SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE NEWS SUNDAY 18 DECEMBER 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 in to 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's web site.

This audio bulletin can be downloaded from the League's 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.

In the news today,

CHRISTMAS MESSAGE FROM THE SARL PRESIDENT

HAVE YOU PAID YOUR LICENCE?

and

NEW OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR APPOINTED

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

** The League President, Nico, ZS6QL, says, "As we approach the end of
the year, it is a time when our Christian members celebrate the birth
of their Saviour and others prepare for a period of rest and recreation
with their friends and family.

This year the League experienced some real challenges, but I am pleased
to say that the good ship South African Radio League is back on course
and sailing into calmer waters. We look forward to more member and club
participation in League affairs in the coming year. Take advantage of
this festive season to recharge your batteries, take that long needed
break and spend time with your families. With many people on holiday,
there are opportunities for increased amateur radio activity. However,
I remind you of the Amateur Code which calls on you to maintain a
healthy balance in your life.

I take this opportunity to thank all our members and volunteers for
your dedication to the hobby and your hard work in promoting the
League. I would like especially to thank the clubs for their support in
running the RAE classes, contests, boot sales, youth programmes and
other activities in support of Amateur Radio.

Please remember to be vigilant and careful - the threats and dangers to
which we are all exposed, take no holidays.

I wish each of you a prosperous, fruitful and happy 2017."

** Have you paid your licence? You are advised to make sure that you
have paid your amateur radio license for this year. If not it is
recommended that you do it immediately. ICASA is not obliged to send
out statements, the onus is on the license holder. If you have not paid
for the 2016/2017 year, pay R525 and you are covered for this year and
the next 4 years with no increases. The fee for the current 2016/2017
year is R126.

ICASA is in the process of implementing an ICASA Council decision to
cancel all licenses that are not renewed within 30 days of 1 April.
While still in the implementation planning stage, make sure you have
paid this year's licence fee. Failing to do so will mean that you may
have to apply for a new license. You may just find that some else has
applied and obtained your call sign.

The League is aware that many of the radio amateurs who have paid their
licences have still not received any documentation from ICASA. This
matter will be taken up with ICASA in the new year. Note that all ICASA
offices will be closed from 15 December and will reopen on 3 January
2017.

** A new office administrator has been appointed. Mrs Kelley Heslop was
the successful candidate following a series of interviews early in
December. Kelly will start work on Thursday 12 January 2017. We welcome
Kelly to the National Amateur Radio Centre and wish her all of the
best.

** ICASA asked tough questions at Type Approval Hearing. The League
President, Nico van Rensburg, ZS6QL, and Regulatory Manager, Hans van
de Groenendaal, ZS6AKV, attended the ICASA hearing on Type Approval on
Tuesday 14 December 2016. ICASA Councillors and subject matter experts
asked some tough questions and required explanations on various reasons
put forward by the South African Radio League why all amateur radio
equipment should be exempted from type approval. There is a general
appreciation that self-constructed amateur radio equipment should be
considered for exemption of type approval but this would not be the
case for commercially equipment. In the European Union, amateur radio
self-constructed equipment is exempted from type approval but amateur
radio equipment produced commercially has to conform to several ETSI
(European Technical Standard Institute) standards.

Type Approval exemption is not only an issue for amateur radio but for
the entire communications industry. Various industry representative
proposed that ICASA consider that equipment that conforms to the
relevant SABS and/or ETSI standard be exempted from type approval.
There is also an ongoing discussion on the labelling of equipment, in
other words even if equipment complies with an acceptable standard,
ICASA has to verify and issue authorisation to label the equipment.
ICASA has invited further input with the deadline of 13 January 2017.

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

** Draft 2017 Radio Frequency Band Plan. The South African Radio League
is studying the draft band plan and is aware of a number of errors and
omissions in amateur allocations. ICASA has invited comments on the
draft by 23 January and will be holding public hearings on 2 and 3
February 2017. It is however important to consider the full draft and
study the impact of the draft on Amateur Radio, not just one or two
frequency bands. ICASA has set out a process to be followed and the
League is just doing that. It is not simply calling someone at ICASA or
sending an e-mail. It is important to review the national band plan in
terms of the final determinations of WRC-15 and the current radio
frequency regulations. In addition, the League can make proposals for
allocations that are not in the draft band plan and provide a
motivation why ICASA should consider the League's proposals.

Links to all the documents will be posted on the South African Radio
League web page. Input from radio amateurs is invited. You can send
your input to . The League's Regulatory team will
work on the input to ICASA during first week of January 2017.

** Radio Australia Shortwave Broadcasts to End on 31 January 2017.
Another prominent shortwave broadcaster is going dark, as the
Australian Broadcast Corporation (ABC) has announced that it will cease
its shortwave transmissions on 31 January 2017. The station, popular
with SWLs, broadcasts in the 31, 25, 19 and 16 metre bands. The move is
in line with the national broadcaster's commitment to dispense with
outdated technology and to expand its digital content offerings,
including DAB+ digital radio, online and mobile services, together with
FM services for international audiences. The ABC said it would put the
money saved from ending shortwave broadcasting into other program
distribution technology. Radio Australia programming will remain
available via streaming, satellite, and other media.

If this trend continues then the successors of early radio amateurs who
pioneered shortwave Transatlantic communications 95 years ago, may
ultimately inherit the entire HF shortwave spectrum when all the
commercial and military stations, etc., have moved to satellites, VHF
or the frequencies above.

** Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the solar activity is expected
to be at low levels. No major solar flaring is expected. If you want to
do your own frequency predictions, the expected effective sunspot
number for the week will be less than 5. The 15 to 20m bands will
provide lots of DX fun. Please visit the website
spaceweather.sansa.org.za for further information.

** The SARL News team wished you and yours a blessed Christmas, to our
Jewish members a happy Chanukah and to the rest, enjoy the holidays.

Now for the diary of events

27 December - closing date for January 2017 Radio ZS articles 31
December - last day of the YOTA Month 2016. Also, destroy your copy of
the 2016 Blue Book 1 January - download a copy of the 2017 Blue Book 14
and 15 January - Hunting Lions in the Air 20 to 22 January - the PEARS
National VHF/UHF Contest

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

The League President, Nico, ZS6QL, says, "As we approach the end of the
year, it is a time when our Christian members celebrate the birth of
their Saviour and others prepare for a period of rest and recreation
with their friends and family. I take this opportunity to thank all our
members and volunteers for your dedication to the hobby and your hard
work in promoting the League. I would like especially to thank the
clubs for their support in running the RAE classes, contests, boot
sales, youth programmes and other activities in support of Amateur
Radio. I wish each of you a prosperous, fruitful and happy 2017."

** Clubs and individuals are invited to submit news items of interest
to radio amateurs and shortwave listeners, if possible, in both English
and Afrikaans, by following the news inbox link on the South African
Radio League web page. News items for inclusion in the bulletin should
reach the news team no later than the Thursday preceding the bulletin
date.

You are welcome to join us every Sunday morning for the weekly amateur
radio magazine programme Amateur Radio Today at 10:00 Central African
Time. The programme 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 4 895 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 Dennis Green, ZS4BS,
edited by Dave Reece, ZS1DFR, and read by ...................

73 and 88, thank you for listening

/EX

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