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www.southgatearc.org
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Andaman Island, VU4 on the ham bands!Fifteen months after their heroic exploits in the aftermath of the tsunami that claimed several hundred lives and wreaked unprecedented havoc in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Indian Ocean, a team of amateur radio operators is back in Port Blair. Recognising the critical role played by radio hams in the emergency communication between Port Blair and the mainland after the earthquake-triggered tidal waves hit the islands, the Indian Government has agreed to sponsor the “Hamfest VU4 India 2006” from April 18 to 20, although ham operations may continue past this date. The ministries of information technology and tourism are sponsoring the festival along with the Andaman and Nicobar administration. The chairman of the Hyderabad-based National Institute of Amateur Radio, Mr. S. Suri, said the members of the DXpedition in Port Blair in December 2004 mobilised their resources to provide humanitarian service to support essential rescue and relief operations. “Since then several requests were forwarded from international amateur radio organisations, DX forums and individual hams to organise a suitable event in a befitting manner to highlight the benefits of amateur radio for social and scientific development,” he said. About 38 hams from Italy, Germany, Japan, the United States, Finland, Poland and France are participating besides 60 hams from India. India’s telecommunication authorities have issued a number of short-term licenses to both nationals and foreigners, and operations reportedly will extend beyond the three-day festival to April 26. All call signs for this event bear the VU4AN prefix by an Indian mainland call sign. There will be no operation from Nicobar Island. According to The DX Magazine’s 2005 survey of DXers, Andaman and Nicobar Islands was the 10th most-wanted DXCC entity. So, numerous stations signing VU4AN/VU3RYG, VU4AN/VU3KIE and so on can be heard now around the clock on all bands and modes attracting huge pile ups. QSL cards acording to instructions received from the festive stations. Source: Radio Bulgaria
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