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The First Convention
Penang, Malaysia 1971
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First Annual
SEAnet Convention
Penang , Malaysia |
On 30 and 31
December, 1971 and 1 January, 1972, the Southeast Asia Net held its
First Annual Convention at the Ambassador Hotel in Penang, Malaysia.
Guest of honor was the net control, 4S7PB. Others in attendance
were: 9M2's CG, BS, DO, DX, F I, FK, FZ, IR, and WM; 9VI's OG; and
QD KR6FC; VS6DR; HS's 3DR, 4ACN, and 5ABD; YB's 5AAQ and 7AAU;
VK9KS; W1UUQ; and SWL Joe Barlow.
Thanks to the
kindness and hospitality of the Ambassador Hotel's Manager, Mr.
Jeffrey P.H. Goh, a room was set aside for us on the hotel's 11th
floor. He also give permission for us to install an amateur station
in this room and to mount an antennas on the hotel roof. Courtesy of
Joe Barlow, an FT-200 was provided as the station equipment, while
the call 9M2TI/p was arranged by 9M2FZ. The antenna used was the
same trusty dipole used in XU-land by 9M2I R during the VE7I R/XU
operation; Eshee, 9M2FK, supervised its installation on the hotel
roof. |
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Eshee, 9M2FK helps Paddy, 4S7PB, erect antennas for SEANET. |
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Paddy, 4S7PB,
continued to control SEAnet from this installation during the
Convention, with the QRM inside the shack added to the normal 14320
QRM; Paddy was not bothered by either type of QRM and did his usual
sterling net control job.
On the rare
occasions that the delegates could be pried away from the bar,
informal sessions were held at which several subjects were
discussed. A summary of these subjects follows:
NET HISTORY. Ed,
9V1QD, will be contacting old-time members, including those no
longer in this area, in an attempt to gather comprehensive history
of SEAnet.
CERTIFICATES AND
AWARDS. A net membership certificate will be re-instituted, with
Paddy being the sole judge of who qualifies for same. This
certificate cannot be applied for, but will be received
automatically when it is determined that a participating station has
earned it.
The award for
working SEAnet members will be continued, with Hebe, VK2AOK,
continuing to handle the issuance of the award.
NET OPERATING
CHANGES. Some minor changes will be made in the roll call to shorten
the net.
In order to cut
down on the number of outside checking to the net, and to give rare
DX stations a sanctuary from the pile-ups for a few minutes at
least, stations checking into the net for the express purpose of
working some net participants for a new country will have to wait
until at least 1230 GMT. |
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A ton of ham!
John, 9M2I R,. Tom, 9M2WM and Phil, VS6DR, tower over the group's
smallest ham, Walt , YB7AAU. |
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Fred,
HS5ABD, discussing net operation with NCS of the VK9net, Keith,
VK9KS |
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A caution was
raised about the free use of the word "traffic" on the net, since
monitors of some countries' PTT's in the area are very strict
regarding the use of third party traffic on the amateur bands.
ALTERNATE NET
CONTROLS. It is felt that a more regular system should be set up to
automatically provide for alternate net controls in the vent that
Paddy does not show up on a particular evening. This is especially
true when one considers that the two present prime alternates, VS6BF
and KR6LY, will both be ORT after about the middle of this year.
Therefore it was decided to set one night per week aside for
volunteers to get the hang of the net control job, so that several
will be trained to take over in the event of Paddy's absence.
SEANET DEFINITION.
It was decided that SEAnet is best defined as: "A place to meet and
contact other amateurs of the area on a regular basis."
SECOND ANNUAL
SEANET CONVENTION. After much discussion it was decided to hold the
SEAnet convention hereafter as an annual affair. The next SEAnet
convention will be held on 10-11-12 November, 1972, in Bangkok,
Thailand. Bob, HS4ACN, was appointed as liaison from the Penang
meeting to co-ordinate with the Society of Thai Amateur Radio
regarding the undertaking of arrangements for the convention. It was
emphasized that this convention would be open to all radio amateurs
worldwide who wished to attend, regardless of their interest in or
affiliation with SEAnet, and Convention announcements will be sent
to the National societies of each country around the world.
Announcements will also be made in amateur magazines of large
circulation. |
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Host Jimmy, 9M2DQ
with Ebby, 9VIQG |
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Gene, KR6FC and
Don, 3W8D (HS3DR) |
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Members were treated to a showing
of HS3DR's film of his trip on the TI9-Cocos Island DXpedition. He
also showed a film of contest station W3AU and slides of contest
station W7RM, along with photos of many and various hamshacks around
the world.
Leong, 9M2FZ, found a cool mountain
fresh-water swimming hole for those participants interested in such
pursuits, while most of the gang also had the chance to visit the
local electronics emporium, Comunico, owned by 9M2BS. The XYL's
spent their time shopping and were guests of Daisy, the XYL of
Jimmy, 9M2DQ, at tea.
The publisher of OHM Magazine presented "Badges of Distinction" to
four of the area's most notorious QR M-makers.
Special thanks went to Jimmy, 9M2DQ, for his excellent advance
arrangements for the Convention, and to the 9M2 gang in general for
their kindness to the convention participants in making countless
arrangements during the convention.
See you in November at Bangkok! |
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Leong, 9M2FZ and
Paddy, 4S7PB, at the gala New Years Eve dinner. |
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