The beautiful Sunda Islands of western Indonesia is home to Dx Adventure Radio Club member 91DA906 Indra who reconnects with the DA-RC in mid-April 2022 after a period away from 11m band ops.

Indra joins an already impressive squad of Delta-Alfa operators in the Republic of Indonesia and looks forward to teaming up for some exciting projects during the new cycle.

Ex-91DA803 and now with a new DA QRZ, Indra has been immersed in radio comms since 1981, giving him a wealth of hobby experience.

91DA906 Indra is a licensed ham and successful 11m DX Hunter who qualifies for admission in the DA-RC via the DX Hunter category with more than 100 DXCC or Divisions worked and confirmed (See: https://www.delta-alfa.com/about/membership/)

A well-respected and professional guy, in both the CB and ham communities, Indra balances his membership with the DA-RC with the local Radio Delta X-ray (RDX) CB radio club of Indonesia.

91DA906 Indra’s TX base in South-East Asia is the island of Sumatra, one of the archipelago’s 17,000 islands.

Sumatra is referenced by the World IOTA Program as OC-143 (See: https://iota-world.org/islands-on-the-air/iota-groups-islands/group/901.html).

It’s the sole island under this reference but a terrific launchpad to numerous nearby IOTA dxstinations.

Known in ancient times as Suwarnadwīpa (Island of Gold) or Suwarnabhūmi (Land of Gold), because of the gold deposits in the island’s highlands, Sumatra is the 6th largest island in the world at 473,481 km2.

Located west of Java Island (OC-021), south of the Malay Peninsula and surrounded by the Indian Ocean and Java Sea, this fascinating IOTA entity is known for its rugged tropical terrain, unique wildlife and smoldering volcanoes.

91DA906 Indra resides in the city of Medan, the capital and largest city of North Sumatra province, in the northeastern part of the island.

Medan is a multicultural metropolis and a busy trading city bordered by the Strait of Malacca which allows for easy access for ships.

A gateway to the western part of 91 Division and neighbouring countries, Indra’s city is supported by the Port of Belawan (Pictured left) and Kualanamu International Airport.

While renowned for its shopping centres and theme parks, there are many old buildings in Medan that still retain their Dutch architecture and so attract the attention of foreign visitors.

These include the old City Hall, the Medan Post Office, Inna Dharma Deli Hotel, Titi Gantung (a bridge over the railway), The London Sumatra building, the Tjong A Fie Mansion, AVROS, Warenhuis, and The Tirtanadi Water Tower.

Pictured right, the beautiful Maimoon Palace built in 1887, where the Sultan of Deli still lives, The Great Mosque of Medan built in 1906, the Gunung Timur Temple, and the Sri Mariamman Temple are other notable tourist attractions.

Sumatra Island has a wide range of plant and animal species but has lost almost 50% of its tropical rainforest in the last 35 years.

Many species are now critically endangered, such as the Sumatran ground cuckoo, the Sumatran tiger, the Sumatran elephant, the Sumatran rhinoceros (Seen left), and the Sumatran orangutan (Seen below).

Fortunately, the government and citizens work hand in hand with organizations such as the Sumatra Rainforest Institute (SRI) on the conservation of the Sumatran rainforest and its endangered species, rescuing wildlife in need as well as assisting local farmers to implement eco-friendly agricultural systems and technology in Northern Sumatra.

91DA906 Indra’s shack is a potent DX weapon on the world’s best HF band, 11m, as well as all recognised ham bands.

His choice rig is a Kenwood TS430s — a famous rig from the 80s which, to this day, still lays claim to producing the best audio of any rig ever made.

The TS430s is a solid state transceiver which supports SSB, CW, AM and FM and covers all amateur bands from 160 through 10 meters, including the WARC bands.

Rated at 250 PEP on SSB, 200W DC on CW, 120W FM and 60W AM, Indra’s rig has also been modified to include 27 MHz which allows him to chase DX on any band without switching sets.

Another rig at his fingertips is a Superstar SS-360 FM CB transceiver which covers AM-FM-SSB-CW modes.

This does just over 20 watts on SSB and is ideal for local rag chew on CB frequencies.

Outside his residence, on the banks of the Deli River and Babura River which feed into a naturally sheltered harbor and then into the Straits of Malacca, is a monster 5 element yagi for directional DX work.

Procured at a respectable price from a fellow family member some 10 years ago, this fabulous antenna is a homemade 5 element monoband type for 10/11m which was delivered to Indra’s home — not by truck or van — but by rickshaw!

A Sigma SE HF-X80 end fed aluminum vertical antenna delivers omnidirectional signals to neighbouring islands across the archipelago.

Both antennas soar high above neighbouring homes and provide the best possible opportunity for DX action!

As well as constructing antennas, such as loops, yagis and verticals, in his leisure time, 91DA906 Indra enjoys riding his push bike, as well as his vesper, around the streets of Medan.