One hour CW sprint?

Sorry - but it may not work.  Here is my take on the subject.

Let's face the facts.  CW has never been popular in India.  I was licenced in 1965 - and active ever since only on CW and I have been trying all along to get more people interested in CW but with little luck.

At least, in my time there was a rule that an aspirant needs to make 100 contacts on CW before he is permitted to use AM so there were a few who got 'hooked on' after using CW for a while. 

You won't believe it but several newcomers approached me for help - for making 100 contacts on CW using their calls - just so that they can upgrade to SSB. Some big names are included in this, Hi.  I could make 100 contacts in a couple of hours, but I had to judiciously spread out the contacts over a month to make it look like the newbie had done it himself.  This may not be strictly ‘legal’ but for a good cause, it was OK.

I have to confess - there is one more good reason why CW was more popular in the olden days.  Import of rigs was not permitted; there were only a handful of hams with SSB rigs (smuggled or whatever) and the rest of us had to rely on home brew - and for guys like me without much electronics background, building a CW rig was the only way out.  

When I started, I used an R-107 Receiver (found in WW-II battle-tanks) and a 2 x 1625 final - "command" transmitter (found in DC3 aircraft popularly known as 'Dakota') putting out 50W or so.  Most amateurs were forced to be on CW.

We used to drool, looking at advertisements of rigs like DRAKE, SWAN, HAMMERLUND, and HALLICRAFTERS and so on in Ham magazines. No Japanese stuff those days, Hi   My first commercial rig was an American DRAKE TR4 transceiver – in 1977 or so!

No offence meant, but nowadays, for the average VU amateur, ham-radio seems to be one way of communication with his friends, that’s all.  And it is free.  So, once you have a rig hooked to an antenna, you can chat with your friend for hours - in some cases the friend is across the street from you but what the heck?

For most, this is ‘fun’.  90% of the amateurs have never opened the cover of their rigs to see what is inside.  Amateurs who are really interested in the technicalities are few.

Therefore, for starters, we need to make the mode more popular.

How many serious CW stations are there in India at the moment?  25? 50?   I personally feel that every amateur needs to know CW - at least a working knowledge - if not expertise. That was the rule in olden days. Imagine, you are in an ‘emergency’ and CW is the only mode available to you!

So, how about say, a thousand CW stations active in VU?  Wouldn't that be a dream come true?

Rajan - VU2RJN alternating with Gopi VU2CPW is running a CW net on 7015 KHz every morning at 0745 Hrs but there are not many takers.  The net is going on for years - and even today the check-ins are like 5 or 10 stations only.  I know, conditions are very poor these days, and the NC is not copiable sometimes, but we can try.

Sometime around 1982 or 83 I organized a ‘CW evening’ in Bangalore.  I was net control on the 2 meter VHF net, and I requested all the CW ops to come up on 20 meters on a certain Sunday evening, - like 50 KHz apart - and work stations. I had allotted frequencies some 50 KHz apart starting from 14005 (my favourite) and there were six stations or so all from Bangalore spread over the band. Conditions were good those days, and it was great fun - anyone tuning the 20m band would have heard 6 CW stations from VU land. I remember VU2RQ, VU2WP, VU2DX, VU2ZAP, VU2GX, and yours truly worked a lot of dx that evening.  VU stations were still considered ‘rare’ those days, probably even today.

Yes - we need to think of attractive events to make CW more popular.

So, how about a High Speed club?  We can start from 20 WPM and move up. Have an off the air contest during the hamfest.

I can think of stuff like this.  You can too, I am sure. 

This may be of interest to some of you.  In 1985, there was a contest held at the DAYTON convention.  They were playing (on the public address system) VU2TS operating the LACCADIVES DXpeditions of 1984 and there were guys trying to copy as many stations as possible in the pile up.  The pile up on 20 was unbelievable!  I was operating 14005 and there were guys calling me on 14070! 

Once CW is more popular, we can record some QSOs on the band and play it during Hamfests or other occasions and ask people to copy it.  We can even have a send-and-receive CW competition in three grades – slow, medium, and fast. So many ideas!

Majority of the serious CW operators are currently old timers. This is a direct representation of Metcalfe's law.  So I would say, the value of CW in India is proportional to the square of the number of stations one can reach in India.  Eventually, if there's no one on CW, the mode becomes worthless. 

(Here's how Metcalfe's law works: If there is a single CW station, it is useless. But when there are two CW stations, they can communicate with each other.  When there are thousands of stations, the mode has lot of value.)

Fortunately, popularity of CW elsewhere in the world has not waned.

Running a club is not Easy!

In my experience, I have seen many Clubs or Societies that are doing quite well are sabotaged
by a small group of members.  And some clubs do not last for long.

Any club or society does not run by itself - like on autopilot.  An organization is nothing without its leaders. In order for the organization to continue operation, new members must come in and take over the roles of the outgoing and retiring leaders.

There are several traits that are seen as important to being able to lead effectively, and it is very true that there are “natural” leaders, or those who possess those traits naturally, call it their 'personality'. Not everyone possesses such traits.

The leader acts as a facilitator for the members and without this, the club has little chance for success. A groups communication is only as good as its leader's. There have been many clubs and societies that couldn't make it past the first few months - mainly because the leaders were not competent to guide the members through the trials that a club encounters. Such organizations die a natural death. Challenges can occur when there is no specific rules or chain of command to follow. There can be a fall out if two or more individuals cannot work together for the betterment of the club. In such events, the members must put aside their egos in order to fully actualize what they hope their club to be.

