[DX-NEWS] VU4 updates
As you know, Charley Harpole, K4VUD has been posting daily VU4 updates right here on the DXR for feed to all the other DX bulletins. Charley was in the area severely hit by the Tsunami that hit the Andaman Islands. We've heard nothing as to the impact on the islands, but do know that the ops there are helping with emergency traffic and communications. I know all of you will join with me in hoping that we hear from Charley and and for the safety of all those on VU4, as well as the rest of the effected areas Steve, KF2TI Subject: [The Daily DX] VU4 - update Date: Mon, 27 Dec 2004 05:25:39 - From: Bernie McClenny [EMAIL PROTECTED] Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Organization: The Daily DX To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], 'The Weekly DX mailing List' [EMAIL PROTECTED] By now most of you have probably heard about the 9.0 Earthquake which took place just off shore of Sumatra in North West Indonesia around 0058Z on Sunday December 26. The Andaman Islands were one of the closest land areas to the epicenter of the earthquake. This earthquake apparently set off multiple aftershocks and several tidal waves (tsunami) which killed over thirteen thousand people in the area (VU, VU4, 9M, 4S, 8Q, YB, HS). Reports indicate that since the initial earthquake four more earthquakes have taken place centered on the Andaman Islands, ranging from 6.0 to 6.3, and two more in the Nicobar Islands measuring 7.3 followed by 6.5. Multiple sources reported Bharathi on the air several hours after the quake and tsunami. VK6APK, Alex, heard her around 1000Z and she was reporting there is no electricity or telephone communication. All of the team members are OK, but no direct word on Charley, K4VUD. As you all know Charley has been assisting the all Indian team at VU4RBI/VU4NRO and sending us daily reports. The VU4 ops are now apparently operating with battery power running 20 watts and are on standby to provide emergency communications to assist the local authorities, per Alex. VU3SLJ, M.S. Kamath, spoke to the VU4 team who again confirmed everything's OK with them. They also reported that Ham Radio is the only communications link to the islands at this time. YC4VD, Sabri, spoke to VU4NRO on 7092 around 1730Z. News sources are now reporting that Indian Airforce AN-32 aircraft have flown into Port Blair and Karnic airfield in Andaman Islands delivering emergency and medical supplies. More than 100 are feared to be dead in the Andamans. Late Sunday 9V1YC, James, reported he too spoke to the VU4 team on 20 meters. The team was passing emergency traffic back and forth between the Andaman Islands and the Indian mainland. They are using one or two small gas generators, batteries and running 20 watts with the antennas now pointed at the homeland. Early Monday James again spoke to Bharathi on 7075. Here is an update. 1. They are running on batteries and small generators using very low power and one vertical. Trying to put up some more antennas today. Commercial power is promised by 4pm today, but no guarantees from the authorities. 2. The main building they were using was damaged, and the authorities are restricting entry at the moment. Most of their equipment is still inside, but they are confident they will be allowed to retrieve it soon. 3. There were heavy aftershocks all night long and they were sleeping outside in temporary shelters. A temporary station was set up outside on the grass and they continue to be on the air to pass traffic to India, and hand out the QSO's. 4. They know there are reports that the DXpedition is over and they are leaving, but insist that this is not true, and are staying on the air as much as they can until the 31st - as scheduled. Bharathi and team depart the island on the 1st. 5. K4VUD has an air ticket home for today, but they have no idea if he can leave since emergency passengers will likely take priority. The airport is open, so I am sure he will have much more detailed and accurate information for you if and when he gets back tomorrow. 6. Though they reported yesterday that main power and phones are out, they seem to have some telephones working, and Bharathi was talking to her husband back in Delhi this morning. 7. They (and the authorities) seem quite hungry for information on casualties in the region since they have only a trickle of news from the outside. It seems that Amateur Radio is showing its value during a severe crisis. 8. The emergency frequencies seem to be 7050 for emergency traffic within India, and 7055 for Indonesia (which is their usual net frequency). 14190 and 14150 are also being used for traffic to VU2. The usual net of expats on 7075 in Thailand seemed to be a gathering place today, with many reporting in from 4S7, VU2 and 9M2. Credit 9V1YC, AD5W, K1ER, K3ZO, N5FG, VE7AVV, VK6APK, VU3DJQ, W6KH, W7YES, Bernie McClenny, W3UR -- Archives
[DX-NEWS] All OK in VU4 land !!!
