objections to league membership must reach the secretary
by no later than the Tuesday following this bulletin. Membership of the
SARL stands at 1601, plus 43 affiliated clubs.

****In this week's propagation report Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports
that the solar activity is expected to be at low levels. None of the
currently visible sunspots pose a threat for serious flaring.

If you want to do your own frequency predictions, the expected
effective sunspot number for the week will be around 39.

The 20 to 15 m bands will provide lots of DX fun, with some 10 m
openings also possible.

Please visit the website spaceweather.sansa.org.za for further
information.

**** And now for the diary of events

9 and 10 January - Hunting Lions in the Air 10 January - the SARL Youth
Net on 7 070 kHz LSB at 15:00 UTC 15 to 17 January - the PEARS National
VHF and UHF Contest 23 January - Summer QRP Contest 31 January - The
closing date for nomination for Council and the submission of motions
for the AGM 6 and 7 February - AWA CW Activity 13 and 14 February -
SARL National field day

To end this bulletin, a recap of our main news item this morning.

**** The two sessions of the PEARS National VHF & UHF Contest will
spread out activity over two days and benefit from any changes in
propagation. The first session starts at 18:00 CAT on Friday 15th
January 2016 until 16:00 CAT on Saturday. The second session commences
immediately after 16:00 CAT and ends on Sunday 17th January at 14:00
CAT. It covers the 6m, 4m, 2m, 70cm and 23cm bands on both analogue and
digital modes.

You are welcome to join us every Sunday morning for the weekly amateur
radio magazine program 'Amateur Radio Today' at 10:00 Central African
Time. The program can be heard on VHF and UHF repeaters countrywide and
on 7 082 kHz lower side-band and on 7 205 kHz and 17 760 kHz AM. There
is also a podcast available from Dick Stratford, ZS6RO. A rebroadcast
can be heard on Monday evenings at 18:30 Central African Time on 3 230
kHz AM.

We welcome your signal reports, comments and suggestions; send these by
e-mail to . Sentech sponsors the radio transmissions
on the non-amateur frequencies.

You have listened to a news bulletin compiled by Etienne Naude, ZS6EFN,
edited by Dick Stratford, ZS6RO and read by ______________

From the entire news team, best wishes for the week ahead.

73 and thank you for listening

/EX

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