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Friend : Sir Evan Nepean (G5YN, EX-AC4YN)

Just read a wonderful half-page obituary from The Times of London, Sat Apr 6,2002, for Sir Evan Nepean, G5YN, ex-AC4YN, who died March 11, at age 92. For all youngsters reading this, AC4 was originally the prefix for Tibet, not North Carolina or Florida. AC4YN was very active from 1936-1939, and may have been the only pre WW II station QRV from the independent nation of Tibet (any REAL OTs confirm that?).

Amazingly, despite his many varied accomplishments, amateur radio is the key aspect of the obituary. It leads: "Evan Nepean was one of the most respected amateur radio enthusiasts in the country ..... At the time of his death, he was the longest-serving member of the Radio Society of Great Britain, having been a member for 75 years. Nepean was famous in amateur radio circles throughout the world for his callsign, G5YN".

And later: "Nepean took to Lhasa a transmitter built in the signals regiment's workshops at Rawalpindi, and a privately built receiver..... He also used his personal amateur callsign, which was AC4YN - AC4 standing for Tibet, and YN from his English callsign, since there was no regulating authority there".

This and all his official radio equipment was carried across the 14,600ft Natu La pass from India into Tibet by a party of 50 men and 25 pack animals. En route it was dropped into a river and had to be largely rebuilt. The 120lb battery charging engine wouldn't work at Tibet's high altitude, so some of the party returned to India to build a hand-cranked charger, which was then carried back to Tibet in the same fashion".

Great stuff!

John, NT5C.

Contributed by : (NT5C)

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Friend's CallsignG5YN, EX-AC4YN
Friend's NameSir Evan Nepean
Date DeceasedMarch 11, 2002
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