OBJECTIVES OF THE TRUST
To promote the Amateur Radio Service as a national asset contributing to technology education, self-development and as a stepping-stone to a career in Electronics and Communication.

SOFTWARE DEFINED RADIO

One of the main objectives of the South African Amateur Radio Development Trust is to promote Amateur Radio and to support the South African Radio League in its quest to introduce the science of Amateur Radio to the young people of  Africa and in particular to the young people of South Africa.

In the old days of AM, young people would tune to LM Radio on the 41 metre band and while tuning would often come across radio amateurs talking to each other. Many new Radio Amateurs of that era came in contact with Amateur Radio in that way. Now with SSB that is not longer an option and we don't have LM radio any more ( Young people don't know what they are missing - there is no rival not even today!)

It also a known fact that cellphones and computers have a greater fascination and while we have no answer to cellphones yet - it will come- there are many  computer based applications in amateur radio that will interest the "now" generation.

The Trust has launched a Software defined radio project that will attract just about any one that has an enquiring mind and an interest in science and technology. The project will start with some tutorial material as a primer into SDR and will ultimately include inexpensive kits that can turn a computer sound card into the world of Amateur Radio - the new Amateur Radio of the the "NOW" century.

Hannes Coetzee ZS6BPZ starts of the primer series.

Software Defined Radio is currently one of the buzzwords in Amateur Radio and is definitely going to play a major role in the future. Who knows, maybe it is the magic wand to expose "computer mad" kids (big and small) to home brewing and communications.

Listen to him first here and then download the introductory article here