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!!!!!!

I cleared the ASOL exam - 1986

With this history and the background, I was well on my way to become a HAM operator. 

The training classes started and was scheduled for 1 hour from 5.30 PM every week day from Monday to Friday.  Regular college classes were scheduled to close at 5.00 PM.

My sked was - Leave Home (about 5 Kms from the College - My home was in Chamarajapuram- Near Law Courts) - cycle the distance and reach the college by 5 PM.  Park the cycle adjacent to the Ganesha Temple opposite to the Main Gate.  Stand and wait for the HAM team to finish their classes - they usually went past me around 5.10 PM and would come back after aback after about 15 mins with the Power Supply, Morse Key and CPO.  This necessiated me to wait atleast 25 mins before the Ham Classes started. The wait usually meant that I STAND leaning on to my bicycle,waiting for the team to arrive.

Also see http://vu2mud.blogspot.com/2007/06/four-year-term-at-sjce.html

Classes were successful - with about 30 students and one outsider - ME - appeared for the ASOL exam in 1986.  I successfully cleared the Grade I exam. 

Next was the indefinite wait for the "critical" "Decision Letter" to arrive from the WPC - but that is a story by itself - more of it in a different post.