SARL NEWS - SUNDAY 23 JANUARY 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 '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 7,066 and 3,695 MHz SSB.
SILENT KEY It is with deep regret that the passing of Henry Fourie,
ZR4U, on Sunday 16 January 2011 must be announced. We extend our
sincere condolences to his parents Barney, ZS4U/ZS6TQ, and Marie,
ZS4YL, family and friends. (PAUSE) In the news today: D-STAR ACTIVE IN
JOHANNESBURG SARL NATIONAL CONVENTION NOT TO BE MISSED LAST CHANCE TO
BOOK FOR PIC PROGRAMMING COURSE You are listening to ZS6SRL. Stay tuned
for more details on these and other important and interesting news
items. D-STAR ACTIVE IN JOHANNESBURG The first digital repeater in
Johannesburg is active on the air. The repeater is on loan from
Multisource for demonstration purposes and is offering amateurs an
opportunity to experiment with D-Star. The system was installed and
demonstrated during the SA-AMSAT event last Saturday at the NARC.
Thanks to Ronald, ZS6RVC, Riaan, ZS4PR and Frik, ZS6FZ D-STAR, the
acronym for Digital Smart Technologies for Amateur Radio, is a digital
voice and data protocol specification developed by the Japan Amateur
Radio League. While there are other digital on-air technologies being
used by amateurs, D-Star is one of the first on-air and packet-based
standards. D-STAR offer clearer signals and uses less bandwidth than
its non-digital counterparts. As long as the signal strength is above a
minimum threshold, and no multi-path is occurring, the quality of the
data received is better than an analogue signal at the same strength.
D-Star compatible radios are available on VHF, UHF, and microwave
amateur bands. In addition to the over-the-air protocol, D-Star also
provides specifications for network connectivity, enabling D-Star
radios to be connected to the Internet or other networks, with
provisions for routing data streams of voice or packet data To operate
the D-Star repeater switch any D-Star enabled digital radio to DV mode.
Tune to 145.6875 MHz with the usual -600 kHz offset to talk via the
repeater. In the radio menu ensure that R1 and/or R2 are set to ZS6TJ.
The UR can be set to CQCQCQ, and MYCALL should be your own callsign.
The SARL is looking for coverage, signal reports and comments. Send
your comments to . SARL NATIONAL CONVENTION NOT TO BE
MISSED The Sasolburg and Vaal Triangle Radio Clubs are hosting the 2011
SARL National Convention on 15 and 16 April. Enjoy the beauty of the
Vaal, an evening cruise down Millionaires' Bend and a fantastic dinner
in the company of good radio friends until late Friday evening!
Saturday morning the SARL AGM at the Vaal University of Technology
commences at 8 am with registration. The meeting starts at 9 am. In the
afternoon a huge flea market will be held while a nature drive at
Emerald Casino Resort will keep non-amateurs suitably entertained. The
Sasolburg and Vaal Triangle Radio Clubs expect this to be the biggest
get-together of radio amateurs in years! The afternoon also offers a
visit to the Bloemendal Shortwave wave radio broadcast station near
Meyerton. Experience what a 50 kW RF transmitter is capable of doing,
and see how the systems for such a shortwave broadcast station operate
and service the world from South Africa. The highlight of the
convention takes place on Saturday evening at the Riviera Hotel. This
year the SARL Gala evening will be a formal black tie affair, but suit
and tie will also do! The guest speaker is Prof. Alwyn Louw from VUT.
The well known band Broken Stream will supply the music while Gerald
Klatzko, ZS6BTD, will be giving a riveting presentation on his
experiences with MIR and the Space Station.. The annual prize giving
will be hosted by Tjerk, ZS6P. Thereafter the dance music fires up and
the party begins! Registration for the Boat cruise and the Gala evening
is essential as there are only limited seats available. Bookings should
be made through the club secretary of ZS4SRK by visiting
www.qsl.net/zs4srk to complete the forms. There is also a link from
www.sarl.org.za. LAST CHANCE TO BOOK FOR PIC PROGRAMMING COURSE
Bookings for the PIC programming course on Saturday 29 January at the
SARL National Amateur Radio Centre close on Wednesday afternoon. Get
the details from www.sarl.org.za and click on RTA. This will be the
only PIC Programming course in Gauteng during 2011. INNOVATION AND
CONSTRUCTION COMPETITIONS CLOSE SOON Entries for both these
competitions close on 31 January 2011. Full details are available from
www.amateurradio.org.za. CONTEST NEWS The first SARL 80 m Club Contest
for 2011 will be held on Wednesday 26 January 2011 starting at 19:30
CAT and ending 1 hour later. This will be a SSB contest using the
segments 3 600-3 650 kHz and 3 700-3 775 kHz. The exchange is an RS
report and a serial number starting at 001. Stations can participate as
a single operator or multi-operator. Find the complete rules on page 20
of the 2011 SARL Contest Manual. On the weekend of 5 and 6 February,
the Antique Wireless Association will host its CW Activity Day. The
following weekend, 12 and 13 February, the first leg of the 2011 SARL
National Field Day will take place. Find all the rules in the 2011 SARL
Contest Manual. The Port Elizabeth ARS has released the results of the
2010 PEARS HF QSO Party held in early December. 10 unlimited and 1
restricted class log was received. Unlimited class 1st Wes Wessels,
ZS2A, 107 points 2nd Jacques Vermeulen, ZS1WC, 98 points 3rd Otto du
Plessis, ZS2Q, 95 points

Restricted Class Piet Delport, ZR6BVS, 12 points

No logs were received in the Novice and DX classes. Well done to the
winners. PROPAGATION REPORT Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the
solar activity is still at low levels. Sunspot 1147 persists in the
northern hemisphere and a few tiny spots have formed just to the south
of it. The effective sunspot number is expected to be less than 20 for
the coming week. 15 m will provide the best opportunities for DX
followed by 20 m. Conditions to India will be good from the afternoon
till after sunset. During the afternoons conditions will be fair
towards Europe on 15 m, later to be followed by fair 20 m openings.
Early evening 15 m contacts with the USA are possible. Contacts with
Australia are possible on 20 m at sunrise and during the afternoons. 15
and especially 20 m openings to Brazil and South America are possible
during the afternoons. With the good 15 and 20 m openings 17 m will
also be full of surprises. For the CW and digital enthusiasts 30 m may
be very rewarding with openings to many parts of the world. Locally 40
m is the workhorse for contacts around the country with 20 and 30 m
also being very useful for contacts over the longer distances. 80 m
will be best during the early mornings and late afternoons as well as
over the shorter distances. 80 m is the frequency of choice during the
evenings. Please visit www.spaceweather.co.za for further information.
DIARY OF EVENTS 23 January - Last day of the PEARS VHF/UHF Competition.
30 January - Closing date for phase 1 of the construction competition.
26 January - SARL 80 m club competition at 19:30. 5-6 February - CW
Activityb day of the Antique Wireless Society. 12-13 Februariy - 1st
leg of the SARL National Field Day. 28 February - Offers to host a
station at Sun City during IARU Region conference to be in to
. 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 17 560 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 22:05 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 Hester van der Walt. Thank you for listening, 73.
/EX