[SEDXC] More on VU4

[BLamboley at aol.com]

Source: The Hindu  
>(http://www.hinduonnet.com/mp/2004/12/30/stories/2004123000350100.htm)
>Metro  Plus
>
>
>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 blocks, 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, paralysing 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.
>
>
>Pics: by K.V.  Srinivasan
>
>
>
>Rising to the occasion: Gopal  Madhavan
>
>
>
>Hams have time and again proved useful  in situations like this where 
>communication lines are down and emergency  services have their hands full. 
>"The police have to concentrate on law  and order at this point, while the 
>Army and emergency services have  specific roles to play. Roles they cannot 
>really deviate from because  they have so much work to do," says Gopal.
>
>He says they are often  called upon by the Government to lend a helping 
>hand since they are a  mobile, usually well-connected, civilian group. Hams 
>can set up radio  stations even from their cars, travel around affected 
>areas, identify  people who need help and radio the police or hospitals. 
>They can also  mobilise men and materials since they have a vast network of 
>millions of  people from all walks of life, which covers the world. Port 
>Blair, for  instance, has just asked for 12 doctors so the hams are calling  
>hospitals for help. "And while we co-ordinate from here, the ham control  
>station in Delhi is talking to the Government to see if they can spare  
>doctors," says Gopal.
>
>Right now the main concern of the  Andaman team is to find missing people. 
>"We are getting calls from all  over the world from people who are worried 
>about friends and relatives,"  says Gopal. The teams in the islands field 
>these calls, ask where the  missing person was last seen and send people 
>out to look for them.  "However, with disasters like this, it is extremely 
>difficult to find  people since the tendency is to flee. What we can say 
>is... well... if  someone's dead and the body's been found," says Gopal. 
>"We then radio  back the news so that relatives are informed. (pause) 
>That's been  happening a lot."
>
>Meanwhile, in Tamil Nadu, although the State  Government has said they have 
>the situation under control, hams from  across South India are being 
>mobilised anyway, to help in whatever ways  they can. They have established 
>stations in Vellankani, Cuddalore,  Nagapattinam, Kanyakumari, Pondicherry 
>and Thanjavur and have also set  up control stations in the bigger cities, 
>like Chennai, Bangalore,  Kolkata and Delhi. Gopal mans the Chennai 
>station. His role is to  co-ordinate rescue efforts and help transfer 
>information, since most of  the emergency ham stations work on batteries to 
>save power and use long  wire antennas, generally tied to a tree, and are 
>hence relatively  feeble. "Mobilising people has taken a while," says 
>Gopal, "We have to  find people with diesel cars because petrol vehicles 
>don't work in  water. We need people who drive Scorpios or Mahindra jeeps 
>so they can  travel with all the ham equipment and supplies."
>
>In Sri Lanka  too, the hams have moved to the East Coast, which has been 
>devastated.  Since there are very few hams there, hams from India are now 
>being  mobilised to travel to the island. Meanwhile, the radio waves have 
>been  inundated by people calling in to offer help. "Hams worldwide are  
>getting involved. The Canadian hams are in the process of sending  
>blankets, bed sheets and cooking utensils," says Gopal, "Everybody's  
>offering aid. Everybody wants to help."
>
>Disaster  management
>
>In Gujarat, for 10 days after the 2001 earthquake,  hams were the only 
>people who could communicate effectively. A number of  them drove straight 
>to Gujarat when they heard about the tragedy, using  car batteries to power 
>their radios so they could call for help whenever  they found victims or 
>unclaimed bodies.
>
>Every time  there's a cyclone, an air crash or disasters in open fields 
>where  communication is difficult, hams are called upon for help since 
>their  mobile radio systems always work. Often, one ham is stationed at the  
>district collector's office, just so he can talk to the  authorities.
>
>Over the years, many hams have lost their lives when  serving during 
>disasters. Deepa, a young lady who went to Gujarat to  help out, picked up 
>a disease there and died. More recently, a Sri  Lankan ham, who was in Iraq 
>on a peace keeping mission as part of the UN  group for communications, was 
>shot  dead.
>
>Hamstrung
>
>Although hams have helped the  government a number of times in emergency 
>situations, red tapism is  slowly choking amateur radio as a hobby. The 
>laws, which were laid down  in the days of the British Raj, are apparently 
>"ridiculously outdated"  today. For instance, according to the law, a ham 
>can't leave home with  his radio. Hence, ironically, every time they head 
>out to help with  disaster management, they're actually breaking the law.
>
>However,  last month, the Home Department and Ministry of Communication had 
>a  meeting in Delhi with the Amateur Radio Society of India, which seemed  
>to finally acknowledge the efficacy of ham radio. The society submitted  a 
>paper asking for changes and has been told that it's been studied and  the 
>"departments concerned are looking into the  issues."