Forwarded from another list.
VE3HOV / CG3HOV
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I want to announce this opportunity to the 4sQRP group, just in case. I have
posted the same in several other forums. I do wish that I would have been able
to post this earlier, since the time until the first event in short, but better
late than never.
There are two upcoming Scouting Events that will be held near Arusha, Tanzania.
The first is the Africa Scout Days, from 8 March 2017 through 12 March 2017.
The second is the Centenary Jamboree, celebrating 100 years of scouting in
Tanzania, from 28 June 2017 through 7 July 2017.
The organizer, Hidan Rico - 5H3HO, has the ambitious desire to put an HF
operation on the air with five transceivers for the 80-10 meters and multimode
operation. Unfortunately, I think they only have ONE transceiver at this time,
and uncertain plans with regard to antennas, etc. They also hope to have an
Echolink setup. The desire is to have CAT control of the rig(s) and
centralized computer logging. They will have a generator onsite for power. I
am not sure about Internet connectivity at the site but if it exists, it will
be through a mobile provider (3G) connection.
SO⦠If youâve had a burning desire to go to Africa, you are involved in
Scouting, or youâd like to take on a challenging field setup for radio ops,
(any or all of the above) THIS IS A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY! Unless you have a
sponsor here in the US, this trip would be entirely self-funded. If you do go,
I recommend you plan on a safari as part of your trip. There are several
beautiful and fascinating game parks in the vicinity, including Arusha National
Park, Serengeti National Park, and Ngorongoro Crater National Park. There are,
of course, other large game parks and reserves in Tanzania that would be an
option. I can recommend a Tanzanian travel agent if you wish to make
arrangements.
Travel requirements are minimal. You need a valid passport that expires MORE
THAN 6 MONTHS after your arrival, and you need a visa costing $100 (USD) that
can be obtained on arrival. If you do not travel through any countries where
Yellow Fever is endemic, you do not need proof of YF vaccine. By they way, if
you have EVER had YF vaccine and still have proof of this, it is now valid for
life in most places. Tanzania subscribes to this new recommendation. If you
want to operate your own station in Tanzania, it is an additional $100 to
obtain the license. (There are no repeaters operational there, of which I am
aware.) I can provide general information for anyone who is interested.
Unfortunately, I am unable to go for the initial event, but I am considering at
least helping with setup for the latter event in conjunction with other work I
do in Tanzania. Again, I am able to give general information, but for specifics
you will need to make contact with Hidan 5H3HO. His e-mail is
<z5h3arc@xxxxxxxxx>. I can tell you from my trips to Tanzania, it is a
wonderful place and quite the life experience.
I hope we can find a few folks who can participate. I am not currently
involved in scouting, but I have worked with Hidan Rico through the TARC -
Tanzanian Amateur Radio Club - regarding licensing, and I have taught a Morse
class in Dar Es Salaam.
73,
Charles - 5H3DX - NK8O - VE3ISD
nk8o@xxxxxxxx
