[?]Or Pacific Radio Amateurs

Conducted by Ex ZK-1-AC/VR-2-AK

Y the time this appears, Island Hams may already be in communication with the ivian raft, westbound for Polynesia, ur Balboa correspondent sends news clip is showing that "La Cantuta" was in regular act with HP-l-JF, other Central American is, and HCBGI in the Galapagos to early lary. HP-l-JF appeared to be operating a d. at 7.30 p.m. Panama time—l23o GMT.

Balboa correspondent—a non-Ham, says the s call-sign is simple AO-ZERO, and is ating on 14,150 kc/s phone. The equip t is described as "very poor"—but it is ently working fairly well, jnny Weil and his yacht "Yasme" are torarily snug in Papeete, and Danny, with call-sign FOBAN is on the air each day the verandah of the old American Consulate ling now occupied by Mr. Oscar Nordman, across the street from the yacht. some id Hams will have worked him ere this, note from QST that his home call is V, and that he has already operated under call VP2VB/P earlier in the voyage, while Vest Indies waters. Present gear was re id to have been supplied by KV4AA. At the yacht operates on 2182 kc/s under nercial call GMTY —no Ham contacts, om Suva we've received Vo. 1, No. 1 of after", official organ of the Fiji Radio which gives promise of being a sort publication by overseas DX-ers. No price Town. From it we note that, as forecast ctober PIM, VP-l-GG has arrived in the ly and has been issued with the call C. He will be located at Nausori. ;reased activity from the Cook Islands s likely. Doug Cunnold, ZK-l-AB, who tly completed his term and returned to has been replaced by Bill Scarborough, r of ZL but well remembered formerly as A of Niue Island. Mr. Bert Brunton, of onga Radio, also recently returned and been replaced by Mr. E. Cahill as senior itor, lately of the Chatham Islands, change of staff at Raoul Island, Kermadecs, luled for January, was to result in ex- J and ZL2GX taking up residence there period. They will no doubt appear with ZL-1 calls soon. mateur Radio" reports the death last er of Georges Courtot, FKBAN, at the age t. There is also a report that FKBAI who New Caledonia some time ago, is now the Department of Civil Aviation at jane Airport, Marseilles, nming interest is obviously going to be ;d on the Antarctic during the next two with probable Hamming activity from lajority of the 12 national research teams 3 part. en M. Perry, chief technician with the can team which went south this summer, that two main radio stations were to be ished immediately at Little America in Bay) and McMurdo Sound, then next er two lower powered stations will itablished, one at the geographical pole tsible, and one at a base 600 miles east iinan Bay. re will be 1 KW Ham stations at all bases, the first two by about March 1 s year and the others by December, 1957. ransmitters are Colline KWS-1, with 600 : amplitude-modulated phone and 1 KW Receivers are Collins 75A4's. Times of ion will depend on research work in

Up to late January, the advance British- Australian -NZ - South African team, heading for Vahsel Bay in the Weddell Sea, was stuck in the ice, but if the ship gets through, a small advance party will remain south this year and probably will do some Hamming.

The Russian party is at Knox Land in the Davis Sea, across the pole from the British team's intended base. The French are at Adelie Land at their 1952 base. The Japanese, next summer, will set up base at Prince Harald Coast, 500 miles from the Australian base at Macßobertson's Coast, and 650 miles from the Norwegians at Princess Martha Coast.

Argentine and Chile will have bases south of South America.

Although the South Sandwich Islands are claimed by Britain there is a report that LU -1-ZY was to be active from those Islands as from January.

Other Southern Hams currently active or momentarily expected on the air are FBBZZ on Amsterdam Island, ZD9AD on Gough Island, and VK-l-DA and VK-l-IJ (ex VK7IJ/3IJ) at Australia's southern bases.

We learn from South Pacific Air Lines that the radio-man to be in charge of their Christmas Island (Pacific) radio organisation will be a New Zealander. We're not at liberty to mention his name as yet, but believe he is a ZL Ham, and may therefore swell the VR3 ranks by mid-year. It would seem unlikely that the KP6 prefix will be heard from that QTH.

We note the following VK9 changes of recent months: VK9AS, J. A. Whittaker, located at A.P.C. Oil Exploration Station, Upper Bamu River, postal address Seismic Five, c/o A.P C., Port Moresby; VK9SD, S. D. Sutherland, P.o!

Box 55, Rabaul; VK9WL, J. Widdup, R.T.C.,

Sohana, Bougainville; VK9DS, D. B. Schroder, c/o DC.A., Madang; and cancelled, VK9OK, now VK2AOK; and VK9PF. t Beranado Vunibolo, who is at tending Gatton College, Queensland, on a Fiji Government scholarship, will sit for the Diploma of Agri culture this year and expects to re turn home in 1957 to fill an appoint ment with the Fiji Government.