Hello DXers... Dec. 27 at 2300 Z Hey, a whole lotta shakin' goin' on. Sorry to be out of touch for a while, but the phone service and thus email service went out with the first quake on Andaman, VU4. This is my first minute to get to a reliable email service. 1. Morning after Xmas, I was resting from sleep and thinking about what to do that coming day when my bed started to quiver like a large train was coming by. Then, the room started to rock about when I stood up. Walking and standing were difficult,bottles were faling off the shelves, and my fifth floor room floor felt like rubber. I got braced within the bathroom door until things settled down. Then, I found my pants and shirt and ran, shoes in hand, down the stairs and joined everyone else from the hotel in the open out front. Bharathi was already safely outside there. She was on the air at the time, but quickly figured out what was hapening and got out. 2. There were extra holiday guests at the hotel. Various groups formed, and I sat with some English speakers at a table in the hotel garden. I noted to all who would listen that a BIG WAVE would come with an ocean quake. We were, by then, drinking tea and looking down on the ocean from about 80 feet above high tide. The sea rapidly turned brown near us, but there was no real surge. As the day went on and 8 to 10 more small tremors came and went, several of us took quick runs to our rooms to get necessities. The radios were left in the room. The roof antennas showed no signs of damage at all. 3. As the other team members came to our hotel, we learned of the big wave that hit the water front in Port Blair. Saraha had taken some videos there with the water still about a foot deep over the street that fronted the ocean. All team members were very OK. 4. In the immediate Port Blair area, four people died (one from landing on his head as he dove out his home window seeking escape), the local newspaper reported. 5. Port Blair and all but 4 of its citizens escaped serious damage. Most of you have now seen the video of the real damage that occurred in other places around the Indian Ocean rim... very bad for people and property. 6. By that afternoon, the team had set up one rig outside with a mobile whip and tuner...powered by the Hotel generator... and Bharathi was taking health and welfare messages from the people standing around there. Many wanted to tell relatives on the Indian mainland that they were ok, and Bharathi established contact with many India ham stations in various cities as needed. Traffic was being passed. She told my wife in Thailand that I was ok via contact with an HS station who passed the message by telephone in Thailand very nice to be a ham ! 7. The team got cots from the hotel and, along with most others, slept out in the open that night. I slept fitfully near the lobby door on a couch inside, reasoning rightly this time, that the worst was over. 8. I will have more reports later, but the main news for ham radio is THE TEAM IS COMPLETELY OK AND SAFE. They have suspended normal DXpedition operations while helping out with health and welfare messages and whatever other duties may have come to them after I departed Port Blair vy early this morning (as I was originally scheduled to do). I suspect they will go back to DXpedition work soon because Port Blair escaped the worst damage and the after shocks apparantly have also stopped. Thanks for all the good wishes. 73 for now, Charles Harpole [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- Archives http://www.mail-archive.com/dx-news@njdxa.org THE DXR is sponsored by the North Jersey DX Association. Please visit our website: http://www.njdxa.org/index.php scroll to bottom for subscribe/unsubscribe options --
[DX-NEWS] All OK in VU4 land !!!
Hello DXers... Dec. 27 at 2300 Z Hey, a whole lotta shakin' goin' on. Sorry to be out of touch for a while, but the phone service and thus email service went out with the first quake on Andaman, VU4. This is my first minute to get to a reliable email service. 1. Morning after Xmas, I was resting from sleep and thinking about what to do that coming day when my bed started to quiver like a large train was coming by. Then, the room started to rock about when I stood up. Walking and standing were difficult,bottles were faling off the shelves, and my fifth floor room floor felt like rubber. I got braced within the bathroom door until things settled down. Then, I found my pants and shirt and ran, shoes in hand, down the stairs and joined everyone else from the hotel in the open out front. Bharathi was already safely outside there. She was on the air at the time, but quickly figured out what was hapening and got out. 2. There were extra holiday guests at the hotel. Various groups formed, and I sat with some English speakers at a table in the hotel garden. I noted to all who would listen that a BIG WAVE would come with an ocean quake. We were, by then, drinking tea and looking down on the ocean from about 80 feet above high tide. The sea rapidly turned brown near us, but there was no real surge. As the day went on and 8 to 10 more small tremors came and went, several of us took quick runs to our rooms to get necessities. The radios were left in the room. The roof antennas showed no signs of damage at all. 3. As the other team members came to our hotel, we learned of the big wave that hit the water front in Port Blair. Saraha had taken some videos there with the water still about a foot deep over the street that fronted the ocean. All team members were very OK. 4. In the immediate Port Blair area, four people died (one from landing on his head as he dove out his home window seeking escape), the local newspaper reported. 5. Port Blair and all but 4 of its citizens escaped serious damage. Most of you have now seen the video of the real damage that occurred in other places around the Indian Ocean rim... very bad for people and property. 6. By that afternoon, the team had set up one rig outside with a mobile whip and tuner...powered by the Hotel generator... and Bharathi was taking health and welfare messages from the people standing around there. Many wanted to tell relatives on the Indian mainland that they were ok, and Bharathi established contact with many India ham stations in various cities as needed. Traffic was being passed. She told my wife in Thailand that I was ok via contact with an HS station who passed the message by telephone in Thailand very nice to be a ham ! 7. The team got cots from the hotel and, along with most others, slept out in the open that night. I slept fitfully near the lobby door on a couch inside, reasoning rightly this time, that the worst was over. 8. I will have more reports later, but the main news for ham radio is THE TEAM IS COMPLETELY OK AND SAFE. They have suspended normal DXpedition operations while helping out with health and welfare messages and whatever other duties may have come to them after I departed Port Blair vy early this morning (as I was originally scheduled to do). I suspect they will go back to DXpedition work soon because Port Blair escaped the worst damage and the after shocks apparantly have also stopped. Thanks for all the good wishes. 73 for now, Charles Harpole [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- Archives http://www.mail-archive.com/dx-news@njdxa.org THE DXR is sponsored by the North Jersey DX Association. Please visit our website: http://www.njdxa.org/index.php scroll to bottom for subscribe/unsubscribe options --
[DX-NEWS] All OK in VU4 land !!!
