SARL NEWS SUNDAY 18 OCTOBER 2009

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 webstream, 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 subscribe to receive future bulletins by e-mail.

Your news reader this morning is (name), (call sign), on 145,725 and
7,066 MHz from Pretoria, with relays on 28,325, 14,235, 10,130, 7,066
and 3,695 MHz SSB, as well as 52,750, 438,825 and 1 296 MHz FM in the
Pretoria area. (Other newsreaders please change to suit).

In the news today:

FIRST AMATEUR RADIO PAYLOAD TEST DID NOT HAPPEN

SARL REQUESTS DOC TO ADD AMATEUR RADIO TO SPECTRUM POLICY DOCUMENT

INVITATION TO ATTEND A PRESENTATION

SPECIAL EVENT STATION ZS3SKA

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

FIRST AMATEUR RADIO PAYLOAD TEST DID NOT HAPPEN

On Wednesday last week the first test of the amateur radio payload on
SumbandilaSat did not switch on as planned. The problem was a glitch in
the diary software which failed to turn on the amateur radio payload.
Ground station engineers are working on the problem and another test
will be scheduled within the next few days.

On 13 October the main camera payload was activated during which video
was recorded. The video was captured while SumbandilaSat travelled over
northern Namibia. To watch the video go to www.amsatsa.org.za.

Details of the next amateur radio test will be posted on
www.amsatsa.org.za as information becomes available.

Persons who send in audio clips and reports of the test within 24 hours
of the actual test will be entered into the lucky draw for the new ARRL
satellite Handbook. Send the audio clip and reports to
www.amsatsa.org.za.

Once the amateur radio payload operates successfully SA AMSAT will
apply for an OSCAR number.

HAMVENTION 2010: AMATEUR RADIO CLUBS WORLDWIDE: THE LIFELINE

"Amateur Radio Clubs Worldwide: The Lifeline" will be the theme of the
2010 Dayton Hamvention slated for next May 14th to the 16th at the Hara
Arena in Dayton, Ohio. According to Assistant General Chairman Michael
Kalter, W8CI, they all recognize how much amateur radio clubs and
organizations contribute to the service. This is especially true in the
way clubs pull together in disasters, field days, contests, working
with youth, teaching classes, and sponsoring hamfests. And, says
Kalter, there are parts of the world where a ham radio club truly is
the communication link to the world.

In order to help celebrate the world of radio clubs, Hamvention
planners are asking for pictures from radio clubs around the world that
it can use on the front and back cover of the Hamvention 2010 programme
magazine. It is also looking for stories of interest from interesting
radio clubs as well.

HOME CONSTRUCTION COURSE REGISTRATIONS STREAMING IN

Registrations for the Home Construction Course have been streaming in.
For the Gauteng event only one place is left. Durban, Port Elizabeth
and Cape Town still have quite a few spaces left. Visit
www.sarl.org.za, select activities, then RTA and go to the Home
Construction Course to view the list of persons registered for the
course. For any queries please email .

SARL REQUESTS DOC TO ADD AMATEUR RADIO TO SPECTRUM POLICY DOCUMENT

Following the publication of the draft radio frequency spectrum policy,
the SARL has requested the Department of Communication to add more
specific wording about amateur radio to the document as is the case
with radio astronomy. The SARL propose the following wording: "10.5
Government supports Radio Amateurs having continued access to their
radio frequencies as designated by the ITU table of allocations
necessary to continue the application of the radio spectrum for self
development, investigation into radio science and radio wave
propagation and the provision of emergency communication services and
as a support medium to promote STEM (Science Technology, Engineering
and Maths) amongst the youth of South Africa."

As an explanatory note STEM has internationally replaced the term ICT -
Information Communication Technology - as it better represents the
broader requirements of industry, an area in which Amateur Radio can
make a major contribution.

The draft spectrum policy was communicated in SARL NEWS some weeks back
and made available on the web for comment. It is of concern to the SARL
that only one comment was received.

INVITATION TO ATTEND A PRESENTATION

WALKING THE DIGITAL DOG - Work, Learn and Play in Virtual Worlds is an
interesting lecture presented by South Africa Network of the
Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET SA Network) with Roo
Reynolds, IQ Collaboration Development team, IBM - Metaverse Evangelis,
UK.

The dates are Johannesburg: Thursday, 22 October 2009 at 18:00 Joburg
Country Club, Woodmead and Cape Town: Monday, 26 October 2009 at 17:30
Lecture Theatre Complex, Cape Peninsular University of Technology.

There is no charge and snacks will be served after the lecture. To
register go to www.eepublishers.co.za.

Could virtual worlds really be the next big thing for business, social
networking, education and entertainment? What are virtual worlds, and
what can and can't they do? How does one get started?

While they certainly don't replace real life communication, they do
offer richer opportunities for people getting to know each other and
collaborate than ping-pong emails, faceless phone calls and
uncomfortable video conferencing.

