South African Radio League
 | |
| Abbreviation | SARL |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1925[1] |
| Type | Non-profit organisation; Amateur Radio |
| Purpose | Education |
| Headquarters | National Amateur Radio Centre, Radiokop, Johannesburg, South Africa KG33xv[2] |
Area served | Worldwide |
President | Nico van Rensburg, ZS6QL[3] |
Main organ | Council[3] |
| Affiliations | International Amateur Radio Union |
| Website | http://www.sarl.org.za/ |
The South African Radio League (SARL), formerly known as the South African Radio Relay League (SARRL), is a non-profit organisation representing the interests of
History
![[icon]](/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2010) |
The South African Radio Relay League (SARRL) was formed in 1925 through the efforts of a number of regional and local radio societies and clubs, some of which were established around the time of the
A detailed history of the first two years of the SARRL is hard to trace because there was no regular publication of any sort. The first effort in this direction was made some time during 1927, when a fortnightly news sheet appeared under the name "F.O. News." This publication continued for about a year, but no surviving copies exist in SARL records. "QTC" was the first printed magazine issued by the organisation. The first issue was published in May 1928. The editor was R. S. Perry, A9Z and the magazine was printed in Durban.
Purpose
The objective of the SARL is to encourage, develop and promote all activities connected with Amateur Radio,
Membership
Membership of the SARL is open to any person interested in amateur radio. Citizenship of, or residence in, South Africa is not a requirement. Unlicensed members are called "Listeners" and do not have a vote at the
Services to members
The SARL
Radio ZS
Radio ZS is a membership journal that is included in membership with the SARL. The magazine is currently published electronically twelve times a year and issued on the last day of each month for the next month.[4] The magazine is based in Bloemfontein.[5]
The name of the magazine is derived from the radio call sign prefix block assigned to South Africa by the International Telecommunication Union. Most South African amateur radio operators have call signs that begin with the letters ZS.[4] The other call sign prefixes are ZR, ZT and ZU.
Regulatory advocacy
The SARL provides members with a channel for negotiation with the South African regulatory authority for telecommunications, the
Scientific and educational collaboration with other organisations
The League participates in an ionospheric research project led by the
The project entails a number of 40 milliwatt beacon transmitters at a frequency of 7.023 MHz being operated by amateurs across the country. Propagation data from these beacons is then analysed by scientists at the HMO to reveal details about the structure and behaviour of the ionosphere.
Reception data is collected from reports by other amateurs all over the country. A further educational component of the project is participation by schools.
School children equipped with sponsored simple receivers developed by the SARL, also participate in the project and send reception reports to the HMO. The receivers, supplied in kit form, provide a further educational opportunity as the children will assemble and install them with assistance from local amateur radio clubs. A fun element of the project for the learners is when schools compete to be the first to decode the "secret messages" that some of the beacons transmit.
According to Dr Lee-Anne McKinnell, the HMO Space Physics Group manager, "This project is truly a collaborative project. It will benefit the scientists, the hobbyists, and the schools".[6]
The project stalled soon after launch due to problems co-ordinating the timing of the transmitters.
Satellite projects
Through its affiliate,
AMSAT SA started aReferences
- ^ South African Radio League (2018). "The South African Radio League".
- ^ South African Radio League (2018). "Where is the NARC?".
- ^ a b South African Radio League (2017). "Council Members and Appointees". Retrieved 19 February 2008.
- ^ a b South African Radio League (2008). "Information on Radio ZS". Retrieved 19 February 2008.
- ^ "Radio Magazines". AC6V. 30 May 2000. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
- ^ Odendaal, Natasha (2 November 2007). "Pro-Am cooperation creates triple return". Engineeringnews.co.za. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
- ^ "Sunsat Homepage". Research.ee.sun.ac.za. Archived from the original on 10 November 2016.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Amateur radio satellites – the new reality". EE Publishers. Retrieved 28 October 2013.
- ^ SA AMSAT – Cubesat Archived 8 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine