[DXPEDITION VIDEO] –
Activating VU4 was more than just a DXpedition, it was a journey of passion, teamwork and unforgettable moments. Now you can relive it all in our official VU4AX film. Sit back, enjoy and let the spirit of VU4AX inspire you.
[QSL NEWS / PREVIEW] –
The VU4AX QSL cards are currently being printed and will soon be sent to the United Radio QSL Management office in UK. Cards can still be requested through QSL manager M0URX – (OQRS Online QSL Request System). QSL preview courtesy Max, ON5UR who also mentions the team are working on a book coverng their DXpedition.
[MARCH 20, QRT] –
All low band antennas now packed away. Only HF bands running for the moment while the team continue disassembly. A quick check of the log shows over 65K QSOs made with a good mixture of CW, SSB & Digi.
[FLYING THE FLAG!]
Thanks a lot to the guys for flying the flag. Looks awesome!
PS: 40K QSOs now in the log (1000z today).
[MARCH 15] –
Well over 30K QSOs in the log. Here at DX-World we received some new pictures courtesy of Franky ON7RU. In the second picture you are welcome to caption it 
VU4AX is QRV until March 20th.
[MARCH 14 @ 0600Z] –
Team report that despite all their efforts in the preparation of the DXpedition, the propagation is something they don’t have under control. Currently, they’re facing very poor conditions and the forecast for the coming days does not seem promising. Fingers crossed. They will continue to do their best, especially with focus on NA.
[MARCH 13 @ 1815Z] –
VU4AX is approaching 10K QSOs in the log with a good mix of CW, SSB and FT8. They continue to be very active although occasional power-cuts have occurred. Earlier today we received these images from team member Franky, ON7RU.
(160CW recording by DL8LAS. Feel free to send your recordings so they can be added to the Collection)
[MARCH 12 @ 0700Z] –
With VU4AX now in good rhythm covering the main HF bands on CW & SSB, here’s an "on the scene” picture of ops Max ON5UR, Pascal ON5RA and Franky ON7RU. Top band activity to follow. Livestream log is up and running – check here. Audio recording by EA1DR for DX-WORLD.
[QRV] –
Just before 1600z, VU4AX started activity on 20m SSB, followed by 40CW. More bands to follow..recordings by DX-WORLD.
[MARCH 11 @ 0845Z] –
Just received word via EU Pilot ON9CFG that the team are ok and now preparing antennas on the island. It’s extremely hot weather. Mark, ON4AMX also arrived after visa issues. QRV later. 160m activity apparently planned for tomorrow (March 12, local). The internet connetion is very limited. Pictures of their QTH and Spiderbeam assembly.
[MARCH 9 @ 1100z] –
The team met at Kortrijk, Belgium for the start of the VU4AX DXpedition. We travelled by bus towards CDG Paris. Everything went smoothly until check-in. Everyone’s documents were carefully checked. Then a problem surfaced with Marc ON4AMX’s visa. Marc was not allowed to check in.
In the meantime, the team did everything possible to check in all 47 suitcases. But even that went totally wrong, despite everything being very neatly organised. It went totally wrong and the system went down. The long line of waiting people only got longer. Suddenly, we were presented with a new bill for the 7 pieces of oversize luggage. When we pointed out that everything was already paid for, we were told "either you pay or everything stays here”. If we wanted to continue we had no choice but to pay again for the luggage already paid for. A new visa was being applied for Marc ON4AMX. Unfortunately, we could not wait any longer and had to move on if we wanted to catch our flight. So Marc is currently still in Paris and hopes to get his documents in order soon and fly towards New Delhi on a new flight.
This morning around 8:15 a.m (local) we arrived in New Delhi. All the luggage was with us on the plane, this was a great relief. Then another very big challenge awaited us as our luggage had to be cleared through customs. With the necessary interventions of the people of Air India, we got our luggage in order and the necessary stamps on our documents. Meanwhile, we were waiting for our next flight to Port-Blair Andaman Islands.
VISIT THE VU4AX WEBSITE
VISIT VU4AX FACEBOOK PAGE
[MARCH 8] –
As March approached, excitement grew immensely. We did encounter serious challenges in recent weeks, facing enormous stress and unexpected obstacles that no one foresaw. But we are determined and never give up with the goal of ‘completing our mission…”
In the recent months, significant changes have been made to the legislation for radio amateurs in India. We were unsure whether these changes would impact our DXpedition, so we reached out to the Ministry of Communications in New Delhi. The WPC confirmed that the new regulations did indeed apply to us, meaning we had to reapply for our VU4 license. We quickly gathered all the required documents from everyone and submitted a new application. A few weeks later, we received our new license this time with the callsign VU4AX instead of VU4X.
Although we did our best to regain the VU4X callsign, we were unsuccessful. Many key officials responsible for granting licenses were occupied with the parliamentary elections in early February, making communication extremely difficult.
We couldn’t afford to wait any longer, as the risk of not receiving the new license in time had become too great. There was still a lot to do, such as making polo shirts, flags, banners, and more. Another major challenge was quickly adapting the DX-Adventure website to reflect the new callsign, VU4AX.
We thought, the worst is behind us…
All our flight tickets, round trip, had been booked for quite some time. A total of six flights through Air India. However, in early February, a month before our departure, we received a shocking e-mail: the last flight from Calcutta to the Andaman Islands, would be operated by Air India Express a subsidiary of Air India. This informed us that they could not take 23 pieces of extra luggage. We realised very well that we had a huge problem and had to look for a solution very quickly.
We contacted some major transport companies such as Air Cargo Belgium, UPS, DHL and Fedex. DHL was the only one offering to ship 500 kg of luggage to the Andaman Islands within 8-10 working days. The expenses would exceed 17,000 euros. We therefore had to prepare the necessary documents of ‘every item’ we were going to send for temporary import to Andaman Islands at lightning speed. Getting this done in such a short time was almost impossible.
We began exploring other options and, each day, Max had several phone calls with Air India in search of a solution. After intensive cooperation, we decided to cancel our original flights and book new ones. We are now flying directly from New Delhi to the Andaman Islands. On Wednesday afternoon (March 5th), just three days before our departure, we received the long-awaited email: a solution had been found for all our luggage. The 40 suitcases and 7 oversized pieces could travel with us. The necessary invoices were promptly paid, and an hour later, we received our new tickets. Talk about last-minute stress…
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Catherine Bernard, Lenka Farre, and Patricia Thiry of Air India Paris for their dedication and patience over the past weeks. Every day, they listened to our concerns with great understanding and worked alongside us to find a solution, which they successfully did. We are truly thankful for their support. As a token of our appreciation, a box of delicious Belgian chocolates has been sent to Air India Paris.
It feels like a "never-ending story.” March 7th, we received yet another email from Air India. Upon arrival in New Delhi, we must present ourselves at customs with all our luggage (47 suitcases). If we don’t, they won’t allow our luggage on the next flight. We’ll only breathe a sigh of relief when we land in the Andaman Islands on Monday with all our luggage.
[INITIAL BREAKING NEWS] –
Team consisting of ON4AMX, ON4HIL, ON5UR, ON5RA, ON5TN, ON6CC, ON7FT, ON7USB, ON7RU, ON8AZ, PA9M and PA3EWP have announced that they will be on the air as VU4AX from Andaman Islands during March 10-20, 2025. QRV on HF bands; CW, SSB and DIGI.
