[Premium-Rx] Newspaper article of interest to many of our members

[Greg Bailey]

Fellow Members:

We gather here daily because of our interest in Premium Receivers.  With a 
membership of 350+, there are few countries on this globe that are not 
represented by one or more of us.   One of our members for example, lives 
in Sri Lanka, while others are in India, both countries that were affected 
by the recent floods.  I want to share the following article with you, 
knowing it is slightly off topic, but I think worthy of your interest.

Greg

Additional information:  http://www.ratzer.at/aid-dx_e.php
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THE HINDU India's National Newspaper      Thursday, Dec 30, 2004

Title:  Hams lend a helping hand.

Amateur ham radio enthusiasts are playing an unusual but important role in 
tsunami relief work, reports SHONALI MUTHALALY.    When four amateur radio 
operators headed to the Andaman and Nicobar islands a few weeks ago, armed 
with only basic equipment, backpacks and sun block, they had no idea that 
their fun hobby would soon become the islands' only lifeline.  "They went 
because it's a `high value' country for hams (amateur radio operators) 
since you need special permission from the Government to operate there," 
says Gopal Madhavan, an avid ham and one of the members of the governing 
council of the Amateur Radio Society of India. "The last time a ham 
operated in the Andamans was about 25 years ago."

The team, which came from across India, left Chennai on December 3 on their 
`DXpedition' (basically ham slang for an expedition to any foreign 
country). "They met here for a cup of tea before they left... There was a 
great amount of enthusiasm," says Gopal, carefully tuning his buzzing 
radio, alive with their voices crackling all the way from the 
islands.  "They went to Port Blair, set up the equipment - all DXpeditions 
carry radios and dismantled antennas, which can be set up later with guy 
ropes - and contacted about 35,000 hams across the world."

Then, the earthquake began, followed by tidal waves, which swept over the 
small islands.  "They were actually in operation when the tremors began. 
Bharthi, the team leader, was talking to an Australian on the radio. He 
says her voice suddenly rose by a few octaves and she yelled 
`tremor'.  Then, her radio went dead."  The islands were devastated by the 
quake and crashing waves. Phones died, the electricity went out and life in 
Andaman and Nicobar came to a stunned halt. On the airwaves too, there was 
a loud silence, as hams across the world held their breath, wondering 
whether the team had survived. However, about two hours later, 
unbelievably, they were back on the air.

"Every other form of communication was down. They were the only link from 
the Andamans to the mainland for several hours after the disaster," says 
Gopal, adding that the tsunamis had engulfed the island, paralyzing all 
machinery and communication systems. The ham radio however, which  was 
operating from a tower, was in working order, although the team did have to 
scavenge for batteries to get it operating again since it had been running 
on electricity.

In the tradition of hams, the team stayed on to help, the DXpedition was 
converted into an emergency network and hams from across the world, 
especially India, swung into action. Two more people headed to the islands 
to support the emergency network, and with help from the Indian Army, which 
is providing the hams with food, camping and batteries, the station on Port 
Blair continues to operate, while another station has been set up at Car 
Nicobar, which has been practically obliterated by the catastrophe.

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