Charly, K4VUD, obtained permission to operate ham radio in Laos for December 1999. He made OSOs from a home about 70 KM north of the capital city of Vientaine, Lao PDR. The operating permission was in the form of an intergovernmental memo to the telecommunications branch, originated by a foreign aid agency as a favor to Charly.*

XW1UD used a IC-706 Mk II with a 350 CW filter (ideal for this rig and for DXing)and a fan 20meter dipole up about 25 feet in the back yard. SSB and CW were the only modes on all bands, but 40 and below were very noisy and no sigs were heard.

Apparently, Lao PDR has no formal ham licensing apparatus, but there is one native operator there who works for the Lao government news agency and XW2A, Hiroo, has one of his DX Shacks there for rent--maybe. See the Web under DXShack?

Charly got there prior to Hiroo's arrival and also was unable to contact the native ham there. He also has a QSL from a JA ham claiming to have a beacon xmitter there. To date, ARRL has not approved this operation for DXCC credit.

Larry, XW_ _ lives there and so does Bruce, XW1B (AA4XR).

The country has very friendly folks, mostly Buddhist, and thus there is a photo of a Buddha (but do not make the mistake of thinking Buddhists PRAY to a metal statue... the statue is there to help the mind concentrate on the philosophical meanings of Buddhism).