SARL NEWS - SUNDAY 12 DECEMBER 2010

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. 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. (Other
news readers change as applicable).

In the news today:

SOUTH AFRICA GETS ITS OWN NASA

TWO NEW SATELLITE PROJECTS FOR SA

HABEX 3 TO FLY ON THE 18TH DECEMBER 2010

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

SOUTH AFRICA GETS ITS OWN NASA

The Minister of Science and Technology, Naledi Pandor, on Thursday 9
December officially launched the South African National Space Agency at
a gala event in Mid Rand. She said that SANSA is mandated as the
primary, but not sole, implementer of South Africa's National Space
Programme to direct Government's investment in space sciences and
technology.

The purpose is to integrate and manage the country's space activities
for the greater good and implement an effective, sustainable, long
term, national space programme aligned with South Africa's
socio-economic policies.

On a question by the SARL at the media briefing if SANSA will support
amateur radio satellite programme, the CEO of SANSA said definitely.
The Radio Amateurs are part of our plans.

TWO NEW SATELLITE PROJECTS FOR SA

SA AMSAT will be launching two satellite projects, both CubeSats, but
with totally different design approaches and time lines.

The first project will focus on providing a FM transponder that will be
available on most passes over South Africa and will have a short time
line to launch.

The second project, called SAiSAT, focuses on an innovative approach to
the deployment of fold-out solar panels. The project is aimed at
getting Master and PhD students involved in the development and design
of various payloads and substructures. A detailed paper on SAiSAT will
be released in the next two weeks on www.amsatsa.org.za.

The FM transponder CubeSat, which has yet to be named, will be based on
a standard available space frame and sub system with a locally designed
payload. The project will be coordinated by Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP.

SA AMSAT is inviting radio amateurs who have an interest in satellites
to join the project team. The team's first meeting will be during mid
January via a teleconference.

To be part of the project team, please send your full details, a
description of your expertise in electronics, communication, satellite
tracking, software design, antenna design and any other areas of
expertise that will support the project. In true amateur spirit
participants must have enthusiasm. Besides technical experience the
team also requires radio amateurs with management, financial, and
communication skills. Send your details to by 31
December 2010. You will be advised of the details of the teleconference
in early January 2011.

Both satellite projects will the subject of papers to be presented at
the SA AMSAT Space Symposium to be held at Vodaworld on 26 March 2011.

HABEX 3 TO FLY ON THE 18TH DECEMBER 2010

The HABEX team will be launching a 3rd high altitude balloon on 18
December 2010. It will carry various payloads in preparation for a
schools' launch in 2011.

The payload is made up of 4 separate modular units including a 40 m
beacon transmitting a message in CW on 7 023 kHz. HABEX can be tracked
live via the internet. Go to "aprs.fi" and type in ZS6SCI-3 into the
"track callsign" box.

Get the full details on www.amsatsa.org.za/habex.htm.

PRIZE WINNERS of ZS85SARL FIELD DAY STATION COMPETITION

A total of 111 contacts were made with ZS85SARL during the recent field
day. The winner of the lucky draw in the SARL member category is Andre
Botes, ZS2ACP. His prize, an ARRL 2011 hardcover handbook will be in
the mail next week. Congratulations Andre. The winner in the non-member
category is ZS5IE, I D McAllister. ZS5IE will receive a year's free
SARL membership. Welcome in our midst.

SARL OFFICE CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAYS

The SARL office will be close for the summer holidays on Monday 13
December and reopen on Wednesday 12 January 2011. For urgent matters
please email .

MEMBERSHIP AIMING AT 1 500

The current membership stands at 1 465, well on its way to 1 500. If
you have not renewed there is still time to do it. Call Mariska on
Monday, the last office day for this year at 011 675 2393.

HF PROPAGATION CONDITIONS

Hannes Coetzee, ZS6BZP, reports that the solar activity is still at low
levels. Sunspots 1 131 and 1 133 continue to quietly persist. The
effective sunspot number is expected to be less than 25 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 Europa 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
during the late afternoons. 15 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 work horse 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

18 December - Launch of third HABEX high altitude balloon, parrot
repeater on 438,500 MHz and CW beacon 7 023 kHz, details on
www.amsatsa.org.za/habex.htm; 31 December - Closing date for submission
of logs for the PEARS HF QSO Party to ;
31 December - Closing date for submission of details for membership of
the SA AMSAT satelliet team to ; 20 January 2011 -
Closing date for submission for application for the May 2011 RAE
bursaries; visit www.amateurradio.org.za for application forms; 20
January - Closing date for submission of proposals and synopsis of
papers for 2011 SA AMSAT Space Symposium to ; 30
January 2011 - Closing date for phase 1 of the construction
competition.

SARL News invites clubs and individuals to submit terms 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.

The SARL also invites you to listen to Amateur Radio Mirror
International 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 George, ZS6NE.

Thank you for listening, 73.

/EX