National Institute of Amateur Radio

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My Expiriences of The VU4 Dxpedition and Tsunami
Relief Work (ANDAMAN NICOBAR ISLANDS)
D.Bharathi Prasad VU2RBI
National Institute of Amateur Radio
INDIA
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About NIAR


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About NIAR

• NIAR has been Promoting ham radio activity in
  India for the last over two decades and providing
  emergency communication during natural
  calamities.
• Mr. Suri, VU2MY, Chairman NIAR and my self are
  the founder members of the Institute.
• NIAR has conducted four dxpeditions thus far, and
  I had participated in three of these
  dxpeditions.
• Members of NIAR have also rendered services
  during
• Tsunami relief work in Andaman Nicobar Islands
  
• earthquake of Gujarat
• super cyclone of Orissa
• land slides of Uttaranchal
• earth quake of Latur
• cyclone affected coastal areas of AP etc.

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VU4 Dxpedition

• A team of 5 hams of NIAR got special permission
  for dxpedition to Andaman Nicobar Islands after
  17 years from the Govt. of India.
• Event was flagged off by the Governor of Andhra
  Pradesh State (for which Hyderabad is the capital
  city with about 5 million population) on
  26.11.04.
• Dxpedition was sponsored by NIAR supported by
  MIT, GOI.
• International support, particularly from the USA
  German hams, has also made the event
  successful.

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VU4 Dxpedition

• With great difficulty we could make air travel
  arrangements for three of the team members to
  reach Port Blair on 1.12.2004 and the rest
  reached by ship on 2.12.2004 from Chennai.
• Met the local authorities and explained about our
  mission and the importance of radio communication
  by amateurs.
• This was appreciated by the Chief Secretary of
  the Government of Andaman Nicobar and we were
  extended complete cooperation.
• Also army signals unit was cooperative in
  extending support.

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Tsunami Relief Work Ham Communication

• The Dxpedition was suspended and switched over to
  emergency communication in the early morning of
  26.12.04 after Tsunami struck the islands at
  6.29 am - a sheer coincidence

• This was the main means of communication with
  main land thereafter.
• Station was operated with generator/batteries.
• Our services were offered for helping local
  administration

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Tsunami Relief Work Ham Communication

• Emergency Communications were held on 7090 khz
  14195 khz in HF and 14500 mhz in VHF
• Relief Operations from Hotel Sinclair by VU2RBI

• Preparations for Relief Operations at DCs Office
  Port Blair

• Relief Operations from Polytechnic College, Port
  Blair by VU3RSB

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Tsunami Relief Work Ham Communication

• Hundreds of messages were handled on behalf of
  administration from different islands.
• Messages of health welfare of individuals from
  mainland and islands were handled.
• Whereabouts of 15 foreign tourists were conveyed.

• Hams from main land acted as relay stations and
  handled a number of messages.
• Ham stations continued till 15th of Jan 05 when
  telecom was mostly restored in different islands.

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Tsunami Relief Work Ham Communication

• Our team members were air lifted for Carnicobar
  Island on 27th and for Hutbay Island on 28th Dec
  by ship.
• VU2MYH, VU2DVO VU2JOS moved to affected areas.

• Few more members from NIAR joined on 1st Jan and
  hams from Gujarat joined on 4th Jan05.

• Stations at Carnicobar, Cambelbay Teresa
  Islands were established.
• 3 stations in Port Blair, 2 stations in
  Carnicobar, one each at Cambelbay and Teresa
  Island were operating.

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Tsunami Relief Work Ham Communication

• Ham communication has once again proved its
  importance in the hour of need
• Hams services recognized worldwide

• On arrival of few more members of NIAR, I left
  Andamans on 1st January 2005.
• I enrolled my self with ARICC group organizers of
  Tsunami relief net for emergency communications
  and provided them with the latest information
  about relief activities in AN Islands.

