SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE
SARL NEWS SUNDAY FEBRUARY 25 2001

This is Amateur Radio Station ZS6SRL transmitting Amateur Radio News, a
service by the South African Radio League, the National Society for Amateur Radio in South Africa, for the interest of all Radio Amateurs, Short-wave Listeners and Electronic Enthusiasts. For a complete list of broadcast times and frequencies please send a SASE to Amateur Radio News, SARL, P O Box 1721, Strubensvallei 1735.

This bulletin is also available on the SARL's web pages hosted by Intekom at www.sarl.org.za, as well as the packet radio bulletin board system. You may also request sarlnuus@mweb.co.za to e-mail it to you in either text or MSWord 6.0 format.

Here are the headlines of today's news:

HAM RADIO EARTHQUAKE RESPONSE WINDS DOWN IN INDIA

G6JP, IS A SILENT KEY

MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH IN QSL VERIFICATION FOR DXCC

REMINDER ABOUT VHF LOGS

INTECNET 2001 ON THE AIR TONIGHT

RESTRICTIONS ON TOWERS AND USE OF HANDHELDS IN THE USA

DAVID CLARK WISHES TO COMPLETE SOLO CRUISE AROUND THE WORLD

PROPAGATION FORECAST

You are listening to ZS6SRL. The news follows in detail.

HAM RADIO EARTHQUAKE RESPONSE WINDS DOWN IN INDIA

Raj Kumar, VU2ZAP, in Bangalore, reports that Amateur Radio's role in the disaster response is nearly over. "Ham radio's part, in my opinion, is
done," he said. He said some members of the Bangalore Amateur Radio Club, which had posted several members to the Gujarat quake zone, already had returned to Bangalore. The January 26 earthquake killed more than 50000 people, injured many others and left upwards of 1 million homeless. In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, Amateur Radio provided the only
reliable communication with the outside world. Telecommunications systems
have been at least partially restored to the stricken region. Salvation Army Team Emergency Network Coordinator Pat McPherson, WW9E, says his organization will provide care for up to 100 children from the Bhuj area orphaned or disabled by the quake.

G6JP, IS A SILENT KEY

Another well-known name is lost to amateur radio with the death of George Jessop, G6JP, on the 11th of February at the age of 93. He joined the Radio Society of Great Britain in 1929 and was first elected to the Council of the Society in 1968. He served for 17 years on the Technical and Publications Committee and was President in 1974, becoming General Manager and Secretary from 1975 to 1977.

He was the author of many articles and books, notably the VHF/UHF Manual and the Radio Data Reference Book both of which went to many editions, and was
also a contributor to the Radio Communication Handbook.

His contribution to the work of the Society was incalculable, in recognition
of which he was made a Vice-President in 1991. Despite poor eyesight, he served as the RSGB's Historian until his death.

In 1934 he was responsible for conducting, on his own initiative, the first air-to-air VHF radio transmissions in the United Kingdom. As a result,
George Jessop can truly be described as the father of airborne VHF radio communication - a facility much taken for granted by today's airline and military aircrews. These experiments received widespread national publicity
at the time.

A full obituary can be found on the RSGB web site, and will also appear in
the April issue of RadCom.

MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH IN QSL VERIFICATION FOR DXCC

The South Africa Radio League has nominated Tjerk Lammers, ZS6P, as the official DXCC verification point for QSL cards for the ARRL DXCC. Tjerk's appointment was recently confirmed by the ARRL. Join Chris Burger, ZS6EZ, on Amateur Radio Mirror International today at 10:00CAT on 21560 and 9750 kHz or Monday evening at 20:00 CAT on 3215 kHz for the full story.

REMINDER ABOUT VHF LOGS

Here is a final reminder that all logs for the PEARS National VHF/UHF contest must be in by the end of February 2001, but one week grace will be permitted.

A number of logs have already been received, but do send in your logs even if you have a low score. The information on each log could help to asses propagation conditions across South Africa on the VHF and UHF bands for the
two day period.

Thank you for your participation.

INTECNET 2001 ON THE AIR TONIGHT

SARL Intechnet 2001 is on the air tonight at 20:00 CAT with an interesting discussion on SETI - the search for extraterrestrial intelligence.

Recently, the notion that we share our universe with countless sentient
species has emerged out of the realm of fiction, into the scientific mainstream. SETI is a science, not a single search.

Two experts will be joining host Hans van de Groenendaal ZS6AKV to take an in-depth look at the subject and answer your questions. From the University
of Pretoria Prof Alex Antonites who was recently appointed as the South
African representative of the SETI-League will be talking about the South African involvement. From the USA SETI-League Executive Director Dr Paul
Shuch will be taking us into this part of the science world, will take an international view and talk about how radio amateurs can get involved and use their technical ability to advance SETI.

Intecnet 2001 is sponsored by Sentech and Telkom and is on the air today, 25 February at 20:00 CAT on 3215 kHz and many repeaters around South Africa. In the Pretoria area listening can be done and questions asked on the 145,750 repeater since the program will be presented directly on that frequency.