When a club is running smoothly, and members have no grievances, and it is popular and well known
in whatever field it is active in, to some members it may look as if the club is running by itself, and so
anyone can manage it.  It is impossible to please each and every member in any club or society. Some members may feel "What's the big deal?  We can run the club in a better way" are tempted to take over the management in whatever way they can.

Any club or society holds elections to the positions of office bearers at least once a year, so the easiest and the best way is to offer one's services is by nominating oneself to one of the posts in which one is interested in. Needless to mention, the members need to know you well, appreciate the work done by you and so on - and you can get voted to the post. A stranger cannot expect to be elected, Hi   But then, some are not confident enough to stand for election.

The other method usually employed by some is to cause some confusion in the working of the club,
find fault with the office bearers and generally make life miserable for the club's officers. The club then will cease to function normally.  Then all one has to do is to gather a handful of members for support and forcibly take over the running of the club.

The new set of office bearers expect the members to carry on as if nothing happened, and encourage them to go ahead.  But usually, what happens in the latter case is, most members lose interest in the club due to the unwelcome interference, very often there will be out-of-pocket expenses to be met by the President or the Secretary which the new set of office bearers may not be willing to bear; there may be a lot of running around to do which the new set of office bearers may not be willing to undertake; the most important reason being the 'responsibility' that no-one is willing to take.

Remember - the President and/or the Secretary is responsible for every action pertaining to the running of the Club.

So you see, the club in the earlier example was running smoothly and was popular and famous only because the previous set of office bearers were not only willing but also capable of handling all the above eventualities with ease, so much so that to everyone else it looked as though the club was running by itself!

Effective communication is a necessary but a difficult aspect between any clubs members and their operations within the club. Having a leader of the club who can organize activities and obligations can greatly assist in avoiding the confusion between club members and contribute to good communication in a given club.

Heard that Bangalore Amateur Radio Club is celebrating 60th year - I remembered the good old days of BARC - the most active club and club station in India at the time.  So here goes:

MEMOIRS AND MUSINGS OF A B.A.R.C. FOUNDER MEMBER

Not to be mistaken for Bhabha Atomic Research Center – I am referring to the Bangalore Amateur Radio Club.  The initials ‘BARC’ seems to be quite common – I am also a life member of the Bangalore Amateur Riders’ Club, Hi - there is also a Broadcast  Audience Research Council – but let me stop here.

I can probably write a chapter on how I got into Amateur Radio.  I must’ve been all of 15 years old when I came across an article in the “Popular Science” magazine (my dad had subscribed to this) which said “Hams Talk to Each Other around the World” or words to that effect.  That was when I came to know that private citizens from all walks of life built their own ‘transmitter’ set to establish a private “radio station” at home – to talk to other such enthusiasts around the world. As building a receiver was rather complex, most amateurs used the World War surplus receivers available. 

The article said, hams have their own jargon – like, an amateur is known as an ‘Old Man’ or “OM” for short, irrespective of age; an unmarried lady amateur was an “Young Lady” or just “YL” and once she is married, she becomes an “Ex Young Lady” or XYL.  The valves were known as “bottles” and the radio itself was a rig  and the room where it is installed was a “shack”– and so on.

All that got me hooked.  In ham jargon, I was bitten by the ‘ham-bug’. 

Back in 1950 in Bangalore, even a BC radio was a luxury item. We had an old GE radio of unknown vintage hooked up to a long wire on the roof. My dad used to listen to the 9 PM news - and cricket commentary whenever there was a ‘Test’ match – on Akashavani /All India Radio; my brother and I used to tune to Radio Ceylon on 40 meters and Radio Goa on 30 meters for the pop music. My parents preferred the medium wave stations of AIR for classical music.  (I learnt classical Karnatic music till I was 15 or so).

I started looking for ham stations whenever I could – by tuning around all the shortwave bands, but without any success. Of course, I did not know where to look, I did not even know what the 'bands' meant, Hi  I was telling myself “I must get a ham licence” but didn’t know how to go about it. My dad was an entomologist, and he did not know anything about this; I asked several of his friends who were engineers and scientists, but all of them told me that it was illegal to own a radio transmitter and so on.

Those days, we had to pay a licence fee to even use a BC receiver at home. This is what it looked like:

The annual fee was Rs.10/- and I remember going over to the General Post Office once a year and standing in a queue to pay the fee. Inspectors used to make surprise visits to homes to check if the radio/s used had appropriate licences. There were no transistor radios those days; all radios had to be plugged-in.

Once when I went to pay the fee, circa 1955 - I thought: why not ask the Post Master if licences for hams were issued by the Postal Department?  Afterall they were collecting fee for receivers.  

So I went into the GPO and met the Post Master General who was a YL (or an XYL, I don’t know).  I went up her office and asked her if the Postal Department was issuing licences to hams?  She wanted to know what “hams?” are, Hi. A brief lecture followed – private citizens who built their own radio transmitters pursued this hobby of talking to others around the world blah blah - and so on.  Pat came her response with eyebrows lifted:   

“But that is illegal!”  “You will go to jail if you do something like that!”

I was quite disappointed.

Fast forward to 1957 – I was in college but I had not given up hopes of ham radio. I thought it was best to check with the All India Radio. Their station was on Rajbhavan Road (I believe it is still there while their high power station is at Hoskote) so I went up one morning and asked to see the officer in charge.  I was ushered into an office where he was sitting behind a huge table. I still remember his name – Mr.Ramani - a middle aged man.  I presented myself and asked him for information on the licencing procedure for ham licences in India. He also wanted to know the meaning of ‘Ham radio’ and when I briefly explained to him, I was once again, told that it was illegal in India and I had better forget it and concentrate on my studies and so on.

