[South Florida DX Association] VU4 Information from Carl N4AA of QRZ DX

[Bill Marx]

Hello DXers:

A pretty quiet start to the new year for DXers, as attention has been on
the SE Asia disaster for the most part.  A note from Bharathi, VU2RBI,
relayed to me this morning by Tony, HS0ZDX follows:

"Bharathi, VU2RBI asked me to relay a message to the DX community in Europe
and North America, to say that the VU4 logs are all safe and are now with
the National Institute of Amateur Radio in Hyderbad, India and that QSLing
will begin after the emergency work in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands
concludes.  She mentioned that there are now 22 amateur radio stations in
the Andaman and Nicobar Islands helping emergency relief work there."

I also received an update from Charly, K4VUD and here is his report:

"Hello DXers:

Ironically, after 17 years of not allowing VU4 operations, this week there
are at least a dozen VU hams transmitting from Andaman and Nicobar
Islands.  Would you guess that IF the original DXpedition had not already
been there, likely no hams would have been used there (maybe?).  The
DXpedition and the emergency seem also to have energized VU hams all
over... I have heard more and seen more spots lately than ever before from
many new VU calls.

I have been listening to the traffic from VU4 back to the India mainland
and by now it is smooth as silk with lots of H&W and some government
messages running almost constantly.  Please pass the word to avoid using
14.190 because that is where the traffic is.

This experience --including many exchanges with the news media-- has taught
me that ham radio is badly in need of an on-going and consistent AND
EFFECTIVE Public Relations campaign.  I was shocked to meet so many
otherwise knowledgeable news people who thought of ham radio the way the
BPL-FCC individuals do--- old fuddy duffies with their tube radios down in
the cellar.  I see this case as an emergency for our survival.  Helping All
Mankind--HAM-- should be the new rallying call with a very up to date
look.... we got to get it in gear or we are the last generation to be able
to love and benefit from this great endeavor.

VU2RBI, Bharathi, is back in her home in Delhi... on the air again from
there taking Delhi messages.

VU hams have been deployed all over the island chain and are doing really
good work in places most needed.  The military and government are partners
now with these hams.

All information about QSLs, donations, and so on can be obtained from the
NIAR web site.  I am saving all the kudo thanks messages to send to the
team when this is all over.

Thailand hams ..in Thai language.. are using mostly 2meters for their
emergency traffic and doing a huge job.

I hear very little from S2 and nothing from Sumatra and Burma which may
tell us something.

Best wishes to all and 73,  Charles Harpole, HS0ZCW and K4VUD
(now using charlesharpole at yahoo.com now that Hotmail is uselessly jammed up
over here.)"

NOTE:  Please feel free to disseminate the above information.
This does NOT mean the entire QRZ DX, only the information on the VU4
activities.

Until next week, enjoy the chase and HAVE FUN.

73,
Carl, N4AA