Thats true HAM spirit :

I am posting an email send by my friend VU2IIA-OM Mahesh. He is a real gem of a person. Great home brewer and the technical fellow behind this Matheran repeater. Just read this email and you will come to know about his humble nature. Truely showing HAM spirit in each and every aspect.

This was the Email:

Matheran repeater signal report

Hi,

Team has made some changes to Matheran repeater, we are now using Heliax cable and 6db stack 5/8 antenna along with 2 lightening arrestors one fitted blow antenna and another near duplexer.

ERP is about 10-12 watts due to low loss cable. We need signal report from hams in and around Mumbai, your report will help us in getting most out of the repeater.

I once again say that this is an open project, your technical skill and knowledge is more than welcome.

We all hams of Mumbai would like to thank VU2GT for donating Heliax cable and Stack 5/8 antenna for this project, we also appreciate his guidance and time given to us.

Regards,
VU2IIA

ONE WORLD ONE LANGUAGE.

NO CLUBS - NO GROUPISM - ONLY Help All Mankind (HAM) RADIO.

Handling Disaster :

Communication in disaster situations would be handled by nets there is a second kind of emergency; those that happen randomly. Although rare in this age of cellphones, you may be called upon to deal with things like traffic accidents, fires, medical emergencies and such where emergency services need to be summoned. It is important these situations are handled correctly. People's lives may depend on what you do in these moments.

Initiating an emergency call:

•Tune to a frequency that is in use locally, if possible.
•Set your transmitter on maximum power.
•Wait for a gap between transmissions.
•Say "BREAK BREAK BREAK this is" followed by your callsign and Requesting emergency assistance.
•Wait to be acknowledged.
•State the nature and location of the emergency.
•Remain on the frequency for further communications.
•Remain on scene until help arrives.

When you hear an emergency call:

•IMMEDIATELY suspend all other communications.
•Acknowledge the breaking party and ask what he needs.
•Be sure to get the nature and location of the emergency.
•Contact the appropriate authorities and give them the information.
•Keep the frequency clear for the person with the emergency.
•Do not leave the frequency until the situation is handled.

If you are unable to assist:

•Say you are unable to assist.
•Ask if there is anyone on frequency who can assist.
•If there is nobody else... handle it!

Never call "Break" except in a real emergency.

Late Prime Minister Of India - VU2RG :

It was only in 1984 when OM. Rajiv Gandhi, VU2RG (now this callsign has been assigned to club station of Rajiv Gandhi Foundation), who was a ham himself,became Prime Minister of India, import duty for wireless equipment was low for amateur radio operators. This gave a fillip to amateur radio and with that the ham population started rising. Today it has crossed the 18,000 mark. OM. Rajiv Gandhi was a keen enthusiast of HAM RADIO and was in touch with friends through Amateur Radio all over the world. He avidly pursued the interest since 1974, when he received his amateur Radio Licence. OM. Rajiv Gandhi, in his short span of five years in office as Prime Minister of India, galvanised India by awakening in its desire to move purposefully into the 21st century. He was instrumental in promoting Amateur Radio activities in India. And also He was a moderniser and reformer.

The former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi was an active amateur radio operator even at the height of a busy political like and was committed to the promotion of HAM Radio activities, recalled YL. Sonia Gandhi, VU2SON, chairperson, Rajiv Gandhi Foundation. Till a few hours before his assassination, he was 'on air,' making his last call from Visakhapatnam on May 21, 1991 in the midst of a hectic election tour, she said. He used the HAM radio intensively while flying around as the Prime Minsiter.

courtesy vu2sdu

VU3MHC----------Silent Key :

I had gone to my native place Jamnagar from 4th. May to 20th. May, 2008. On 8th. May, 2008 I got a SMS from my friend vu2wsm that vu3mhc had fallen accidentally at his home QTH and had broken two ribs has been hospitalized.

On 10th. May, 2008 as vu3mhc had been hospitalized I called him on his cell phone but there was no reply from his side, at around 21.15 IST, I again tried it but no response. At around 21.43 IST I got SMS from my friend vu2wsm that vu3mhc is no more (Silent Key).

It was shocking news something hard to believe I received similar SMS from vu2osk also and it was confirmed news. vu3mhc was a good friend, myself along with vu2iia, vu2ubp, vu2wsm,vu3slj and sometimes vu2vvp all used to rag chew for almost hour or more. Minoo used to go regularly to Lonavala on weekends and the best part of Minoo was his description of Lonavala while rag chewing was so nice that we had a virtual Lonavala in front of us.

Minoo provided communication support at par excellence during Gujarat earthquake, At times also acted as relay station when the teams were in skip.And passed messages via radio from the local people who were the victim of the disaster were passed to the relatives.

It is still hard to believe that Minoo is silent key now. But one thing is very true we will be missing vu3mhc a lot. The only thing which hurts me that Minoo wanted to have an eyeball but somehow or the other is kept pending and we never had an eyeball. This time I confirmed to Minoo that after coming from vacation as he insisted all of our friends will be having an eyeball but.........

May his soul rest in peace.

TARA's Matheran Repeater (frequency changed) :

This is to inform you all that onwards this Monday, the 12th of MAY 2008, Thane Amateur Radio Association (TARA) Matheran Repeater frequency has been changed to 145.000 + 600 Kc's & with it's original Call Sign VU2BBB which will be installed in the nearby, after it has been programmed.

