I have never seen a QSL for this station.
Nauru - VR7AB
According to Amateur Radio
for August, a new Nauru
station has been posing
considerable excitement on 20 metres.
No name is mentioned but
the story goes like this.
The Ham, formerly GM3DOJ
of Scotland, applied for a
license for Nauru but was
vetoed or stalled by the
Post Master. He then applied
over the head of the Post
Master, presumably to
Australia, and was issued with
the call VR7ABa prefix never
before releasedand forthwith
got on the air, with
devastating DX results.
His frequency reportedly was
completely blocked with Ws and
Ks either calling,
working, or just jamming him,
declaring him to be a
pirate. The Post Master, according
to the story, has been
returning all cards sent to VR7AB,
declaring there to be no
such statlon. Until the matter
is cleared cards should go
to VK2YC, the NSW QSL
manager. The station apparently first
appeared in June, but nothing
has been heard of him in
Auckland during periods when
Pacific stations have been well
received the evenings in
August, so possibly the Post
Master is temporarily in control!
--Pacific Islands Monthly, September 1, 1952, p. 95.
-o0o-
The DX ethics of some of
the W stations on one or
two rare ones that appeared,
namely, VR7AB, FR72A and FK8,
made one wonder just what
is happening to the Ham
spirit as it used to be
known. A W7 for one
example, moved his Tx back
and forth over more than 5
Kc. of an FK8, calling
all the time, thus effectively
making sure. If he did not
get the station, others would
not either. Later in the
notes mention will be made
of VR7AB. The goings
on, on this poor guy's freq.
were amazing. Even the days
he was not on the air,
he was still being called
blind by one or two.
When he was on, those who
missed out, carried on back
chat on his own freq.,
appeals from VR7AB having no
retarding effect.
--"DX Notes by VK4QL," Amateur Radio (Australia),
August 1952.
73, Bob, W5KNE
According to CQ August 1952, VR7AB was giving
his name as Bob Freeman.There is no GM with the name Freeman and
says he was an ex G station in the 1954 Radio Amateur Call Book.
G3DOJ was W. J. Omer.
The only G station with initial R is G3AXV (F. R. Freeman). G3ITF
was B. S. Freeman.
There are no Freemans listed in the 1954 CB for GC, GD, GI,
GW.
I concur this was likely to be a pirate operation. 5B4AHJ
Courtesy of W5KNE, 5B4AHJ