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Tsunami Relief Work Ham Communication
The following stations operated in Andaman
Nicobar Islands as of 07/01/05
VU2LIC DCs office, Port Blair VU2LFA APWD
office, Port Blair VU3RSB Nehru Yuvak Kendra,
Port Blair VU2MYH Port Office, Nicobar
Islands VU2DVO Andaman VU2DSV DCs office,
Nicobar Islands VU2MCK Andaman VU2 JOS Hudbay
Islands VU2CPV Others Cambel Bay
islands VU3VCC Naval Base, Cambel Bay
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Tsunami Relief Work Ham Communication
The following stations operated from MAIN LAND
(India VU2) as of 07/01/05
VU2MY HYDERABAD VU2NRO HYDERBAD VU2KAN
HYDERBAD VU2JMA HYDERBAD VU3LMS
HYDERBAD VU2MYN HYDERBAD VU2MYL
HYDERBAD VU2GMN CHENNAI VU2WAP
BANGALORE VU2HIT MUMBAI VU2MUE DELHI VU2DBP
DELHI VU2NXM MUMBAI VU2CYL KERALA VU2GDX
CHENNAI
VU2WAP BANGALORE VU2HFR KOLKATA VU2AF
MUMBAI VU2MTQ BHOPAL VU2PEB KERALA VU2GMN
CHENNAI VU2HIT MUMBAI VU2MUE DELHI VU2DBP
DELHI VU2NXM MUMBAI VU2CYL KERALA VU2GDX
CHENNAI VU2DVP COIMBATOOR VU2CBE
COIMBATOOR AND SO MANY OTHER OP.
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Problems faced in providing emergency Ham Radio
Communications

• Disruption of Power supply we were to rely on
  generators and car batteries and thanks to the
  hotel managemet and army signals for providing us
  with the same.
• Antennas were to be re erected on disruption of
  antennas due to earth quake, they were to be re
  erected and new antennas to be installed.
• Water and food supplies my team members were to
  carry water and food for their survival in the
  badly effected areas like Nicobar Islands.
• Transportation problems we were to depend on
  military services for logistics within the
  islands.
• Lack of resources mobilising the financial
  resources for moving hams to the front was a big
  problem and NIAR was left with a bank OD of Rs.6
  lakhs by the end of the operations and no support
  was available for the same.

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Scope to improve ham communications for social
cause

• We need to improve awareness of this resource in
  the society.
• We need to undertake more and more demonstration
  and training programmes in this direction.
• There is a need for capacity creation countrywide
  through establishing rural ham clubs
• Remote areas and Islands would need to be
  equipped with ham stations for facing any
  eventualities.
• Ham communications need not be considered good
  only for handling emergencies, rather it should
  be taken to main stream for the benefit of
  different walks of life.

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Role of InternationalOrganisations

• Need for creation of an International
  Organisation for Global Amateur Radio Emergency
  Communications in line with Red Cross St. John
  Ambulance Associations with regional centers for
  bringing in synergy and coordinate with local
  bodies.
• Liberalise rules and procedures for such activity
  in order to reduce bureaucratic delays in
  obtaining permissions.
• Educate Governments to help bodies working in
  these areas and creating capacities.
• Recognise the efforts of the local bodies with a
  view to encourage them in continuing such
  activities.
• Consider extending support to local bodies by
  providing financial resources and equipment and
  training the people.

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NIAR Delegation with Dignitaries
NIAR Delegation meets the President of India,
Bharata Ratna Dr. A.P.J.Abdul Kalam on 26-08-2003
at Rastrapathi Bhavan, New Delhi.
Release of VU4 Dxpedition QSL Card by Hon'ble
Minister of Comm. Info. Technology Dr.
Dayanidhi Maran, VU2DMK
NIAR Delegation meets the Prime Minister of
India, Dr. Manmohan Singh on 05 March 2005 at
New Delhi after VU4 DxPedition
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Thank You