I knew there were several hams in India merrily talking to one another and to other hams overseas, but no one seems to know about it!  And I knew for sure that ham radio was not a secret activity!  Behold! The population of India was 350 million!

My brother in law (J.Padmanabhan) was working at Raman Research Institute Bangalore as an optical technologist, and I used to visit him sometimes. There I met one of his colleagues (K.T.Balakrishnan) who was dabbling in a lot of electronics, and I came to know that he was repairing/servicing home appliances, TVs and Radios/Tape Recorders – at home, in his spare time for some extra income and also to spend time usefully.

I used to spend a lot of time in his shed where he repaired radios and tape recorders, and eventually told him about my obsession. He was interested himself in such experimentation and sometime later he found a simple superhet receiver circuit using valves (6BA7 I think it was) and soon I was on SJP road looking for the components – tuning capacitors, IF transformers and all. The owner of the shop FAMOUS RADIO was very friendly with me.  At last, the receiver was ready – no cabinet. Only on aluminum chassis.  I still remember, for the tuning knob we had used the lid of an “Ovaltine” tin, Hi (Some of you youngsters may not know – Ovaltine was the famous health drink before Bourn Vita became popular).

That was the start of my SWL days.  I spent most of my spare time listening to my home brew radio.  I knew about SWL reports, and I started sending out reports to BC stations heard; I had something like 40 QSL cards from BC stations.  By experience I knew where exactly was 40 meters and I used to carefully listen to all the stations on that band day and night.  I struck pay dirt one morning!  

Yes, I heard a loud AM station that I knew could not have been a commercial station – was saying something about weather in Bangalore – and I came to know the callsign when he passed the over to the other person. (SSB was unheard of those days).

“Yankee Kilo One xxx xxx (I forget the suffix) this is Victor Uniform Two Texas Delta, over” 

Wow!  I made a note, confirming that there was a station operating from Bangalore. I could not hear the station from Syria. Afterall, I was using a random length long wire antenna.

I continued listening, learnt that the operator’s name was Nambi but the location was unknown.  The first ever ‘ham station’ I heard!

After that I heard nothing for weeks - so I thought I would improve my antenna. Got hold of some discarded wire from Balakrishna, made a proper end-fed windom that improved signals somewhat, Hi

After weeks of tuning, suddenly one morning – VU2 Romeo Alfa, this is VU2 Juliet Alfa!  Wow. There was a long conversation, so I could understand VU2RA was Rajan, and VU2JA was Joe. 

They talked about ‘W’ stations (whatever that was) and DX and so on - I could hear both the stations loud and clear. They both said 73 in the end.  I continued to listen to this pair day after day – like they had regular QSOs on 40, until one day, Joe wanted to mail something over to Rajan and so wanted Rajan’s address.  I was all ears – and when Rajan gave his address, I made a note – R.A.Rajan, Post Box 10, Tumkur.

Ten years of patient waiting, finally I got an address of a person who may help me get a ham licence! Called for a wow!

Next morning (it was a Sunday) I was on a train to Tumkur – a small town about 50 km north of Bangalore.  I did not have an address – only a post box number. After reaching Tumkur, I straight went to the only post office there and asked the postmaster for the street address of Post Box 10. I was told, as per rules, he cannot give me the address just like that; best I write to the adressee and find out the street address, and so on. But after I told him that I had come all the way from Bangalore, he suggested that I meet the postman who may help.  The postman - bless him -  helped by giving me directions on how to get to Rajan’s QTH. That was of course, unofficial.

I couldn’t believe it!  Here I am, actually going to meet a Ham, at last!

I went to the house identified by the postman and knocked the door.  Well, even without the help of the postman I would have found the house because of the huge ‘wire-frame’ type of antenna on the roof which I came to know later as a ‘cubical quad’. Huge, it was.

An elderly gentleman opened the door – around 50 years old, grey hair, and tall – and looked at me and said “Yes?”

I introduced myself and told him about my search for a ‘flesh-and-blood’ ham and within minutes we were like old friends!  He invited me in and took me to his ‘shack’ where I saw an unbelievable collection of electronic equipment on the table;  Rajan explaining to me that the big one with two round meters was the transmitter, and the other smaller one with a loudspeaker connected was the receiver and so on.  It was like SciFi for me!  I felt I was in a cockpit of an airplane!

It must have been around 11 AM – and Rajan turned on the receiver and tuned a bit and found a reasonably strong VK station calling CQ on 20 meters – Rajan picked up the huge microphone (with stand and all) and called him – the VK station replied, and a QSO was made.  Rajan gave a 5/9 signal report, mentioned his name Romeo Alpha, Juliet, Alpha, Nancy – and the QTH as Tumkur, in phonetics.  The other station was in Melbourne (I remember) but do not remember the call or name of the operator.  To me, the whole QSO was something out of science-fiction!

Rajan explained the working of the cubical quad, and how it makes a low power transmitter sound like a powerful one at the other end and so on.  He could go on the roof and turn it around toward different continents. He also told me that Nambi (full name Nambiar) was working with LRDE (Electronics and Radar Development Establishment) at Bangalore and VU2TD was the club station of LRDE which was headed by Col. Chakravarthy, also a ham VU2BU –  and his XYL was VU2YL - probably the first YL station in India!  Nambi’s own call was VU2NE.

He then gave me Joe’s address in Bangalore, and told me where to apply for the ham licence, and the rest of the details.  Those days there was no office of the WPC in Bangalore, so aspirants needed to go over to the Hindustan Aircraft Ltd. where there were the officials of the Air Traffic Control who would conduct the exam – up there in the tower.

