There are many different aspects of amateur radio. For some hams, the technical aspects stand in the center of their interests, they experiment with new equipment, explore the possibilities to communicate on extremely high frequencies or in new digital modes, or build and test new types of antennas. Others focus on actual communication, an activity, which can even have its competitive aspects. All of them, however, are always trying to achieve the best results with limited means and under difficult conditions – and this is what makes amateur radio such a unique asset for emergency telecommunications.

For those amateur radio operators primarily interested in the use of their equipment, establishing contact with places without permanent amateur radio stations or often no communications links at all, is a particular challenge. Many small Islands are among such places. A group of Indian amateurs therefore organized a field trip to the Andaman Islands. By coincidence, they were operating from there just when the Tsunami occurred in December 2004.

The portable equipment they used to provide amateur radio stations from all over the globe with a chance to contact the Andaman Islands for the first time ever, was the only equipment still working after the impact of the disaster. Establishing links with the Indian mainland, but also with stations in other countries of the region, the operators provided only link to the "outside world" for the authorities. Once outside help had been mobilized, the first relief teams established own communications. The amateur radio stations now worked as the only link for all those wishing to contact friends or relatives abroad, handling so called "health and welfare traffic". Additional amateur radio stations were dispatched to remote locations and to neighboring Islands.