The Gestation Period - 1985 - 1987 - Part 1

After I pass the ASOC exams in 1985, it was a period of waiting to "officially" get on the air.  But we could still "un-officially" get on the air - through "modulation test" - a "created facility" to put SWLs - "Still Waiting for Licence" - as we expanded it  (actually Short Wave Listener) - on the air during contacts being made by the hams.

As already mentioned in a previous post, I used to listen to the radio very regularly and knew most of the Indian hams - either by reputation - or by way of sending SWL reports and getting their QSL (verification/ confirmation of contact) cards.  I used to visit VU2JCE daily in the evening - to assist the batches taking ham classes and after that to listen in on the contacts being made.  The interesting aspect of the shack at VU2YSG/ VU2JCE was its furniture.

It had one table about 3 1/2 ft in height and just wide enough to accomodate the Yaesu FT-757 GX, the FP-757GX power supply and the log book.  There was a single light bulb/ tubelight, a metal cupboard and a metal folding type chair - seat of which was around 2 ft.  Sitting on the chair, the table top would be just under shoulder height for the operator.  The chair could accomodate probably 1 1/2 lean persons to sit ackwardly if required.  So the only COMFORTABLE position for me or for that matter any second person in the shack would be to bend forward, rest the elbows on the table & cup the chin in the palms of the hands.  I used to be in that position for close to 2 hours!!!

Seeing my plight, operators would offer to share the seat - which I would jokingly reject referring to my generous girth :) !!!

The antenna is use those days were two dipoles - one for 40m (also useable on 15m) & the other for 20m.  The 40m dipole was hung between nearby trees and the 20m dipole was about 2 ft from the roof with the feed point "slightly elevated" by a stick - on the two storied  building.  Propogation those days was so good that this setup was great enough to get us voice (SSB) contacts will all parts of the globe.

When VU2YSG (the Mysore University ARC) was closed and VU2JCE (SJCE ARC) was inaugurated in 1986, the shack was shifted to a 3 - storied building with a seperate exclusive 12' x 12' room on the terrace which gave us plenty of space of a multi-band fan dipole and an excellent horizontal clearance in all directions.  We had slightly better infrastructure - a larger table, 4 chairs, well lit and 2 windows - one facing west whcih gave us a fantastic view of the setting sun.  There were days when we would stop operations - just to watch the sunset!!!

From this shack, we experimented with fan dipoles for multi - band operation, a boomless cubicle quad for 20 - 15 - 10 & a horizontal dipole for 40m made of aluminum tubes - which unfortunately foded up horizontally due to high winds and insufficient strengthening.  We also later erected a tower designed by VU2SSR for a 3 element tri-bander.

Activities from this club station also included communication support to motor ralles.  This was a unique experience althgether.  This was the activity where I could officially get on the air by myself.  This was due to the fact that such communication was conducted OUTSIDE the ham bands on a special permission.  This also gave me the experience of propogation variations, skip distance, round the clock operations, split frequencies, etc.

I will share my rally communication experience seperately in the next post.

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!!!!!!

"ON THE AIR" - as a Guest

Sorry for the long gap in between the posts. Year end peak activity at the office. Finally managed some time to put in this post.

Continuing, from where I left off, the night Mr. Muthanna visited me in my absence, I got no sleep. I was then doing my degree in Yuvaraja's College - in the first year. Mr. Muthanna had instructed that I could meet him only after my college hours - ie., after 3 PM. In my excitement of the first "eye-ball" (HAM parlance for a tete-e-tete), I rushed home at 2 PM. Had a quick wash, changed clothes and off on my trusted Raleigh bicycle (the same one that carried me on my "mad" trip looking for rain) to locate Mr. Muthanna's house. I remember reaching his locality by 2.35 PM, 5 mins later I had located his house. Thanks to the odd looking wires and poles on top of his house. I had, of course, expected to see a big rod standing on top of his house - comparing to the rod/pole/pipe? that I had seen in the compound of AIR Mysore. I went round the roads of his area spending time till the designated hour - 3 PM. 2.58 PM and I was at his gate. Promptly at 3.00PM I was ringing his doorbell.

I HAD MET MY FIRST RADIO OPERATOR IN PERSON!!!!!!

AT LAST. What a relief it was. He took me into his shack (Radio Room) behind the main house. It was filled with a rack housing a World War II Receiver - a commercial transmitter (Heathkit) - a antenna change over switch to change from the transmitter to the receiver. There was also a rack full of old magazines. There were also a few other gizmos used for testing and repairing the radio equipment.

After the initial round of introductions and my first "bringing down to earth" advice that HAM radio was not for students (reason it was not a cheap hobby), Mr. Muthanna switched on his radio and tuned around looking for activity. What luck! We heard Chak, Suri and the usual group in conversation. Muthanna joined into the group and informed the group - who already knew I was a regular listener to their conversations - that I was in the shack along with him. I remember Chak (VU2TTC), Suri (VU2NPS) and others addressing me and welcoming me to Ham Radio. Muthanna handed over the mike to me - I panicked. I realised that when it finally came down to talking to some one - some where - where I cannot see them in person - HOW & WHAT DO I TALK? With my experience of listening, I had rehearsed my conversation. But with mike in hand - I was lost for words. Muthanna had to finally put words into my mount. "Good afternoon dear Chak, Suri and others. I am happy to meet all of you. Hope to meet you on the air soon with my own call sign" - I finally managed to say. By the end of it I was sweating all over. With anxiety or with the sense of achievement of having put my voice "ON THE AIR" - I have not been able to decide.

But all in all - I HAD GONE "ON THE AIR". That was what finally mattered.

Muthanna (who became a "silent key" - Ham equivalent to breathing his last- in 1991) will forever be in my memory of being the person who brought me into this hobby that I am so passionate about.

THANKS MUTHANNA - VU2MP