Businesses are using virtual worlds to do more than promote their
brands; they're enabling travel-free conferences, rehearsing difficult
work in dangerous or life-threatening situations and allowing people to
experience products before they exist. So even if some suggest that
virtual worlds are a silly irrelevance and a quirky alternative to true
life, the reality is different.

The speaker will draw on his experience of helping lead IBM into online
collaboration in virtual worlds, and will share examples of various
companies and individuals who have already used virtual worlds as
digital venues in which they work, learn and play.

OCTOBER 2009 RAE

In total 125 candidates have enrolled to write the October 2009 RAE.
The SARL would like to wish all candidates good luck on Thursday
evening while they write the examination.

The normal turnaround time for releasing results after the examination
is three weeks and we would request that you exercise patience while
the papers are marked and the results collated.

Should there be any queries regarding your RAE, please feel free to
contact Mariska at the office on tel 011 675 2393 or alternately via
email to .

SPECIAL EVENT STATION ZS3SKA

In the bulletin of 4 October it was mentioned that a special event
station, ZS3SKA, will be operational between 23 and 25 October from the
centre of nowhere in the Great Karoo where the Square Kilometre Array
may be erected. The station will be operational only in the phone
sections of the 160, 80, 40, 20 en 15 m bands. More information about
operators and frequencies will be added to the Forum pages of the SARL
web.

A special QSL card will be sent to all stations that send their cards
via the Bureau or directly to P O Box 273, Strand, 7139, South Africa.

For more information on the SKA visit www.ska.ac.za.

CONTEST NEWS

SARL HF CW Contest. There was an error in the published results of the
SARL HF CW Contest. Pierre van Deventer, ZS6BB, made 92 points and not
86 points.

The combined results of the SARL HF Phone and CW Contests a
Individuals: 1st David Hutchinson, 3DA0DJ, 423 points; 2nd Bloemfontein
Defence ARC, ZS4CD, 326 points; 3rd Jan Botha, ZS4JAN, 325 points; 4th
Vidi la Grange, ZS1EL, 259 points; 5th Hans Kappetijn, ZS6KR, 236
points.

Well done to all who submitted a log and congratulations to the
winners.

Club Competition: 1st ZS Contest Group, 567 points; 2nd Pretoria ARC,
493 points; 3rd Port Elizabeth ARS, 372 points; 4th Bloemfontein
Defence ARC, 326 points.

Another Youth Competition The Technological High School John Vorster
will present another Youth Contest on the 31st of October 2009 between
10:00 and 12:00 CAT. Have a look at the SARL Web Page www.sarl.org.za
for more detail and the final rules for the contest.

PRETORIA AMATEUR RADIO CLUB MEGA FLEA MARKET

The last ZS6PTA Mega flea market for this year will be held on Saturday
31 October at the Pretoria Motor Club in Silverton from 08:00 to 11:00.
For more information, or to book a table please contact Almero, ZS6LDP
on 082 908 3359.

PROPAGATION REPORT

Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the solar activity is still at
very low levels. There are no official sunspots and the visible disk is
spotless.

20 and 15 m will provide best opportunities for DX with 10 m showing
signs of waking up in the afternoons. Conditions to the East and the
West will be good from the afternoons onwards. During the late
afternoons and early evenings it will be good towards Europa.

In the mornings it may be possible to make contacts with Australia on
20 m. In the afternoons there are good possibilities for contacts with
the USA on 15 m. Contacts with New-Zeeland are going to be challenging.
During the early mornings, late afternoons and evenings 20 and 15 m
contacts may be possible with Brazil.

Local conditions are going to be good on 40 m during the day time. 80 m
may perform well during the early mornings and late afternoons over the
shorter distances. 30 m will perform well over the longer distances
during the middle of the day.

80 m is the frequency of choice in the evenings.

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

DIARY OF EVENTS

22 October - Radio Amateur's Examination country wide at 18:30; 22
October - Lecture "Make use of Virtual Worlds" Johannesburg Country
Club, Woodmead, 18:00; 23 - 25 October - Special event station ZS3SKA,
the Square Kilometer Array station on the air; 26 October - Lecture
"Make use of Virtual Worlds" Cape Town in Lecture Theatre Complex, Cape
Peninsular University of Technology 17:30; 31 October - ZS6PTA Mega
flea market at the Pretoria Motor Club in Silverton from 08:00 to
11:00; 31 October - Youth competition of HTS John Vorster; 21 November
- Home Construction course, Gauteng, at the NARC.

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 only to
www.sarl.org.za/newsinbox.asp, not later than the Thursday preceding
the bulletin date.

The SARL also invites you to listen to the Amateur Radio Mirror
International programme every Sunday morning at 10:00 CAT on 145,750
MHz in the Pretoria area, with relays on 7 082, 7 205 and 17 570 kHz.
There is also a podcast by ZS6RO. For the webstream and Echolink by
ZS6FCS, visit www.sarl.org.za, click on 'ARMI' and follow the links. A
repeat transmission can be heard 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,
which was compiled by George, ZS6NE.

Thank you for listening, 73.
/EX