SOUTH AFRICAN RADIO LEAGUE
SARL NEWS SUNDAY JANUARY 14 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.

SILENT KEYS

The Council of the SARL regrets to announce two silent keys:

Fred Beytell, ZR6FJB passed away on 18 December 2000. He leaves his wife Joyce, ZR6JJB, children and grand-children.

Hennie van der Merwe ZR6HI, passed away on 1 January 2001. He was a member
of OTL Radioklub.

We offer our sincere condolences to the families and friends.

PAUSE

Here are the headlines of today's news:

SARL HEAD QUARTERS NEWS: PRESIDENT VISITS PORT ELIZABETH

SARL COUNCIL INVITES PROPOSALS FOR AGM VENUE

NOMINATIONS FOR COUNCIL

MOTIONS FOR THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

PEARS NATIONAL VHF/UHF CONTEST NEXT WEEKEND.

BEACON ON 1296,150 MHZ IS FIRST FOR SOUTH AFRICA

CLASSES FOR MAY 2001 RAE EXAMINATION.

PROPAGATION FORECAST

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

SARL HEAD QUARTERS NEWS

The first Council meeting in the new millennium will be held on 20 January
2001 at the National Amateur Radio Centre, Radiokop. Amongst other items to
be discussed will be the work program for the ensuing year. Members are reminded that they are most welcome to attend Council meetings and be
informed about the activities of Council. However members attending may not vote. The President of the SARL, Hans Potgieter, ZS6ALJ, call on every
members to make a great effort to enrol new members. This is a challenge for the new year. Our strength is in our membership. Hans will attend the Port Elizabeth Radio Society monthly meeting on Friday 19 January and returns on Saturday in time for the Council meeting.

SARL COUNCIL INVITES PROPOSALS FOR AGM VENUE

It is important that interested clubs submit proposals before January 15 by Email to: sarl@intekom.co.za for hosting the 2001 SARL AGM on Saturday April 28. Council at its meeting on 20 January will consider all the proposals and inform the club whose proposal is accepted on the same day.


NOMINATIONS FOR COUNCIL

Nominations from SARL members to fill 5 vacancies on Council are being
awaited till January 31. A motivation and declaration must be signed by two SARL members and the nominated person.

MOTIONS FOR THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Motions for submission and consideration at the SARL Annual General Meeting
on April 28 are invited from members till January 31.

Each motion must contain the following:

1. A concise description of the motion.
2. A motivation in support of the motion.
3. Each motion must have a proposer and a seconder.

NOMINATIONS FOR SARL AWARDS

Nominations are still being awaited till February 20 from clubs or
individuals for the nine annual awards by the SARL.

ENTRIES FOR THE TINUS LANGE AWARDS INVITED

Entries are also awaited till February 15 for the two Tinus Lange 7066 Technical awards. For the complete requirements for these as well as the
SARL awards visit the SARL Webpage at www.sarl.org.za.

IARUMS COORDINATOR APPOINTED

Henry Kruger ZS6GH has been appointed by the Council of the South African
Radio League as the National IARU Monitoring System co-ordinator for South Africa. Do make your acquaintance with him by contacting him at 082 822
3586, or fax number 011 425 5639 and Email at: eipro@global.co.za.


PEARS NATIONAL VHF/UHF CONTEST NEXT WEEKEND.

The PEARS National VHF/UHF Contest will take place next weekend from 18:00
SAST on Friday 19 January until 18:00 SAST Sunday 21 January 2001. All South African and neighbouring states amateurs are welcome to participate. The contest covers the 50, 144, 432 and 1296 MHz amateur bands and features
fixed, field and 2 Metre FM QRP categories. A new innovation has been added where amateurs operating a club station score personal points for themselves under their own call signs as well as collectively score points for their
club too. Incidentally this idea was borrowed from the Comrades Marathon.

Thus far considerable interest has been shown in the contest by all six divisions including V51 as well as the larger clubs in division 6. So get
your VHF/UHF equipment ready for an Amateur Radio fun time.

