The Dx Adventure Radio Club (DA-RC) is excited to introduce to you, from the Indonesian archipelago in South-East Asia, licensed ham and serious 11m DX enthusiast, 91DA270 Ayah.

Since 1990, 91DA270 Ayah has been a frequent DX Hunter on both ham and 27 MHz frequencies; one whom has amassed an impressive total of DXCC and IOTA scalps on the 11m band, thus satisfying DA-RC’s strict membership requirements in the DX Hunter Category. 

Like many of his DA-RC brothers, 91DA270 Ayah is also skilled in antenna design and experimentation and enjoys meeting with friends in the local ham radio club to discuss electronics and tinker with radio equipment.

Of this beautiful country’s 6000 inhabited islands, 91DA270 Ayah’s QTH is on the island of Java, Indonesia’s fifth-largest island.

Referenced as OC-021 in accordance with the World IOTA Program, Java Island lies southeast of Malaysia and Sumatra (OC-143), south of Borneo (Kalimantan) (OC-088), and west of Bali (OC-022).

91DA270 Ayah’s home here is in ‘Jember’, a regency of East Java province.

It shares its borders with the regencies of Lumajang (to the west), Probolinggo, Bondowoso and Situbondo (to the north), and Banyuwangi (to the east).

Jember is famous for its tobacco farms and traditional food called ‘tape’ which is made of fermented cassava.

Pictured above right, tape singkong is made by fermenting the cooked cassava by using rice yeast.

The process takes about 4-5 days, depending on how warm it is and the longer you ferment it, the stronger the alcohol taste is going to be.

Pictured below, the Jember Fashion Carnival is also an annual event.

In the tenth carnival in 2011, over 600 models walked along the world’s longest catwalk (3.6km).

To the south of 91DA270 Ayah’s QTH lies the Indian Ocean, where the regency includes the enchanting island of Nusa Barong, which is said to be similar to Phi-phi Island in Phuket with amazing beaches and nature.

According to Ayah, this uninhabited island dxstination has been a nature reserve since 1920 and is home to many species of birds, insects, and plants.

It’s also a refuge for the ebony leaf monkey (Trachypithecus auratus) which are an endangered species.

These incredible climbing creatures inhabit inland forests of western Indonesia as well as the southern coastline.

On the bench of 91DA270 Ayah’s radio shack sits a Kenwood TS-140S amateur HF/VHF transceiver (160-10 Meters) and numerous DX-cessories.

Outside his house, on the streets of Jember, is an Avanti Sigma 4 vertical antenna which delivers terrific omnidirectional signals to all parts of the archipelago.

91DA270 Ayah is a fanatical hiker and a country such as Indonesia, with almost 1000 mountains, is perfect for getting ‘above the clouds’.

On the outskirts of Jember, for example, are Mt Raung (3332 m) and Mt Argopuro (2745 m) and these are popular amongst hikers.

Mt Raung is one of the most active volcanoes on the island, while Mt Argopuro offers the longest and most isolated trek in East Java — a 40km trail beginning at the tobacco farming village of Baderan.

In addition to hiking, 91DA270 Ayah also enjoys motor bike riding and hydroponics.

This is a type of horticulture and a subset of hydroculture, which is a method of growing plants, usually crops, without soil, by using mineral nutrient solutions in an aqueous solvent.

Like his DA-RC comrades, 91DA270 Ayah displays a love of the outdoors and it’s this passion for adventure that makes him ideally suited to membership in the DA-RC.

QSL INFOS

Via DA-RC HQ Oceania