History reveals that rarely do the worlds of Amateur Radio and Eleven Metre DX ever meet.
Occasionally, however, the two stand toe to toe like two hostile boxers — the Ham heavy weight champion of the world and the challenger, Freeband DX, up a weight division or two but with a solid repertoire of punches to keep its more fancied opponent against the ropes.

Now, the world’s best on-line DX magazine and hobby forum ‘11m DX Activities Oz’ has information that links the two like never before — details of which would have R.I.P. Pirate DXers of the past rolling in their graves!

Accepted for the most part as an 11m or citizens band club, the International Radio DX Club is now known to sponsor, advertise and conduct Amateur Radio DXpedition events through its ‘Amateur Division’. According to our source, the latest of these IR sponsored Ham events was a DXpedition to Vanuatu conducted by its founding member 43IR001 Tommy (now VK2IR).

The YJ0IR activation of Efate Island in 2006, more expressly the QSL card which depicts the famous IR-DX bird logo, raised more than a few eyebrows in the Amateur Radio neighbourhood — particularly from those with a Pirate DX background who are familiar with the origins of the logo and its connection to a past time that is still illegal in many countries including the one in which the previously mentioned DXer resides.

“Simply a case of not wanting to let go of the past…” says one current member of the IR-DX group in 43 Division. “Tom has obviously moved on from the citizens band and the original IR Group but taken the logo with him!”

Believe it or not, the dabbling of citizens band radio groups into the world of Ham is not limited to International Radio. The world’s most famous Freeband group Alfa Tango is also known to have strong Ham links. Tharacian Rose (TRC) is these days predominantly Ham also while on the local front Kilo Romeo have moved to align themselves more with the Amateur scene.

What’s your opinion on IR-DX’s so called Amateur Division and the explicitly stated link between the two warring fraternities? Fair-minded or asking for trouble? Is it possible for Band Buccaneers and Hams to cohabit peacefully or is it naïve to suggest the two could ever operate in a mutually respectful and cooperative relationship?

Please comment!

73 de Admin