My journey into Ham Radio

 

As a school kid in my 6th std , I was very much interested in Electronics and Aero modeling.

By the time I was doing my ICSE , ham radio turned more fascinating and I took up my ham exam and got my Gr 2 callsign as VU2PXZ in 1975, 2 years year later I got the Gr 1 callsign VU2POP

 

I was more interested in homebrewing ( then days it was very difficult to get commercial built radio from US or Japan ) we had to build our own receivers and transmitters. Some of us were lucky to get the old WW surplus receivers, so I went on to build my own Tx and was on air immediately on 40 & 20 mtrs , CW & AM, active on with HF local & Dx. In 1978 I built a homebrew SSB tx.

Only in 1985 after I started to earn, I got myself an Icom IC-735 Hf tcvr.

 

Around 1981 got on to VHf and over the years as serious Vhf, Uhf Dxer and by then a few Rptrs were formed and setup , have been founder member & technical member of a few Repeater Clubs in South India .

ARDF or Fox Hunting as its know popularly was another passion for me and my xyl VU2XKX and we have won many events since 1989.

 

By 1998, I got interested in Satellite operation working LEOS and worked many Dx on Sats.

 

9 Oct 2004 was a most memorable day, as the first VU to contact an ISS crew via Radio, Mike KE5AIT operating NA1SS on cross band repeater mode.

Mike called “CQ NA1SS” and I was thrilled to hear his voice , I answered him and he immediately responded , I almost fell off my chair with the excitement I could not believe that I was talking to Mike on board the ISS, was lucky to have long chat & both enjoyed the QSO.

 

23 July 2005, was lucky to have another round of QSOs with the ISS crew KE5DRY John and U5MIR Sergie on the crossband rptr mode.

 

26 Dec 2005 , I again worked another ISS crew Bill McArthur KC5ACR , this time we had a few VUs becoz they knew I had worked NA1SS earlier.

 

On the Sat modes, I have been active on SO-35, UO-14, FO-29, SO-50, AO-51, VO-52, SO-67, HO-68 and I have worked many DX stns from China, Taiwan, Russia, Indonesia , Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore etc.

 

Ham Radio being used as the second line of communication we were providing communication to most Motor Rallys since 1975 all over India. I have co-ordinated many such communication programmes and also most emergency disaster communication network in India.

I have joined the Civil Defence organization as a volunteer like a few other hams here and I am the Deputy Divisional Warden for Division 07 , Vijayanagar, Bangalore.

 

Looking back at the difficulty of getting on air with reasonably affordable radios I took up business of importing Dicksmith kits , later the Standard Marantz radios and in 2000 from China,  but recently I have diversified into IT Data Storage Systems.

 

Being a homebrewer I have built many HF and Vhf rigs, Antennas & gadgets, also tinkering with radios till date. Helping many hams get on air.

 

By 2002, I was one of the founder members of Amsat India and currently in Technical Committee of Amsat India and we have some interesting projects coming up from here after the success and popularity of Hamsat.

 

Ham Radio to me has been a very interesting learning experience.

 

Happy Hamming & looking forward to a QSO with you.

Best 73

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VU2POP