[Dx-qsl] YT800FG

Tue Sep 21 02:54:43 EDT 2010

Danny,

In 1998 and 1999  some YU stations were using "800" call to commemorate
800 years since Hilandar received edict (1198 AD) to become Serbian 
Monastery in Mount Athos. The monastery is still in operation and is
older than the Serbian state itself (First king Stefan received
crown in 1217 AD).

Other Orthodox (Autocephal) Churches have their own monasteries in
Mount Athos, but they were built over the span of several centuries, 
and have different anniversary dates. There is about 20 active 
monasteries in Mount Athos.

If you want to travel to Mount Athos and visit any of their 
active monasteries, you need to go to its embassy to get visa.
You have to apply and hope to get visa while you are still in
Greece, since it may take couple of  days. The visa is valid for a 
specific day and you have to show up at "check point"
town of Ouranopolis on that day. Keep in mind that Mount Athos 
observes Julian calendar, and visa date is issued with respect
to that calendar.

As far as ham radio operation is concerned, Mount Athos falls
in the same category as T7, HV or C3: "Only permanent residents
can get the license to operate". Whenever you get any license
to operate from Greece (reciprocal, permanent, CEPT or other)
it explicitly excludes Mt.Athos.

Life in monastery is not easy, and involves religious
service on daily basis as well as daily routines that take 
most of permanent residents' time. At night there is 
'lights out' policy, so that overnight operation 
is unlikely. Not by accident most of ham radio activity is  
during Winter, and religious holidays, when monks can find
some spare time. 

Since YU operators could not operate from Mount Athos in 1999, 
they decided to activate "800" calls from Serbia. 4N800H was the
the most active station.

There were also plans to activate monasteries on Serbian proper to 
commemorate 800 years anniversary of Hilandar. In particular, YU800FG
was intended to operate  from the mountain of Fruska Gora, where a dozen
of small monasteries are in existence for number of centuries.

73  Nenad   VE3EXY 

-----Original Message-----
From: dx-qsl-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:dx-qsl-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of DANNY DOUGLAS
Sent: Monday, September 20, 2010 8:55 AM
To: dx-qsl at mailman.qth.net
Subject: [Dx-qsl] YT800FG

I have in hand, a QSL card from Y5800FG, on which is printed
"Federal Republic of Yugoslavia    In occasion on the 800 years of Hilander, 
the Serbs monastery on peninsula of Mount Athos in Greece."

At first, I wondered if this card was actually from the Monastery, but with the "Federal Republic of Yugoslavia" I figured this is from someplace in Yugoslavia, and just celebrating the monastery's 800th birthday.  But this brings to question as to the fact there are other countries involved at Mount Athos, I wondered if there are any political ties, or it just happens that the monastery is manned (no pun intended - there are NO women ever allowed on Athos) by Serbs, representing their religious order.  In other words, does this, or does this not equate to something like an embassy, whose members must obey the law of the land, as individuals outside the embassy walls, but set their own rules and regulations inside?  If the latter, I wonder also if there is an opportunity for one of them "every" who might show up on the ham bands.  Under international rules, a ham station on embassy property, is allowed only if the host country issues them a license, and call sign, and that call must indicate the prefix of the host, not the 
embassies home country.    This is all probably a mute point, this being a 
religious compound, with a "committee" of leaders of each monastery, and they have appointed ONE member of one monastery to represent them on the ham bands.  But this is all food for thought.

Danny Douglas
N7DC
ex WN5QMX ET2US WA5UKR ET3USA SV0WPP VS6DD N7DC/YV5 G5CTB All 2 years or more (except Novice). Short stints at:  DA/PA/SU/HZ/7X/DU CR9/7Y/KH7/5A/GW/GM/F Pls QSL direct, buro, or LOTW preferred, I Do not use, but as a courtesy do upload to eQSL for those who do.
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