Clubs who have not yet booked a link have until noon today to do by sending
an Email to armi@intekom.co.za giving details of the telephone number to be linked and the frequencies on which the relay will take place. Requests may also be faxed to 012 991 5651. It should be noted that cell phones and pre-paid phones can not be linked.

TOWER HEIGHTS RESTRICTED IN USA

Ten states in the USA already have laws restricting tower heights. In a few states amateurs are campaigning for the ease of restrictions. In Alaska they propose that a formula be adopted which will govern tower heights relative to population density and stand size.

Amateurs, wake up, it is going to happen here as well.

USE OF HANDHELDS ETC RESTRICTED WHILST DRIVING IN SEVERAL USA STATES

Several states in the USA have already restricted the use of many types of
hand held electronic apparatus, including microphones, when driving a moving vehicle. In Maine, amateurs are organising against the proposed legislation.

DAVID CLARK WISHES TO COMPLETE SOLO CRUISE AROUND THE WORLD

David Clark, KB6TAM, who lost his boat and dog on February 7, 2 days form
Cape Town, wishes to continue his solo cruise around the world in order to become the oldest person to achieve that distinction. Clark used amateur
radio to elicit help. His wife Lynda expressed her thanks to the South
African amateurs in East London and Cape Town for their assistance to David.

More information is available on the web sites www.dclark.com and www.captainclark.com.

PROPAGATION CONDITIONS

Ean Retief, ZS1PR, reports as follows:

As expected the solar flux increased from last SundayÆs low of 130. The increase is however very slow and it seems that the expected value for this weekend will only be reached by next weekend.

The low level of solar activity however caused a much quieter than forecasted earthÆs magnetic field with the result that conditions were quite a bit
better than expected.

Unfortunately the stratosphere in the nortern hemisphere was at a higher temperature than normal for this time of the year with the result that propagation was not good to that hemisphere.

Conditions were good in the southern hemisphere especially towards Australia, New Zealand and the Antarctic zone and interesting contacts were made.

It seems that the favourable conditions to and from these areas may continue with MUF's 15 to 25% higher than normal. It is thus recommended that you concentrate on these areas especially in the mornings and forenoons.

Good signals can be expected before and after sunrise from South America, especially on 40 m.

A few sizeable flares can be expected with increasing solar activity this
week but in general quiet to unsettled geomagnetic conditions can be
expected. Propagation should be reasonably normal.

CLUB ACTIVITIES

The SAATI monthly meeting wil be held in the Lyttelton Library in Cantonments Road on Monday February 26 at 19:30 for 20:00 and will be in the form of a workshop. All are welcome and refreshments will be served.

The West Rand Amateur Radio Club will be holding a boot sale and beerfest on Saturday March 3 at their club house on Kroton Avenue, Weltevreden Park.
Gates open at 09:00. Phone Bill van Zyl during office hours at 011 726 6807 for more information.

The Pretoria Amateur Radio Club will be holding a fleamarket and boot sale on Saturday 31 March at 08:00. This will again be a grand occasion and all are welcome to visit us at the University grounds as usual. Reserve the 31st for
a nice get-together and bargain hunt.

Contact Hans ZS6KR for more information and table bookings at 012 333 2612.

DATES TO REMEMBER

The closing date for registration for the May RAE is April 10, registration
fee R135, and for late registration April 17 with registration fee R235.

The SARL AGM will be held in Cape Town over the weekend of 27-28 April 2001. More details will be announced later.

The SARL News Service invites Clubs and individuals to contribute information regarding Amateur Radio to sarlnuus@mweb.co.za with a copy to gth@mweb.co.za. Please submit in Afrikaans and English wherever possible.

Also join us in the following activities:

The President's Net on Sundays 12:00 on 7082 kHz. Amateur Radio Mirror International Sundays at 10:00 on 9750 and 21560 kHz which is repeated
Mondays at 20:00 on 3215 kHz. Relays on various 2M repeaters can also be heard.

Correspondence for Amateur Radio Mirror International is via armi@intekom.co.za. Include your telephone number to allow the producers to call you for a possible interview. Send written reports to PO Box 90438 Garsfontein 0042 and include a self-addressed envelope and sufficient postage so that you may receive a QSL card.

These transmissions are sponsored by Sentech, the common carrier for broadcasting signals in South Africa and Telkom who provides the transmission lines. Various local repeater frequencies on 2 metres and 70 cm are also
used in your area.

We thank all contributors, individuals, clubs and other organisations to this bulletin and all stations who so reliably relay these bulletins. This
bulletin was compiled by George, ZS6NE, and read by ZS.... in.......

You have been listening to ZS6SRL.

This bulletin now ends and Sarlnews wish you a pleasant week.

Goodbye to all.
/ex
--------------------------------------------------
Internet feed from ZS6NE moved by Richard de ZR6CK

Regards,
Richard.

--- Msged/Q 1.60
* Origin: QTHR KG44DG, Novell User Group, Pretoria, RSA (5:7106/22)