But I needed to learn Morse code!

I got the dits and dahs corresponding to ABCD from a magazine, made a poster of it and stuck it on a wall in my room.  I learnt nothing. And then, months later, I received a postcard (yes, post cards were common those days) from Rajan informing me that a certain gentleman named Mani – with the callsign VU2SE had moved from Coimbatore to Bangalore and he lived on Palace Road at a certain address.

Next morning was a Sunday, and  I was there, knocking on Mani’s door.  Believe it or not, the door was opened by a little girl – not more than 10 years, carrying a Morse-key!  

Hello!  What is your name?

My name is Nirmala

Is your daddy home?

Enter VU2SE – Mani.  After introductions, I was told that he had joined the Bharath Electronics Ltd (BEL) and he still did not have the time to set up his ham station.  But I was thrilled to see Nirmala sending CQ on the morse key!  She later got a ticket, VU2NIM handle Nimmi.  None of us had ‘telephones’ (what is now known as land lines) at home.  Telephone was a luxury.

I kept in touch with Mani – a fine gentleman (as all hams are) and one day he told me that another ham from Delhi VU2GV was transferred to Bangalore and he would be arriving shortly.  His name was G.Venkatesulu – later came to be known as “Sulu” and he was working with the Government’s Inter-state Wireless Department. Sulu arrived, and took up residence in a rented house not far from my own in Vyalikaval, Bangalore.

I went and met Sulu – he had already set up his station – a home brew CW transmitter with a pair of 1646 in the final, and a military surplus communications receiver model R-107 and a 20 meter dipole on the roof.

Imagine!  A real, live, active amateur radio station right in my backyard!

Several evenings I watched Sulu contacting DX and I was like I was on the Moon!

Sulu told me that his office was in the Vidhana Soudha (not inside, but outside the main building) and I could come over when I had the time. This is how the meeting of others – mostly wannabes – and soon there were Swls  Girimaji, Ramanujam, Soibal Ghose, and licenced amateurs Nambi VU2NE, Shyama Rao VU2BZ  who was head of electrical communications at Sri Jayachamarajendra Technical Institute, Vasu who later became VU2VZ  and Sampath from Mandya who used to join us occasionally. We used to meet after office hours - around 5:30 or so, chat for a while and then order for snacks from the nearby Canteen - usually Vadai and Coffee, Hi

Sulu one day suggested that we need to form a club, and only then we could popularize the hobby and so on. Lo and behold, the BARC was born.  I do not remember the date, but it was in 1959.  We met informally, Sulu was elected President, I was secretary; I do not remember if we had any other office bearers at the time,  I did not have a callsign, but Sulu said I was an SWL so that was OK, Hi  There was no money involved, it was just a group of like minded people. I remember we started with a President and Secretary.  So, I was a 'founder-secretary'.

Here’s the list of founder members as I remember – Sulu VU2GV, Sampath VU2YZ, Nambi VU2NE, Mani VU2SE, Shyama Rao VU2BZ, Ramanujam VU2RQ, Girimaji VU2GX, Gopal VU2GO, George VU2TV, Ramachandra Rao, VU2OK, Laxmanan VU2LX, and yours truly VU2TS.  Forgive me if I have forgotten anyone – if I have, please send me an e-mail giving me details. ganesh@watapi.com.  

I read elsewhere that SWL Sharma of RBI was also in the list of founders, but I do not remember that.  Clearly, I came to know SWL Sharma only after his son Ramesh (now SK) got a ticket VU2NRS, much later - like in the seventies. If any of you know otherwise for certain, do please let me know.

The only other ham association in the country was the ARSI at the time in New Delhi – but there was absolutely no club activity. ARSI existed only because it was recognized as the National Association, by the IARU and so the QSL bureau was with them.

The first ever “club station” was probably the one at Mhow – now known as Ambedkar Nagar – in Madhya Pradesh, run by amateurs in the Army School.  I do not remember the callsign.  Sulu used to fire up the Racal receiver in the official station and we used to listen to DX often.  He had a 400W commercial transmitter as big as a cupboard - hooked up to a G5RV.
The big signals on 20 meters from VU those days were VU2CQ from Bombay, VU2CK Karnik from New Delhli, VU2PP Paran from Nagpur

It was around this time – circa 1960 – that Sulu told me that there was a gentleman in Sriramapuram (just about 5 km from where I lived) offering Morse Code classes free-of-cost to all those who were interested.  (I was with the National Aeronautical Laboratory at the time)

By the time you could say “morse code” I was there, knocking on his door Hi  I was told there were several others who were interested in learning and he would have the classes between 6 and 7 PM every day.  I am sorry I have forgotten the good man’s name – but I shall never forget him.

I enrolled, and here is where I met Ramachandra Rao (who later became VU2OK) Panduranga Pai (who later became VU2PF).  Though there were four others, I am sorry I have forgotten their names. Hey! If any of you are reading this, send me a note!

Super – my dream slowly becoming real.  In about a month I was sending morse at about 5 WPM but my problem was receiving.  Whatever I did, I could not master it and this is when I came to know that it is easy to learn sending morse but damn tough to learn how to receive it. 

There was a time when I thought I shall never ever learn morse and I was quite depressed.  This was when I remembered the trick I used when I taught friends scooter riding and car driving.  (Yes, I have trained many many people).  When you find the going tough and you feel you cannot learn it, give it a break.  Forget about it for a week or ten days.  And then, when you return, you will learn it easily!  This trick is good for anything you wish to learn. There will be no remorse. (pun intended).

