VU2RJV SR

Brigadier Rajaram Srinivasan

I was introduced to the wonderful world of amateur Radio by my father in 1974-75 and then got a chance through my school to join a course in VITM, Bangalore under VU2VTM OM Marcus in 1975. I passed the Grade-I license exam but was told that I was too young (15 years old) to be granted a license! I then joined NDA in 1976 and later passed out of IMA and served in the Indian Army till June 2015 and retired as a Brigadier. In 1991, I got selected for an adventure sailing expedition to the Persian Gulf from Kochi and re-wrote the exam and got my HAM license. My experience in the Olympic sport of competitive sailing including two National titles and participation in two World Sailing Championships proved to be the tipping point in my selection because of my skill in sailing the boat in rough seas during trial sorties in Kochi. I could not be an active HAM much except for the expedition duration of about three months due to exigencies of military service. However, I managed to set up a station in 1993-94 using a discarded service HF radio and was very lucky to have QSOs  with my friend VU2MSW, Cdr MS Prakash in Antarctica and relayed important information for the expedition members. After retiring in June 2015, I contacted OM Sinosh of SIARS  and with their wonderful help set up my shack in my QTH at Ashok Nagar from where I operate on VHF with my Baofeng handy and a homebrewed slimjim. I have a UBitx in listening mode with a long-wire antenna but am yet to set up my HF antenna for any tx. I am greatly pleased to note that world-wide interest in this wonderful hobby has picked up with new digital modes, echolink, satellite repeaters etc. I am indeed grateful and glad to be part of this world of HAMs!