Becoming a Licenced Radio Operator - VU2MUD

After the examination and the subsequent result announcing that I had passed Grade I - those days there were only 2 grades. Grade I which required morse code reception and transmission capability of 12 words per minute (each word calculated as 5 letters - 60 letters/min - 300 letters in 5 minutes) and a marginally detailed knowledge of electronics theory, Radio operating rules & regulations and operating practices & Grade II requiring morse code at 5 words per minute and basic electronics, rules, regulations & operating practices.  Also the Grade II operators had to make only morse code contacts and were eligible for voice operations only after endorsement from the Ministry who had to be provided certification of having made atleast 100 two-way contacts on morse code.  So I was the previleged one - I could transmit using my own voice as soon as I got my licence.  

Next was the wait for the letter that would “announce” the “decision” of the Ministry to “grant” me a licence to operate the radio.  This is usually the critical period where aspirants lose interest and wander away.  Fortunately for me, I was already listening to the radio and keeping in touch.  Also I had the support of the team in SJCE who always encouraged me to keep them company when they operated the radio so that I could listen in and also have the occassional “modulation test/ demo” - the legal way to put a non-licenced person on the air!!!  This continued for a few months.  My continuous monitoring the amateur radio bands and sending out Short Wave Listener reports to the hams reached such levels that I had memorized the name, city, type of equipment, most probable time of daily activity and favorite frequency.  Someone had to just mention a call sign and I would give out these details instanateously.  I earned the unofficial title of “The Walking Call Book of Mysore”!!!!

It was also mandatory for a police verification before the letter would arrive.  In fact, it was the arrival of the police constable to the door which was the early intimation that papers had moved in the Ministry and the ‘decision letter’ would soon follow!! About a year after the examination results had arrived, that the policeman finally did arrive at the door.  The anticipation grew

After a wait for another couple of months, the registered ‘decision letter’ from the Ministry finally arrived!!! I immediately got the required demand draft, the photographs and the letter with my choice of callsign with options ready.  Choosing a callsign was a tricky one.  While there was not general rule except the a general clause that Grade II licenses would end with the letter X, Y or Z, it was general practice to select some combination to match your name or city.  There already was a VU2MYS (for the city choice - Mysore), VU2KRM & VU2MKR (matching my initials) a VU2MDU & VU2MDH licenced (matching with my name) - these options had to be dropped.  It was then that I zeroed in on VU2MUD as the first choice along with a couple of other - the closest to my name and also because it had a nice combination on morese code - di di di dah (V) di di dah (U) di di dah dah dah (2) dah dah (M) di di dah (U) dah di dit (M) - Notice the two dah’s two dits two dah’s & two dits - making up MUD.  With this logic off went my application with choice of call sign to the Ministry of Communications, New Delhi.

Time for the final wait.  Finally on the 11^th of June, 1987 - after more than 18 months of wait the postman arrived with the registered letter carrying the Amateur Radio Station Operators Licence arrived.  Fortunately I was at home to receive the letter!!!! I was finally an Amateur Radio Operator - a HAM!!!!!!