The rules have been published in detail in the December 2000 edition of Radio ZS and on the SARL website. Copies of the rules are also available from
ZS2FM at tel no. 041 581-2425 or Cell 082 654 0623.

BEACON ON 1296,150 MHZ IS FIRST FOR SOUTH AFRICA

On Friday, 5th January 2001 a 23cm experimental beacon was put into operation at the QTH of ZS6AXT, KG33VV. The 5W power is fed into a 24 element Yagi, resulting in about 220 W EIRP. The frequency is 1296,150 MHz, but will vary with temperature, which is estimated to be plus minus 2-3 kHz. The antenna
is presently pointed towards Durban, however the signal can be copied from Pretoria to the south of the location, with reasonable receiving equipment.

The beacon will be on the air for 24 hours per day, except once a month
during weekends when EME activity takes place and only when the Moon is visible. It will afford the opportunity to amateurs with 23 cm equipment to test and improve their antennas and receiving equipment. There is also a
good chance of inversions especially this time of the year and thus openings
up to Durban area are a possibility. This would create a new ZS DX record. Please report reception of the beacon signal to ZS6AXT locally on 144,500 MHz or for DX at 011-664-7883 or Email zs6axt@global.co.za.

CLASSES FOR MAY 2001 RAE EXAMINATION.

Now that the holiday season is over, it is time to give attention to the RAE examination to be written in May 2001. Clubs are urged to make contact with schools, especially the science teacher en try to address students in his
class about amateurradio and the next RAE examination in May. It is
necessary that the SARL substructure be strengthened by young members since
the average age of SARL members is too high.

Clubs are requested to inform SARLNEWS when their classes will begin and
where it will be presented. Magalies Amateur Radio club will commence with
RAE classes on 27 January at 14:00 at the club house on the corner of Breyer Ave and Mill Street, Waverley. For more information contact Fritz ZS6ASF at 012 997-1114.


PROPAGATION CONDITIONS

Ean Retief, ZS1PR, reports as follows:

During the past week the Solar Flux declined to just above the 160 level causing the bands to be a bit on the weak side, but the old stalwart 20
metres still gave good propagation.

There was still good DX to be found, especially to the Pacific in the
mornings and on the long path to North America in the afternoons.

In the coming week the Solar Flux should be in the 180 to 190 region, but unfortunately it is not expected to rise much higher.

So far no major Geomagnetic activity are foreseen for the coming week, so it should be a generally good week.

The following suggestions are made for DX hunters:-

In the mornings 20 metres will be good into the Pacific region. while the 40 metre band should be good in a westward direction to South America, as well
as into the Antartic and South-Western Europe.

In the afternoons the long path on 20 metres will still be good to North America, while 15 metres should be good into Europe. With the higher Solar Flux the 10 metre band should become better as the week progress.

In the evenings from 21:00 SAST onwards, do pay the 17 metre band, that is 18 MHz a visit. You may be pleasantly surprised.

CLUB ACTIVITIES

The Alberton Amateur Radio Club will hold a boot sale on Saturday January 27
at 09:00. A foxhunt will follow at 11:00 and they are challenged by the Sandton Club, ZS6STN, the East Rand Club, ZS6ERB, and the West Rand Club, ZS6WR. More challengers are welcome. The day's activities will be concluded with a bring-and-braai around 13:00. The whole family is welcome, and there
is a park for the children to play. The venue is the Alberton Dam, Bloutulp Street, Alberton where secure parking is available. For more information, contact Magiel ZS6MDK, at 083-212-5711.

SAATI's monthly meeting will be held on 29 January at 19:30 for 20:00 in the Lyttelton library in Cantonments Rd. All are welcome and come and listen to interesting aspects of digital amateur radio operation. Tasty refreshments will be served.

EVENTS AND DATES TO REMEMBER

Submission of proposals for AGM venue by 15 January;

Re-opening of SARL Head Office 17 January;

Nominations for Councillors 31 January;

Motions for AGM 31 January;

Tinus Lange awards 15 February;

SARL awards 20 February.

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 Marten, ZS6ZY, 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
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Internet feed from ZS6ZY moved by Richard de ZR6CK

Regards,
Richard.

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