My interest in Ham Radio started when I picked up an old 1969 edition of ARRL Handbook on a sidewalk old-bookstore on 10th March 1979 for Rs.3/- (about 7 cents). I was very curious to read about the transmitters and antennas but really never thought I could pursue this in India as the book was published by "American Radio Relay League". I thought that this hobby was only restricted to the developed countries mainly the US.

Further on, when I was in my second year of my Bachelor of Engineering studies in RVCE, Bangalore where i had a classmate by name Nanda Kumar. I happened to go to his home one day and find that his father was a ham. VU2WP, Rag, OM Raghavan, one of the veteran hams of Bangalore had some fabulous equipment including some to work on sstv mode on amateur radio. The second shack I saw in my life was of VU2GX, OM Girimaji, where I was taken by my college-mate and a good friend Phaniraj. This was probably in the same period that my interest in amateur radio interest grew more and more and I was trying to understand how I could pursue this hobby and get an operating license and so forth.

Nearly 9 years later to my discovering the 1969 editon of the ARRL Handbook in the year 1978, I found a news-item in the local papers that a Ham was conducting training classes become a radio amateur. He was OM Nagesh, VU2NUD who was conducting training programmes for one to pursue to attend the ASOC Exams (Ham radio qualifying exams). I joined this programme free of cost with a condition that I will be involved in training the future batches as a volunteer.

I got my first license (Grade II) almost within 6 months of my writing the exam. In April 1990, I was VU3KGR. My first ticket was issued on 16 April 1990, with licence number was 6369.

Subsequently in the year 1997, I upgraded (Advanced Grade) to VU2LU with the license no. 10458

When I got my first ticket in the year 1990, I was ready with a qrp cw transmitter (final transister-BD139, popular as VWN-Circuit) which was putting out about 4w on cw and a BC receiver with a Beat-Frequency osicilator to come on 40m. I had to make my first few mandatory contacts on CW to get a phone endorsement. I submitted this log to the authorities and then I was on CW and AM on 40M. My next addition to the shack was a QRO transmitter with 2, 807 valves, which could go on CW and AM. I also got hold of a BC-348 WW-II receiver to work with this transmitter.

I imported my first commercial equipment, a VHF handy FT-26 on 5-8-1993. My first commercial HF rig was an used Side Band Engineers SBE-34 4-band only-ssb rig which I was on air with for about 4 years. Subsequently I got an used FT-890 which I have till date, a very fine rig that I have used in all modes for a long time now.

Currently, I have been using a FT-897, IC756 Pro-II, ICOM-910, Kenwood TM-V71, Handheld Yaesu FT411E and a VX-3 handy.

My antennas: Windom for 80 to 10m, 40-20 Inverted V Dipole with common feeder, Icom AH-700 discone antenna for VHF-UHF, Diamond X-520M VHF-UHF colinear antenna, Vertical antenna for 80-10 with SB230 autotuner.

My next project will be to put of a homebrew 3-band, 2 element beam with which I aspire to work some decent Dx. I am pounded with severe power-line interference these days which is about 59+ 10db on most bands.

Membership & Activities:

Life Member & currently Governing Council Member of ARSI - Amateur Radio Society of India

Life Member & currently General Secretary of Bangalore Amateur Radio Club - VU2ARC

Life Member - Indian Institute of Hams

Member - Repeater Society of Bangalore

Member - National Institute of Amateur Radio

Member - ARRL - American Radio Relay League

Member - RSGB - Radio Society of Great Britain

With the callsign VU3KGR, was a part of the team of 8 members to activate AS-096, St Mary's island in the state of Karnataka on the 1st of February 1992, lead by the late Nagesh, VU2NUD and VU2BMS/DL2GAC.

Team member - Part of the team which provided the communication for the India's 4th National Games in Bangalore and Mysore, from May 31 to June 11 1997.

Organizing Committee Member of the Hamfest India 1998, a National Festival of of Hams in India.

Team member - Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India - Dxpedition with Callsign VU4AN from 18 to 25 April 2006, organized by NIAR.

Team member - International Lighthouse-Lightship Weekend (ILLW)15th to 24th Aug 2008, operating AT8LH from Mahabalipuram Light House, Tamil Nadu, South India.

Team member - The first VUFF operation at Bannerghatta National Park, VUFF-005, near Bangalore City from 01 to 07 October 2008 with the callsign AT8WFF. This station was setup coinciding the World Flora & Fauna Day.

Team member - Activating a Special Event Station, AT8FD at Yercaud, Shevaroy Hills, Salem District, Tamil Nadu, on 24 January 2009. The station was active from the location till 26 January 2009. Shevaroy Ham Meet was organised by the VU2TCD Repeater Group on 25 & 26 January 2009 at this location.

Organizing Committee Member of the Hamfest India 2009 during November 2009, a National Festival of of Hams in India.

Team member - International Lighthouse-Lightship Weekend (ILLW) 7th to 22th Aug 2010, operating VU0LH from Suratkal Light House, near Mangalore, South India.

Team member - Andaman & Nicobar Islands, India - Dxpedition with Callsign VU4PB from 15 to 30 March 2011, organized by ARSI.

Team Member - BARC Weekend Field Station, about 30 Kms South West of Bangalore city from 27 to 29 May 2011.

Team member - AT8VTM - International Museum Weekend/s Station set up at the Sir M. Visveswaraya Industrial & Technological Museum, Bangalore. from 17 to 27 June 2011.

Team member - VU9LHA - International Lighthouse-Lightship Weekend (ILLW) Station set up at the Alleppey Light House, Kerala, from 12 to 22 August 2011.