So I gave up Morse for a week and when I returned, believe it or not, I started copying Morse like an expert.  It was in 1961 or so and I sat for the exam by going over to the airport and climbing up the control tower.  The guys there were friendly, but they only knew that I was applying for a certificate – nothing about amateur radio.  I explained everything about the hobby to see some more lifted eyebrows.  Like, "is that even legal?"

Those days, we sat for the exam and then forgot about it. The certificate (ASOC) arrives when it pleases, and then we apply for the ham licence.  In my case, the process took some four years or so, and in April 1965 there was a new Grade one ham station in Bangalore – VU2TS.  And I have never looked back since then.  

My first transmitter was built on a BC receiver chassis - an old unserviceable one lying at home - and I used a crystal which was supposed to be on 7013 KHz; the circuit was from one of the magazines provided by Sulu.  On Sulu's recommendation I also got myself an R-107 Receiver from someone in Delhi - at a price of 400/- rupees or so.

                R107 is still available in England, for about  £ 40/- or so!

I was living in Vyalikaval, Bangalore at the time; when I completed the project, I hooked it up to a  dipole (coax courtesy of Sulu) and called CQ for a while. Band conditions were extremly good those days; I could hear several AM stations on 40 but my CQ calls went un answered.  I thought let me check where my signal is - and so disconnected the receiver antenna and tuned the receiver with 'key-down' on the transmitter.  I found my signal - on 7130 KHz - no wonder I did not get any response.  Those days, the 40 meters for us was 7000 to 7100 KHz only.

Later I got myself a COMMAND Transmitter (used in DC3 aircraft) that uses 2 x 1625 valves; and started making QSOs. I still have the first log book - and when I made my first DX contact with a Russian station, I felt like celebrating!  The 'Command' was tuneable from 5 to 9 MHz:

Sulu was very active – not on the bands – but otherwise - like popularizing the hobby, talking to students, organizing meetings and “Field Days”.  I don’t think the concept of ‘field days’ existed before the BARC.

Around the year 1965, after I received my licence, Sulu suggested in one of our informal meetings that we need to apply for a club callsign.  Promptly I applied for the same, and Sulu spoke to his acquaintances at the WPC – and within a couple of months, we got the licence VU2TT with myself VU2TS as the custodian. (I remained the custodian right until the time I resigned my position as secretary* of the BARC in 1978).

Somehow the suffix TT was not impressive to all of us – all of us thought that it had to be a three letter suffix to be able to be unique - and so I requested for a change of callsign, and almost immediately the new callsign of VU2ARC was obtained without any problem. I do not remember the licence number of VU2ARC, but my own licence number was 350 issued in April 1965 – it meant that there were 350 licenced amateurs in the country at the time, Hi.

Sulu organized the first ever ‘field day’ – which meant we carry our equipment to a remote location and operate the station from there over the weekend.  The FD was at Kanva reservoir – about 70 km on the Bangalore-Mysore road.

Giri VU2GX was the only one who owned a car at the time, and so he took care of the transport of the portable station that Sulu had put together. The rest of us travelled on motor cycles – I remember there were just five or six of us.  A multiband dipole was raised and we tried to make contacts, but in vain.  (We did not have SWR meters so we just tuned the transmitter for max output) but somewhere something was wrong;    we could hear strong signals but we could not make a contact. The VU stations heard on 40 those days were Vasan VU2NS, Ranga VU2GW, Bala VU2LE, Guhan VU2TG, Venkat VU2SV and so on, with thumping signals. There were more, but I do not recollect.

So what?  We had a good time, and returned the next afternoon.

And then, we used to have at least one field day in a year;  and in some years two field days, Hi  Locations like Kumbalagud, Nandi Hills, Kanva reservoir, Ghati Subramanya, Shivaganga Hills, Barber's Rock in Bannerghatta National Park, even Chamundi Hills in Mysore and all such spots around Bangalore were used by us for field days.  I remember we had three field days on Nandi Hills, two at Kanva.  I can never forget those days, Hi

By about 1962, Soibal Ghose had joined the Indian Army and QSYed to Assam – we lost touch with him.  After I QSYed to B R Hills, I got a call from him one evening on 20 CW – he was still is Assam and he had retired – this was circa 1995.

The most hilarious one was our field day at Ghati Subramanya – a temple town some 40 km north of Bangalore.  Mani VU2SE told us that he would bring a commercial transceiver from BEL and we should be able to make contacts.  Off we went, hired a room at the guest house and installed the multiband dipole, and set the station up by lunch time. 

After lunch we tried 20 meters – heard some Russian stations – we called but no luck.  We kept calling all the stations heard, but no response from any one.  I have a theory – if you can hear them, you can work them – but this proved wrong with VU2ARC/FD.

Throughout the rest of the day, and through the night we called CQ on 20 and later on 40 meters – nothing.  Not a single contact.  We were quite disappointed – and returned the next evening with an empty log.

Two days later, Mani VU2SE informed us that the guy who lent us the commercial transceiver forgot to install the ‘tank coil’ needed for tuning the transceiver!  We were shouting all along without any output!

I can go on like this, remembering a lot of incidents that made there field days all the more interesting.

Sulu had got hold of a military disposal helium balloon along with a canister of helium, ready for action.  Off we went – a group of six or seven of us – outside Bangalore on the road to Hyderabad and found an open spot without many trees or houses. We had carried a commercial transceiver YAESU FT 101 courtesy of Gopal VU2GO.

We tied one end of a 60 ft long wire to the balloon, filled it with He and let it soar high.  From the other end of the long wire was our coax RG 58 hooked up to the transceiver. The balloon was tethered and the antenna was almost vertical.  We made several contacts both VU and DX that day;  returned home by evening.