We are very much thank full to Bombay Repeater Society ,& especially to VU2NA - OM SHASHI PUROHIT, VU2KQY - OM KETAN MEHTA & our Honorary Member VU2GT - OM GEORGE PHILIPS for providing us the Cavity Duplexer.

Also special thanks to VU2HSL - OM HOMI LORDS , Owner of Lords Hotel, Matheran,who literally dragged the M.S.E.B. linesmen from Matheran Station till Dasturi & further ahead & without whose help it would have been impossible for us to restore the AC power supply. He was also kind enough in personally visiting the repeater site & providing us Snacks at the site.

VU2 IIA - OM Mahesh & SWL Bijoy

Also would like to mention here about the hard work & efforts taken for reprogramming, fine tuning & installing the Repeater & the Cavity Duplexer by VU2IIA - OM MAHESH VHATKER & SWL BIJOY PHILIP in assisting him in the whole task.

This MATHERAN REPEATER is dedicated in the loving memory of VU3MHC - Silent Key MINOO CONTRACTOR.

3rd Himalayan Contest 2008 :

Date: 31st May 2008 0200 UTC(0730 IST) to 01st June 2008 1400
UTC(1930 IST).

Bands: 1.8 to 28 MHz bands except WARC Bands.

Modes: CW, SSB, Mixed.

Contest Call: VUs call "CQ Himalaya" in SSB and "CQ HC" in CW.

Category: Single Operator Single Band CW or SSB or Mixed.

Single Operator Multi Bands CW or SSB or Mixed

SWLs: Multiband CW or SSB or Mixed

Exchange: VUs give "six digit PIN code" combination to VUs.

Restriction: A particular VU can be worked only once in any band
irrespective of Mode.

No DX QSOs please. Only VU-VU QSOs. If you work VU2ABC
on 7 cw, no need to work him again on any other band or mode.

Scoring: Every QSO with a unique PIN code is 1 point.

All VUs located in States like JK,HP,UP,SK, WB,AS,AR
count for 5 points each.

They have either the foothills or the Himalayan range
in their State.

Bonus: Every CW QSO gives 5 points Bonus.

SWLs: VU SWLs must report complete 2-way QSOs of contest stations. Every
station can be logged only once.

A complete QSO between VU and VU gives 5 points on any band.

Multipliers: Every unique exchange which a VU station gives is a
multiplier.

Example: 600042,602002, 615003, 695403,560075, 571313
etc are different multipliers.

A multiplier is counted only once for all bands taken
together.

Final Score: It is the (sum of QSO points from individual band/bands)
multiplied by the (sum of multipliers from individual band/bands)

Logs: Mark each log sheet with your call sign and category.

Kindly send your logs by POST ONLY, to the

Contest Manager VU2UR Arasu, MIG-6, 80 Feet Road, Kengeri
Upanagara, Bangalore 560060, India,

before the expiry of 30 days from the last day of the Contest.

Awards to be issued:

For VU stations, top three in every category get certificates.

For VU SWLs, suitable certificates are going to be issued.

Shri Jagdish Chandra Bose :

Father of wireless communication

In 1895 Shri J.C. Bose gave his first public demonstration of wireless electromagnetic waves at Presidency collage in Kolkata he sent wireless signals with the help of remote control instruments developed and constructed by himself. He also transmitted wireless signals to a one mile distance.

In 1897 Bose demonstrated wireless signals to scientists at the Royal Society of Science in London. At this demo Marconi was present. He used the wavelenght of 12.5MM & 5MM. The first wireless signaling experiment by Marconi on Salisbury Plain in England was done in may 1897. Popov in Russia was still working on basics of remote signaling in 1897. Bose developed "iron-mercury-iron coherer" the sensitive telephone detector in 1898 for his detailed experiment in wireless communication. The report about this was published in the proceedings of the Royal Society dated 27th. April,1899. Marconi used this details of mercury coherer in his transatlantic communication from Newfoundland on 12th. December,1901. Marconi also used the sensitive semiconductor device invented by Bose.

Shri J.C. Bose described at the Royal Institute in London, his research work on millimeter wavelengths. He used waveguide, horn antennas, dielectric lenses, polarizers and semiconductors of which some equipments are still exhibited at the Bose Institute at Kolkata. Some of his ideas and concepts from 1897 are incorporated in 1.3MM multi beam receiveron NARO12meter telescope at TUSCAN, Arizona in USA. Sir Neville Mott, Noble laureate in 1977 remarked "Bose was at least 60 years ahead of his time & anticipated use of P-type & N-type semiconductors.

Thanks to VU2DSI, OM Dattaji, OM Arasuji & Ham Radio News

The thrill of wireless :

"Wireless is a thrilling pastime. Fancy a boy sitting in his room at home with his fingers on a telegraph key and a telephone receiver to his ear listening-in to the news of the world as it is flashed out from the great coast stations or by ships far out at sea! It's a great experience. Yet thousands of boys are doing this wonderful thing every day and night of the year, and you, my young friend, can do it as easily as they, for any boy can own a real wireless station, if he really wants to."

A. Frederick Collins, The Book of Wireless, 1915.