Royal Omani Amateur Radio Society

Highlights

In the following year, ROARS members were active in the First Communication Conference and Exhibition held at the Sultan Qaboos University. A special event station A43SQU was active during this event and made many QSO’s despite bad propagation conditions.

In May 1996, ROARS took a stall at the Dayton Hamvention 1996 in the USA. Members A41JT, A41JV, A41KB, A41KG, A41KM, A41LD, A41LZ and A45ZN manned the stall, linked up with the amateur radio community and discovered a new amateur radio world.

In September 1996, the Society took a stand at the first Arabian Telecom ’96 Exhibition and Forum, which was organised by Arabian Expo and supported by the Ministry of Posts, Telegraphs and Telephones and the General Telecommunications Organisation (GTO). A special event station was active at the stand under the callsign A43AT, and ministers, under-secretaries and other dignitaries visited the stand. Many locals as well as visitors from GCC countries also came to the stand.

In October 1996, the Society sent a four-member delegation (A41JT, A41KB, A41KG, and A41KT) to the International Amateur Radio Union Region 1 conference, held from 30th September to 6th October 1996.

At the conference, AbdulRazak Al-Shahwarzi (A41JT), the Secretary General of the Society, was elected for a second term as an Executive Committee Member of the International Amateur Radio Union Region 1, which currently represents 83 countries.

In October 1996, the 13th Gulf Football Tournament was held in Muscat, and all radio amateurs in the Sultanate operated with a special call – GFT (Gulf Football Tournament) – followed by their callsign, to publicise the event. To commemorate this occasion, the Society introduced a special award for overseas as well as local radio amateurs.

In December 1996, the Society participated in the MSM Orphan Child Festival, organised by the Muscat Securities Market in cooperation with UNICEF. Members operated a special event station, A43CF, during the festival.

In September 1997, the Society sent a team (A41LP and A41LQ) to participate the 8th ARDF World Championships organised by the International Amateur Radio Union Region 1, held in Sankt Englmar, Germany.

In December 1999, Society celebrated its Silver Jubilee and a Special event station was active for 3 days under the callsign A43XXV.

One-week DXpedition was held in April 1998 to activate the Sultanate’s Daymaniyat Islands (A43DI) for the second time. Again this island was added to the IOTA List.

In July 1999, the Society participated in Salalah Festival. Members introduced aspects of the hobby and explained the basics of communication technology to the visitors. At the camp, a station was on the air for two weeks under the callsign A43SF.

In September 1999, the Society sent Mr. Saleh Al Sulaimi, A41LR to participate the 12th IARU Region 1 ARDF Championship organised by the International Amateur Radio Union Region 1, held in Croatia.

In July 2000, members of the Society headed the Second oversees Dxpedition from Oman to the island of Yambe, Tanzania, in East Africa. The aim of this expedition was to introduce amateur radio to the islanders and the island to the world in general. This was achieved admirably, with Twenty thousand of stations activated in over 220 countries.

In July 2000, the Society sent members in two batches to participate the Salalah Festival 2000. A special event station A43SF was active for two weeks during this festival.

In the following year, during the month of January, the Society participated in the Muscat Festival 2000 (2nd International Folklore and Handcrafts Festival ) by setting-up a station and operating one month under the callsign A43MF.

The same year, in March, Society participated Ras Al Haad Tourism Festival. A special event station was on the air under the callsign A43RH. Ministers, under-secretaries and other dignitaries visited the station. Many locals as well as visitors from GCC countries visited the station.In September 2001, the Society sent a team (A41LR and A41LX) to participate the 13th IARU Region 1 ARDF Championships organised by the International Amateur Radio Union Region 1, held in France, from 11-16 September 2001.

In April 2002, Al-Ghanam (Goat) Island (A43GI) was activated for the second time. Members operated for one week, despite bad propagation and weather disruptions.

In November 2002, the International Amateur Radio Union Region 1 conference was held in San Marino. At the conference, AbdulRazak Al-Shahwarzi (A41JT), the Secretary General of the Society, was elected for the fourth term as an Executive Committee Member of the International Amateur Radio Union Region 1, which currently represents 84 countries.In December 2002 the Society celebrated its 30th Anniversary. Members were operating a special event Station A43XXX from the headquarters for three days.