From: "Charles Harpole" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: VU4 report Dec 29 at 1330 Z
Date: Wed, 29 Dec 2004 15:21:20 +0000
Hello DXers:
I am now reporting from Samut Sakhon, Thailand, about 50 miles south south
west of Bangkok. This is my father-in-law home. IC-718 and TA-33 + 40m
kit at 40 feet, my call is HS0ZCW.
I am in direct contact with VU4RBI and Vu4NRO as well as stations in India
and 4S who have called in from time to time. VU4 is readable by me on both
40 SSB and 20 m almost all any day or night.
I have sent 2 health and welfare queries to Bharathi that I received here
by email. No answers yet.
1. Bharathi is continuing to operate in emergency communication mode now
and has done so virtually every minute since the earthquake shook us all
out of out rooms. She and Saraha set up one of the DXpedition radios about
30 minutes afer the quake on a table outside the hotel... in the garden...
with a mobile whip and the hotel's generator for power. When the generator
had to be shut down for an hour from time to time, she used an automobile
battery and lower power.
2. Local authorities ask for the team's help to do communications of all
kinds. The first messages were H&W from the folks standing around the
table to the India mainland. Many concerned people got news from loved
ones, often within minutes because the India mainland phones were working
ok (except parts of the coast, of course). Once word spread, many others
showed up to request a message and were served.
3. Recently, Ram (VU2MYH) and another of the team were dispatced to one of
the Nichobar Islands that was hard hit. They are there now and I am
listening to them pass messages now as I type this. They are using VU4NRO
and batteries and one of the DXpedition radios.
4. Bharathi's Port Blair location has electric power, local phones, and
some international phone service now. Despite continuing small tremors,
she has recently relocated her station back into the Hotel and is using the
larger antennas again.
5. A small tremor was reported just now from Port Blair. No damage.
6. Normal DXpedition operations have been, of course, suspended. Please
do not call VU4 stations unless they call you. The future of normal DX ops
is in doubt for the time being, as u can understand. We must think months,
at least, before we can relax into the fun of DXing there again.
7. Delivery of H&W messages is vy difficult. Please do not ask for same
unless the party is likely to have a real problem, such as disabled or on
medication, I would advise.
8. Based on what I have heard, Sri Lanka 4S may be in the most trouble
these days... horrible reports are coming out of the immediate events and
now the recovery is bedeviled with lack of everything.
I will use the NJDXA reflector as my only ham reporting outlet. Please
refer non-users to this reflector so I do not have so many individual
emails. The NBC bcast shot was pushed out by a Colin Powell report. CNN
will carry me live on audio tomorrow.... maybe.... spoke to them just now.
EVERYONE, BE VERY CAREFUL TO REPORT ONLY WHAT YOU DIRECTLY KNOW ABOUT. DO
NOT REPORT ANY DEATHS AT ALL NOR ANY INJURIES BY NAME TO THE NEWS NOR TO
THE GENERAL PUBLIC. THAT IS THE AUTHORITIES JOB. Make your reports to
legit authorities instead, or quote another public news source. Think
about donations to established organizations like the Red Cross, Salv.
Army, etc. as a way to help. Thanks to all for your notes of concern for
the team and myself.
73,
Charles Harpole
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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