By about 1970 or so, Sulu VU2GV quit his job and QSYed to Botswana.

Honestly, I do not remember anyone else being the secretary of the BARC apart from myself – while the President’s chair was occupied by VU2SE, later VU2GX, then VU2YZ, and Subi – VU2UV. There were SWLs enrolling, and the membership grew to something like 30 members.  I remember VU2VK, VU2FF, VU2PF, VU2VO, VU2WP, VU2SF, VU2TI and so on actively supporting me in all the endeavors.

I was publishing the BARC newsletter right from the start.  I purchased a second hand “cyclostyle” machine for printing the newsletters.  This involved typing the matter on a thin wax paper called a 'stencil sheet' so that the letters makes appropriate holes, and then use the machine to ink the wax paper and that produced a printed sheet, foolscap size.  Hey! I am not able to explain exactly how the gizmo works, but I hope you got the idea.  More information available here, but the machine is extinct now.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclostyle_(copier)

I used to collect information through the month and type out the wax sheet and take about 50 copies of the newsletter for distribution, Hi How I wish I had saved one or two copies of these!! If someone has, I would like to hear from them.

Here are highlights of BARC activities in the following years:

First ever JOTA station in India:  There were no stations in India for the Jamboree-On-The-Air event.  I applied for a special call and permission to operate the jamboree station from a remote location, and received the call VU2JOA which was held for BARC because this was an annual event. (I think BARC still uses this call for JOTA)

First ham assisted Motor Rally:  Motor Rallying was an upcoming sport, and since I was a member of the motor sports club, I came to know of the trouble the organizers were having in keeping track of the rallye participants and to assist during emergencies.  I offered to help by using ham radio stations.

On applying to the WPC for special permission for several stations on behalf of BARC, the application was rejected. I then wrote back explaining the working of a rallye and how it is not a profit making / commercial event like Cricket Match or Tennis Match. There is no money involved and it was an ‘adventure sport’ and communication was of utmost importance to run a safe and successful rally.

The permission was granted eventually, and the first ham assisted KARNATAKA-1000 rally was in 1967 or 68.  We set up some six stations along the route – I remember VU2WP, VU2TI, VU2GX, VU2GO, VU2NRS, VU2SF and myself as the control station in Kadur.  The others set up stations on the route, in the open keeping it open for 12 hours or so in all kinds of weather but thoroughly enjoying it.  From then on, Hams for Rallye was a permanent affair in all motor rallyes held in Karnataka. The results which normally took three to four days to announce – after all that data was compared – was being announced on the same day thanks to ham radio!

Other clubs in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh followed suit by obtaining special permission for motor rallyes.   More and more hams joined in as years went along, - VU2POP, VU2GUY, VU2SRJ, VU2VTM, and so on.  Sorry if I have forgotten any one, Hi

First ever Club Newsletter   After using the cyclostyle for only an year or so, I resorted to printing the newsletter on a monthly basis – it was a two-page affair and cost me about Rs.100/- or so a month. Bulk of it was distributed by hand during the club meet, and I used to mail some to DX clubs in exchange for theirs.  BARC was receiving the ‘73’ magazine every month, free of cost, by airmail post!  Six or seven other club newsletters were being received too – notable were one from The Lockheed Electronics Ham Club,  The British Amateur TV magazine, one called “Pack Rats and Cheese Bits” (they are still active under the name of Mt.Airy VHF Radio Club), RCA Ham Tips, and a few others that I do not recollect now.

The first ever Ham Radio Net.  By about 1972 I had got myself an used DRAKE TR4 transceiver, and I welcomed members to come over and operate VU2ARC on Sundays and holidays – I remember VU2RRN Raju was regular – and a few others operated it occasionally VU2GG Rudy and VU2PF Pai et.al I had put up a TH3 3-element yagi and a dipole for 40 and 80 so the station was reasonably good.  (I took part in several CQ WW, WPF, All Asia, and such contests regularly – some with my own callsign and some with VU2ARC call.  The station was well known in the dx fraternity of the time.

In 1973 or so, VU2RM Rao was very well known in ham circles as he was the first one to home-brew an SSB transmitter.  The first useable amateur satellite OSCAR AO-7 was launched in 1974, and VU2RM was the first to make QSOs on this satellite which had VHF uplink and 10 meter downlink. He was the first one to home brew a VHF transmitter.  From our frame of reference, he was famous!  In the same period, Subi  VU2UV – built  a VHF transmitter for working OSCARS.  Subi was with the Indian Air Force, and I remember about ten of us from BARC visited his home QTH in Jalahalli (Air Force base) to see the working of OSCAR station.  He was using a helical antenna on 144 for uplink and a 10m dipole for downlink.

Later, with help from Rao, I too built a VHF transmitter and was working the OSCARS successfully.

In one of the club meets, I proposed that we need to honour Rao VU2RM for his achievements and for helping several others to home brew rigs – by naming him the ham of the year and felicitating him. Everyone accepted, and plans were drawn – VU2RM was invited to Bangalore.  I purchased a nice modern AVO meter which we thought would be very helpful to the OM.  I believe it was.

Since three of us in the BARC – VU2GX, VU2RQ, and myself – were Freemasons, I arranged the meet in the hall at the Freemason’s Lodge and the event was very successful as the families of the members were also invited.  The XYLs were delighted to meet one another.

At this meet, Rao suggested that a ‘net’ will be very useful especially as the number of hams were increasing in the country.  The details of such a net was discussed, and I took it up seriously. The next month’s BARC newsletter carried the information  that the BARC NET will be conducted every morning between 7 and 7:30 on frequency 7090. I chose this frequency because on all other frequencies there were one or other stations operating, some of them on a regular basis.

