“VU2LVJ this is VU3ZFD/VU2CLU signing off. 73.”
Vishnu Prasad, a young electronics engineer whose radio call sign is VU3ZFD, concluded the demo radio conversation he had with Lesley Paul(VU2LVJ) residing at Peroorkada. 73 is the old telegraph code for ‘best regards’, while 88 is for ‘hugs and kisses’!
Vishnu switches off the transceiver at the HAM/Amateur radio club(VU2CLU) inside Kerala Science and Technology museum and we go back to join his fellow HAMs of Trivandrum Amateur Radio Society(TARS) who are hard at work, cutting and soldering copper pipes to make a slim-jim antenna used for very high frequency(VHF) communication.
These are people from all walks of life –government employees, medical distributors and doctors, all united by their fascination for Marconi’s wireless wonder. But in this age of internet and mobile phones, what makes HAM radio so special?
“The joy that we get from knowing that we have send a message to another part of the world and that it is being received loud and clear is unparalleled. No amount of communication in social media or messaging applications can give us that high,” says Suwil Wilson(VU2IT), the head of IT division at the Energy Management Centre and the only HAM in in Thiruvananthapuram to receive the DX century club certificate, for communicating with stations in more than 100 countries within an year, from the American Radio Relay league(ARRL).
It is a hobby that takes time, patience and skill. But the minimum qualification, Vishnu says, is to be just 12 years old or above. Then you can apply for a license and a call-sign through the Wireless Planning and Coordination wing of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. You have to pass a test for getting the license. Once you have the licence (and a call sign), a transceiver, a power supply and an antenna, your radio shack is ready to air. “Most HAMS use home-brewed transceivers and antennas. If you can’t do that, then good gadgets are available in the market. I built my own transceiver, amplifier and antenna,” adds Vishnu, whose interest in amateur radio began during his college days when he attended a class on it.
The ability to communicate across geographical and man-made barriers and to space, something that people take for granted nowadays, is what drives most HAMs into investing a considerable amount of their time and money into this activity.
“There are places on earth where there are no permanent residents. That means no telecommunication service. HAMs conduct expeditions to such spots to set-up a temporary station for a while and transmit from there. It is a great achievement. I was fortunate to have been able to communicate with such a station in Mariana Island in Pacific Ocean,”says Suwil. He himself went for an expedition to the Andamans in 2016.
Making friends from all over the world is an added bonus. Unlike ‘friends’ in social media, Suwil quips, these are real and certified individuals. For instance, Ferdy Reynaldo is an Indonesian whom Vishnu befriended through radio. And if you are lucky, there is also a chance to chat with celebrity HAMs.
Recently Suwil had a QSO (code for first contact) with legendary operator K1JT. It is the call-sign of Professor Joseph Hooton Taylor Jr, a Nobel laureate who is a pioneer in the field of radio astronomy and communication.
The reach of HAM radios goes far beyond earth itself. HAMs spend sleepless nights trying to contact the International Space Station(ISS) as well as a number of satellites, as they pass over your station. Some of them even transmit images that can be received and viewed using a computer connected to your transceiver.
Suwil adds,“But you have to be on your toes as the transmission window will be a only few minutes long. I have successfully received an image from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA) weather satellite once.”
Although largely hobbyists, amateur radio operators have made extensive contributions in the field of communication as many of them love tinkering with equipment to make it better and more efficient.
They are also unsung heroes during a crisis, especially when natural disasters strike. During earthquakes, floods and cyclones, communication systems go for a toss. HAMS remain the only means of communication.
“After the 2001 Gujarat earthquake, the Kerala government set-up a HAM radio station inside secretariat to know the whereabouts of Keralites there and some of us were called in to operate. We also did our part during Perumon train disaster,” says P. Alexander(VU2PAG), medical distributor and a senior TARS member. Arun Nair(VU2AMW), a techie and a veteran HAM, believes that amateur radio is a great way to cultivate a scientific culture in the society and give a practical experience to engineers that the country produces every year.
“These days we use all kinds of technology but remain blissfully ignorant of what makes it all work. HAMs, on the other hand, are folks who learn the theory and then build devices using it. So it’s an invaluable experience.”
Birth of HAM
The origin of the word HAM is a topic still under debate. According to ARRL, the word HAM came from the frustrated commercial operators in US who used call amateur operators as ‘hams’ since their activities often interfered with commercial radio broadcast.
HAM is also said to come from the first letters of the surnames of three pioneers, namely Heinrich Hertz, Edwin Armstrong and Gugelimo Marconi, in the field of radio communication.
Another popular story claims HAM as the station call of the Albert.S Hyman, Bob Almy and Poogie Murray, amateurs of Harvard Radio Club who operated the first amateur wireless stations.
Air your message
HAM radio club at Kerala Science and Technology Museum will be open for public to see every week on Thursday and Friday from 4.30 pm to 7 pm. Members of the club will demonstrate the facilities. But only registered HAMs are allowed to operate. Contact: 9400328601