Hello DXers... Dec. 27 at 2300 Z Hey, a whole lotta shakin' goin' on. Sorry to be out of touch for a while, but the phone service and thus email service went out with the first quake on Andaman, VU4. This is my first minute to get to a reliable email service. 1. Morning after Xmas, I was resting from sleep and thinking about what to do that coming day when my bed started to quiver like a large train was coming by. Then, the room started to rock about when I stood up. Walking and standing were difficult,bottles were faling off the shelves, and my fifth floor room floor felt like rubber. I got braced within the bathroom door until things settled down. Then, I found my pants and shirt and ran, shoes in hand, down the stairs and joined everyone else from the hotel in the open out front. Bharathi was already safely outside there. She was on the air at the time, but quickly figured out what was hapening and got out. 2. There were extra holiday guests at the hotel. Various groups formed, and I sat with some English speakers at a table in the hotel garden. I noted to all who would listen that a BIG WAVE would come with an ocean quake. We were, by then, drinking tea and looking down on the ocean from about 80 feet above high tide. The sea rapidly turned brown near us, but there was no real surge. As the day went on and 8 to 10 more small tremors came and went, several of us took quick runs to our rooms to get necessities. The radios were left in the room. The roof antennas showed no signs of damage at all. 3. As the other team members came to our hotel, we learned of the big wave that hit the water front in Port Blair. Saraha had taken some videos there with the water still about a foot deep over the street that fronted the ocean. All team members were very OK. 4. In the immediate Port Blair area, four people died (one from landing on his head as he dove out his home window seeking escape), the local newspaper reported. 5. Port Blair and all but 4 of its citizens escaped serious damage. Most of you have now seen the video of the real damage that occurred in other places around the Indian Ocean rim... very bad for people and property. 6. By that afternoon, the team had set up one rig outside with a mobile whip and tuner...powered by the Hotel generator... and Bharathi was taking health and welfare messages from the people standing around there. Many wanted to tell relatives on the Indian mainland that they were ok, and Bharathi established contact with many India ham stations in various cities as needed. Traffic was being passed. She told my wife in Thailand that I was ok via contact with an HS station who passed the message by telephone in Thailand very nice to be a ham ! 7. The team got cots from the hotel and, along with most others, slept out in the open that night. I slept fitfully near the lobby door on a couch inside, reasoning rightly this time, that the worst was over. 8. I will have more reports later, but the main news for ham radio is THE TEAM IS COMPLETELY OK AND SAFE. They have suspended normal DXpedition operations while helping out with health and welfare messages and whatever other duties may have come to them after I departed Port Blair vy early this morning (as I was originally scheduled to do). I suspect they will go back to DXpedition work soon because Port Blair escaped the worst damage and the after shocks apparantly have also stopped. Thanks for all the good wishes. 73 for now, Charles Harpole [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- Archives http://www.mail-archive.com/dx-news@njdxa.org THE DXR is sponsored by the North Jersey DX Association. Please visit our website: http://www.njdxa.org/index.php scroll to bottom for subscribe/unsubscribe options --
[DX-NEWS] lMore after quake vu4 news
A little more news... 1. Shades of antenna restrictions I got back to my place in Bangkok only to have had my dipole taken down from the roof of the condo someone complained and I was not here to refute... and just when I need it... gotta talk to the powers now. 2. There is a POSSIBILITY of more VU4 permits coming to new India hams in the next few days. Do not know if the quake will slow that process down, but there is some hope that more operators will travel to vu4 and continue the activation. Stay tuned. 3. I hope to get back on the air here in hs and get direct info via ham radio will report then. 73 73 Charles Harpole [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- Archives http://www.mail-archive.com/dx-news@njdxa.org THE DXR is sponsored by the North Jersey DX Association. Please visit our website: http://www.njdxa.org/index.php scroll to bottom for subscribe/unsubscribe options --
