Amateur radio in Tunisia
by Achraf, 3V4-002, MDXC#235

Radio amateur in Tunisia has began during the french occupation with the prefix FT.
Since the indepandance in 1956, the prefix was changed to 3V prefix (and TS for special callsigns).

As many knows, there is no individual liscence in Tunisia, and even if you have the
liscence, you haven't the right to import ham radio material.
All amateur radio station in Tunisia belong to cultural or educational organizations, such as the scout, high schools...

Even high schools find a great problem hosting an amateur radio station for educational purposes. Let's take the example of the National Engineers School in Gabes city (where I study), they have a liscence since 2002 as 3V8ESG, but they haven't the possibility to buy a tranceiver.

Nowadays, there are eight stations; seven of them belong to scout.

 

Radio Club Station 3V8SF (Sfax city) - Op: Hammadi

The other station is 3V8BB located in Bir El Bay (a very nice place near Tunis) and it's
part of the Institute of Cultural Animation.

 

3V8BB - Beam Antenna

We should notice that all club stations had the number 8 after the 3V prefix.

Nearly all the equipement used in the tunisian stations are sponsered by DXPeditions,
such as the multinational DXPedition in Kerkennah Islands (AF-073) TS7N 2000 and
TS7N 2003 (for more www.ts7n.tk). These DXPeditions offered the necessary equipment for installing all the scoot stations.

Here is the major DXPeditions which took place on the tunisian land:

In addition, some small DXpeditions was done by some ham guests, such as Laurent
F5AEG, Adelino CT1AL, the EA team to 3V8SM...

 

Visit of Laurent, F5AEG to 3V8SQ	EA team in 3V8SM

During the special events, tunisian stations are active using special calls:
- TS1WHC, TS2WHC, TS3WHC, TS4WHC, TS5WHC, TS6WHC : during the World Handball Cup in Tunisia (2005).
- 3V#WSC: During the World Scout Conference held in Tunisia (15-31 August 2005).
- TS9SF: World Scout Youth Forum in Tunisia (2-4 September 2005).
- TS37WSC: World Scout Conference in Tunisia (5-9 September 2005).
- TS3A : Contest call (2005).
- 3V8MDC : Participation in the MDXC Members Trophy (2006).

Tunisian SWLs

Achraf, 3V4-002

Nowadays, there is only two amateur shortwave listeners, me (3V4-002), and Mohammed (3V4-001). All the rest are SWBC Listeners.
Mohammed's equipement are sponsored by a french amateur radio, and my RadioShack
DX-398, is the unique SSB Receiver that I found in the tunisian shops.
Here, we haven't special shops which buy amateur radio equipement, as the hobby is
not very well known.
 

QSL Information

Since 2001, all QSLs to scout stations should be sent to Mustapha, DL1BDF. but now, the tunisian bureau is activated (even with some difficulties) and the QSLs are now via bureau. But a direct QSL with a SAE + 1 IRC or 1 US$ is also welcome.
The direct way is much more rapid, than sending QSLs via bureau.

Tunisian Bureau Address: BP339 Tunis Mahrajén 1082 TUNISIE

For the 3V8BB Station, the QSL is direct via:
ISAJC - 2055 - bir el bay - tunis TUNISIA

For the DXPeditions, please refer to the web sites mentioned above to know more about the QSL Information.
Guest operators usually have the QSL via home call.

Last update of this article 17/06/2006