I started as net control on 7090 KHz– “Any stations for the BARC net? Please call VU2TS” and so on.  Slowly the net gathered momentum and on some days I used to log 50+ stations.  Stations from all over south India, and Maharashtra used to call.

Soon there were complaints from members that 7090 was too close to the powerful Voice of America BC station, and many were not able to copy the net control due to adjacent station QRM.  This was when I shifted 10 KHz down to 7080 and took reports from everyone checking in – and it was found there was no problem.

The idea of such a net was to train amateurs to work the net, wait for their turn, ask for a certain station, make a certain announcement and so on without any hassle or QRM to others. In general, prepare us for any emergency.

The BARC net was a fantastic success.  If anyone wanted to contact any other station, all he had to do was to check in to the BARC Net and tell the net control that he is looking for such and such a station; the NC would arrange that.  If there was an announcement to make, all one needs to do is to check in and request permission to make the announcement.  Most people who check in continue to listen in, so  all of them will listen to the announcements.  I used to receive stations on AM, SSB, and CW without any problem.

Around the same time, Ramu VU2SRJ who was director of the Visweswariah Industrial and Technological Museum (VITM) suggested that we use the auditorium in the Museum for our club meets. VU2VTM – Marcus also an employee of VITM volunteered to hold classes for aspirants; both Morse and theory – preparing them for the ASOC.

The BARC was not registered.  So far it was an informal Club with like minded members.  All that seemed to change when Marcus VU2VTM, Prathap VU2POP, Kumar VU2BGS and others went and duly registered a club under the name of BANGALORE AMATEUR RADIO CLUB.  It was a parallel club – but it was registered while the original BARC was not.  There was confusion – because we, the old timers of BARC did not know what was the plan.  It probably was to take over all our activities to the registered club – because two clubs cannot function with the same name and the same aims, Hi

Lot of discussion/arguments went on between Giri VU2GX (on behalf of the old BARC) and members of the newly registered club – I was not part of any of it.  If Pop or anyone else remember the details, I shall be glad to know it and add it here, Hi.

Anyway, the old members of the BARC did not recognize the newly registered club and the new club remained without any activity – I think later it died a natural death, Hi

Things went on as usual – the net, the newsletter, the meetings and so on, and everyone was happy. More and more members were joining and there were lots of new ideas.

·      *Fast forward to 1978.  How the BARC fell.

BARC being such an active club, we had done all that can be done as a small group of like minded amateurs.  I thought “why not a DXpedition?”  That would be great!

I found that a group from North had been on a DX pedition to Laccadives a few years before (this included Rao, VU2RM)  and some of the DX magazines I used to received had mentioned that VU7 was in the ‘most wanted’ list.

I then mentioned my plans to the members in the next monthly meet (by this BARC meetings were held in the VITM) and applied for a special permission and special prefix VU7ARC. As usual, there was much correspondence between WPC and myself – like where exactly we were planning to set up station, how many of us, and all such details. Rao VU2RM was helpful because he already had been on one such Dxpedition.  A guy from the 'Intelligence" deparatment visited my home asking questions like "Why do you want to go to Lakshadweep?" and so on.

Eventually I received the licence for VU7ARC.  I distinctly remember the group: VU2GX, VU2RM, VU2GO, VU2DX, VU2SF, VU2WP, VU2NRS, VU2RQ, and myself..

I had the Drake TR4 and the 3-el Yagi, VU2GO had the FT-101,  and VU2WP had prepared dipoles for 40 and 80, and I had borrowed a Linear amp from VU2SRE/Swamiji.  We had to carry masts, guy wires/ropes, a Diesel generator, a tent and hundreds of other things;  and had to apply for permission to enter Lakshadweep – this authority was at Calicut, while the ship was sailing from Cochin.

We reached Cochin four days before the date of sailing – where Hari VU2TH was very helpful in arranging for our stay in a Hotel.  I went over to Calicut along with Gopal VU2GO and got the entry permit for all of us.  We were all set, and excited!

It did not last long, though.  There was a letter sent to me – which was forwarded to me at the hotel – this was from the WPC who said that our permission to operate from VU7 was CANCELLED because the then prime minister Morarji Desai was visiting Lakshadweep islands.

A bombshell!

I sent a very long, well worded TELEGRAM to the prime minister’s office detailing that we were operating a 100w station from Kavaratti whereas the PM was visiting Bangaram – another island about 60 Km away and there will not be any kind of interference to whatever type of communications the PM’s security is using.

I explained that in New Delhi itself there are several active amateur stations, permanently established, while all the embassies are using HF communications with their countries, the police, the customs, the airlines are all carrying on their communications without interference to one another within a few kilometers of each other!

I explained how we had made this announcement months ago to the amateur fraternity around the world and how they will be anxiously waiting for VU7ARC and so on.

 There was not even a courtesy of a reply.

We returned home, thoroughly disappointed. Fortunately, VU2TH Hari had arranged to book the passage for all of us to Kavaratti but we were to obtain the tickets at boarding time. So there was no loss there.

We had all pooled in money – we were quite sad that all that went to waste.

Even before embarking on the trip to Lakshadweep, I had suggested that BARC can hold a “Ham Fest” in Bangalore.  I had thought of this because the main expense for such a meet is the venue.  We need to hire a large hall and the furniture and so on, making it expensive.  In our case, we had the support of Ramu VU2SRJ who offered to arrange the auditorium of the museum for the hamfest.

