Veligandu expedition, 8Q7BV and 8Q7BE 1997
or "Marriage, Bathing trunks and Squeezer"

For the first. Please excuse me, for my bad English.

After 6 months preparation time, Manuela, my best from all wife’s, and me are going in the Airlanka Aeroplane in Zürich. We had 110 kg total luggage. Kelemen multiband Dipoles without Balun (without additional weight), 200m braid and tools for 2 double delta loops and Longwire for 160m, ½-80m-delta loop special from Kelemen, G5RV, MFJ-Tuner, Butternut HF9V and 9 Radials, Kenwood TS50, Icom PS-35 Power supply, ETM8C with mechanism from "Schurr" and a Compaq Aero 486/33 Palmtop with Swisslog. A lot of bathing trunks and and and also clothes for our wedding. The flight was going over Frankfurt, there is coming also Inge and Hans (DL8NBE), our friends and Wedding witnesses.

After 14 hours we arrived Colombo, there we where drive to the hotel Eden in Beruwela, in the south from Sri Lanka. On 5. 3.97 at 12.30h I’m was going with my new black Smoking, and Manuela with a beautiful white wedding Cloth, to the Beach by the Hotel. Many people looking and maked photos and Video. The priest was a buddist. We must feed together rice cake, feed us mutual a drink, together cut into our Wedding cake, to light together a oil lamp. About 10 dancers and drummers played and danced for us. It was hot, but we like it hot. We musted also ride a Elephant. That was a experience, that we don’t forget. The ceremony is going about one hours.

After one week in the hotel suite, we are going from new in the airplane for the flight to Male. The capital city from the Maldives. The capital city/Island has about 70'000 peoples. The Maldives hole about 200'000 peoples and about 1'200 Islands, by it are 80 Islands for the tourists. The belief is 100 percent moslem and in the state integrated. A official marriage is not possible for us. That is the reason, that we make our marriage in Sri Lanka.

With a wonderfull flight with a small water airplane, we arrived Veligandu Island. A Island with a size from 150 of 600m. Palm trees, white sand and clearly water. Good for snorkelling, because the magnificent reefs are near the beach. The important, always 30 degrees. Inge and Hans, 8Q7BE, taked a Bungalow at the east side and we at the north/west side. At this time I see, that all trees are to close and inadequate high for Dipoles or loops. Well, it was time for the Butternut. It's lucky that the fine sand beach was verry large. Inge, Hans and Manuela putted up the GP close the salted water. These nine radials all under the sand. I’m putted up the Equipment and the Laptop.

The walls are so strong, that I must make split. I gived only the call and the report. The "bk" never. So I can save time. But the discipline ! Hard!

On the high bands it was not so good. 10m was closed. 12m, I verged the coil at home (hi). But 15-40m was ok. 80m in the greyline, I maked some station from USA early in the morning by the sunrise. This spectacle have a duration from several minutes only, but verry wide contacts are possible. A good GP with a good ground is enough. Also is important, that the antenna must installed on the side from the Island are in the direction to the target. A problem is every time, the palm trees are mostly to short or to closed. One take a GP, Dipoles or Loops and LW with a tuner with. Hi

8Q7BV QSO’s

• Total 3'367 "Honeymoon QSO’s in 3 weeks"
• 101 different countries
• 44 ITU Zones
• 69 Oblasts
• 36 Zones
• 565 Prefixes
• 142 Italy stations

 

8Q7BE maked about 1'000 QSO’s in SSB/CW/RTTY in two weeks.

The logbook is in my homepage on the Internet. Also some pictures:

During Manuela, my best from all, read a book, I’m was on the keyer. So it was about 2-3 hours per day. The signals where better versus the evening or in the night there. On 01 hour the 20m was often open for EU and N/S-America. Some USA-stations had signals till over nine (oh my ears). Italy stations had mostly strong signals.

It was my second trip to the Maldives, but not the last. These diversity of coloured fishes, the warmth, the clearly water, this fine sand, the palm trees, the sunsets - are wonderful dreams. Nothing for people these like action or animation. Need we animation? No. We make it self.

What you need:

Medicaments. Better you bring it with you. But attention, no drugs. Better no medicine for sleeping.

Eardrops versus ear inflammation from the plankton

English fuse adapter (mostly good fuse with 220/230V)

Passport with a validity more than 6 months

US$ for gratuity (climb the palm trees for installing the antenna) and/or Traveler checks or Credit cards

 

If you have license in your home country you can easily obtain a license in Maldives

Mr. Abdulla Rasheed, Director Engineering

Mr. Hussain Shareef, Director General, Telecommunications Department

Mr. Mohamed Amir, Deputy Director, International Affairs

Mr. Moosa Mohamed Didi, Director Administration

Paperwork needed:

Application form,

Copy of your current license

 

The best way to get a license:

Contact their Director Engineering and arrange the license fee and stamp duty through your travel agency. The office works efficiently and replies quickly to your

telefaxes. Mr. Abdullah Rasheed is very kind and helpful person.

Price: 125 (3 months) or 200 MRF (one year)

Special calls: Ask for it How long before you can operate?

PTT will give your license to your travel agency a month before your arrival.

You must sign in the application formula which Island you will visit.

Ciao and best 73

Rolf, HB9DIF alias 8Q7BV

AX25: hb9dif @ hb9eas.che.eu

Please sign in my Guestbook