VU2RM

VU2RM OM ' Rao Garu ' has popularly known to the hams in India is one of the few pioneers who have popularlised the hobby in India . He has many firsts to his credit.

1. The first Indian Ham to come on SSB in 1955 with his crystal filter exiter, using surplus 455 kc crystals.

2. The first to home brew a SSB transceiver.

3. One of the first to work the OSCARS with all homebrew equipment. We still remember the days when he is used to grind his crystals to work the OSCARS.

4.The first Indian Ham to be qrv on 6 meters in 1959.

5.The first Indian ham to have got the coveted VUCC (6 meters) and

VUCC ( Satellites)

6. Member of the first dx expedition to Andaman Islands in Jan 1960 along with VU2NR OM Raju and VU2AK OM Les with the call VU2ANI using all homebrew equipment and antennas. Les kept the mid night oil burning by making cups of Bournvita, so that Rao could keep working throughout the night. Rao recalls with nostalgia the encounters he had with the deadly Jarawas (The local abrogines) begging for a few cigarettes

7.Member of the first dx expedition to Lacadive Islands in Feb 1961 with the call VU2NRM along with VU2BY OM Karuna and VU2NR OM Raju. Food was homebrewed, they had to take a cook long with them. Diesel was carried for the Gen sets.

8. Member of the Lacadive Islands expedition in 1975 along with VU2KV OM Venkat with the call VU5KV

9. Member of the Lacadive Islands Exdpedition in 1983 the World Communications year with the call VU7WCY.

RM96 TRANSCEIVER DEVELOPED BY HIM USING LOW COST, LOCALLY AVAILABLE COMPONENTS HAS BEEN A HUGE SUCESS IN INDIA. THE LATEST COUNT IS 500+ RM96'S IN USE. IN A COUNTRY STARVED OF HAM ACTIVITY, RM96 HAS REVIVED A LOT OF INTEREST IN HAM RADIO IN INDIA

Om RAO is a retired Port Trust Engineer who leads a active ham life in Kakinada and believes in the dictum:

"THAT TRUE HAM SPIRIT IS JUDGED NOT BY THE CLASS OF TICKET HE HOLDS BUT THE CLASS TO WHICH HE BELONGS"