I had sent the information to all the DX clubs who were exchanging their newsletters – and also to 73 magazine and the companies manufacturing ham radio equipment, asking for advertisements.

I received on full page advertisement from ICOM Japan – that was worth Rs.15,000 I believe and of course several local advertisements. I think that was the time a bank account was opened - but I was not the signatory.

The next BARC meeting after we returned from our thwarted DXpedition trip was interesting. OM Lal VU2CG (retired engineer of All India Radio) was President at the time. The meeting started as usual with OM Lal and I on the dais, and members present were around 30 or so.  I informed that our efforts to operate VU7ARC were in vain due to the PM’s visit to the island.

OM Bindu VU2IR wanted to know how I could organize such an important event without inviting the other members?  Why did I choose only the eight other members, and why not the other members?

I explained the reason.  For a successful DXpedition, we need good equipment.  Home brew rigs may not do.  VU2GO was chosen because he had an FT-101 and also a good operator.  VU2GX and VU2WP were chosen because both were adept of constructing antennas and make-shift masts and so on; and also could take care of maintenance repairs if needed. VU2DX, NRS, RQ were chosen because they were experienced operators.

At this point, Srikanth VU2GSM chipped in, saying that there were other equally good operators in the club, so why not them?

I explained that since I was organizing the Dxpedition, I needed to make sure that the others in the team are compatible; and since I did not know the other experienced operators quite well, I did not think of them. However, any one could have volunteered to come along when I made the announcement last month?

Moreover, DXpedition means 24 x 7 operation of a station, and we need to make as many contacts as possible to make it a success.  Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there are good operators in the team.  Surely this was not a 'picnic' or a field day.  This was something special.

Bindu VU2IR did not agree; and said “since you are using the Club callsign, the entire club is entitled to join the team”

Raju VU2RRN chipped in and said “we know about DXpeditions; so do not teach us about it.  You should have given a chance to everyone in the club to join the group”

I also remember, Rajan VU2RBJ – who had joined the club just a month or so before also joined the others in saying that I should have given a chance to all the members.

I then finally announced – this was my personal DXpedition – I have not used a paisa of the Club’s money mainly because there is no money belonging to the club.  In good faith, to make the club more popular I used the club callsign; I could have easily used VU2TS!  The entire thing was done in good faith.

No, they did not accept any of my explanations – according to them, it was high-handedness on my part to do whatever I felt without taking the club as a whole into confidence. The tone was not friendly.

It was very clear they wanted a change in the administration of BARC.

There were several old timers who did not try to support me or my explanations, I do not know why. They were just watching my arguments with VU2IR, VU2GSM, and VU2RRN and a couple of others.

Finally, I said – “If this is how the Club treats me after I have tried to do something good, I am not interested in carrying on any further. This moment I step down from being a secretary. You seem to be better qualified to run the club.”  I stepped down and sat among the members while VU2IR and VU2GSM took charge and continued the meeting.

Next day, I tuned to 7080 at the usual time, and heard VU2IR calling the net to order. VU2GSM answered, and then – no other caller. Not a single station; I still do not know the reason why. I do not know if any of the old timers remember that day.

I heard Bindu remark:  “the guys are listening but are not checking in; no problem – we can have a chat and wind up”

This went on for a few days, and eventually 7080 was free.  Whatever the reason the net was stopped, there was clearly a necessity for such a net as everyone found it so useful too.

Therefore after waiting for a week or so, I went back to 7080 and asked “is this frequency occupied?” several times and then called the net “This is the Bangalore Net on 7080 – are there any callers?” and so on there were callers and slowly the number returned to the original BARC net days”.

In about a week or so, I heard Bindu telling others on the band that the BARC net is back on – Afterall, what’s in a name?  Bangalore Net is the same as BARC net, on the same frequency”

I did not want to argue with anyone, and I stopped operating the net from the next day and once again the frequency was clear. Honestly,  If I am not wanted by the BARC, I had no business handling their Net. No ego, but on principles.

Around this time, Ramu VU2SRJ was transferred to Hyderabad and so he QSYed there lock-stock-and-barrel.  But he kept in touch with Bangalore, and I used to work him off and on on 20, and sometimes in the morning on 40 too.  He used to put out a good signal on 40 in the mornings.

This gave me an idea!  I spoke to Ramu that evening, and asked him if can make himself free for half an hour in the morning and start the net from Hyderabad – and maybe call it the Charminar Net – so no one will claim it the same as BARC net?

Ramu accepted, and the next morning he was on 7080 calling the CHARMINAR NET – he explained he was operating from Hyderabad and so the icon of the QTH was Charminar and so on.  The net was soon popular.  Everyone came to know, it was not the name of the net - it was the net-control who draws check-ins.

The Charminar Net is active to this day!  That is the story of the first ever NET in India.

A group of amateurs from Chennai led by an old timer Ram (I do not recollect his call) wanted to change the name of the Charminar net - only because, according to them, it was the name of a brand of cheap cigarettes!  I did not agree, and continued the name even after Ramu VU2SRJ was silent-key.  That's a long story but does not belong in this blog.  

As I said earlier, when things are going along smoothly, there is always someone trying to ruin it.

I believe BARC used to meet at the Scouts Headquarters – that was all we heard of the most active club in India for a while. There were no activities.  However, now I am happy to see the BARC has been revived by youngsters – and once again it is active after so many years.

I remember so many things, I can write a book on "my experiences as a ham radio operator" - Hi

Edit:  20 June 2019

I have just heard from Pop VU2POP stating that he was not in the group of hams who started a parallel BARC.  But I had forgotten to include Sam VU2SSC who was with Marcus VU2VTM in that group.  Thanks, Pop