Introduction

        This blogspot is intended to give virtual support to not only the subscribers of this book but also to all those who propose to join this hobby. Kindly use the 'Contact Us' tab and write us your comments/questions and anxieties. What a beginner necessarily requires are the license, enough equipment and a willingness to spare some time. It is not a hobby of compulsory social service; its just a hobby - service is absolutely optional! At least a few belong to the category of those living with a never used license. The hobby is much more than many people have understood it. ‘Gateway to Ham Radio’ is prepared with a view to give everybody a clear vision on its growth, aspects and scope, shedding enough light on all its features too. 

        Anybody can procure a license, provided he passes Amateur Station Operators Certificate (ASOC) exam. What the authorities look for is the applicant's eligibility to handle the hobby. Any aspirant needs only just a pass. The syllabus includes, basic communication electronics and concerned rules and regulations. 12 year old students to retired people join this hobby without difficulty. There are two grades - Restricted and General. At General, a licensee is permitted to use more frequencies and more output power; but he should also know Morse Code. All are free to upgrade his Restricted license anytime. Also know that Morse code is not a big task at all; 30 minutes each regularly for thirty to forty days are more than enough to master this. This helps you to communicate at difficult band conditions, more clearly and  faster than on phone. Earlier, the main hurdle for a beginner was knowing the syllabus and learning the basics. Everyone needed a senior to help. Times have changed, and time and space have shrank considerably. 

        The book ‘Gateway to Ham Radio’ is a complete book, as such. It gives you not only just the necessary study materials but also the working principles of components and gadgets in communication electronics. To the readers convenience, what that are relevant to the exam are marked in bold. 

        The book also contains in it, all the relevant national and international rules and regulations relevant to this hobby, along with operating etiquettes. It also gives you some 150 sample questions and answers. That is, Gateway to Ham Radio is the one book that no beginner SWL or Ham can miss. 

        The one thing that we noticed is that a subscriber/beginner could have some doubts at which he/she may need personal support. Also he/she needs to know the changing rules and practises with this hobby. This blog intends, just the same. All related updates are here and any beginner has an opportunity to ask questions too. 

        We are only glad to accept your recommendations and make corresponding improvements - be it in the future editions of the book or in the blogspot itself. Please see that this service is absolutely free. Also please be warned that the utilisation of these guidelines are to be observed, strictly keeping all the parameters provided and fully under your responsibility. 

        Hope and pray that you all make good use of the service. Do not forget to drop your general comments and suggestions under this post.

    Read below, how it all began and also a few of subscribers' comments. 

        The idea of 'Gateway to Ham Radio' was not new. From the day I got a valid license, I had begun my attempt to build a low cost working gadget that fits my pocket. Because of being an arts student in academic days, I had great trouble in learning communication electronics. It is only because I kept getting all the necessary technical supports in time that I could successfully reach my target, at last. By 1991, I could design and assemble a portable HF transceiver for myself. I thought of sharing my experiences at home brewing, with others and that was the motivation behind an article series. They were published through a Malayalam magazine "Electronics for Everybody." From 1994 until 1999 - altogether 32 chapters were published. 

            

        Because I had to move out of Kerala, for a pretty long time, beginning from 2001, I was totally out of all social activities, ashore. The next Amateur Radio programme I attended was the VWN HAM MEET - 2016, held on 18^th December 2016. 

 

        For a while, I was alone there at the event site - the number of seniors I knew were too small. But one thing surprised me - many new licensees came forward and thanked me for those 'Gateway to Ham Radio' articles, published in the magazine. Nobody had told me till date that those articles were of some critical support. In between, I remember to have received a few requests asking for the full articles or all the magazines with it - I was helpless! Even during this Meet at Aluva, many people asked for its copy. To be frank, that same day I began my attempt to reproduce those articles. The first hurdle was collecting all the relevant issues of the magazine. One another thing that surprised me was the fact that many enthusiasts reported that these magazines are still with them. Jayachandran from Kochi VU3BWB gave me some 25 of them and I could collect the remaining copies from OM Madhu VU3MQK/A65DE and his wife Bindu VU3LWU. Though it took some time, I could prepare a Malayalam soft copy (exact translation) of all these posts. 

        I was about to launch the PDF for free and there came in OM Mukund VU2DRL and OM James VU2 ARL, two of my veteran old friends. They asked a very legible question, "Why don't you prepare an English translation?" If the text is in English, everybody will use it - that was their logic. I also felt it a better idea. Again, all these posts were translated into English. Then these guys came in with another very serious question. They wanted to know who are going to benefit from these posts. The posts were mostly on home brewing and over the decades the trend had terribly changed. According to them, a thorough rethinking was necessary. A detailed book, touching all aspects of Amateur Radio, intended to all sorts of beginners, SWLs or new licensees - had to be cooked. That was however a pretty Herculean task. They were not talking about reshuffling or polishing the work but preparing a totally new book. If I was fully aware of the troubles involved in it, I think, I would not have taken it up. However, both James and Mukund stood by me and my 2018 was fully spent after this book. A lot of fellow Hams also came forward to help and that made everything happen, the way it was intended!

        Then there came in the question of printing the book. It was virtually impossible to find out a kind and tolerant professional, who would agree to work on a book with ever changing texts. Also, I did not love leaving the overall shape of the book totally to a stranger's aesthetic aspirations. Finally, I decided to learn editing and graphics. Subscribed to Adobe's latest InDesign and finally cooked the book in that programme. Between the press and the author, there was only the editorial board! (However, this experience helped me to work out the 2019 Hamfest India souvenir too). 

        As planned, the book came out in time and was released by OM James Kalassery in the presence of entire Indian ham fraternity, during the annual festival of Hams - Hamfest India 2018, held at Bangalore. It got a warm reception. Some 350 copies were sold out on the spot! Not a single negative comment is dropped, till date. 

        I never had thought of a complete revisit of the book at second edition. Thanks to a few updates in WPC rules, some corrections were necessary. It too has ended up in a complete overhauling - adding more data and pages. Simultaneously, I thought of a permanent arrangement to be aside all aspirants - this blogspot supporting the book means that no  aspiring SWL should suffer. 

        Here we have added both English and Malayalam articles. But the contents of the articles do not substitute the book but only remain complementing. They are more focused on home brewing strategies, along with attached theories.

         Anybody is free to copy or use any of the ideas/data or circuits provided in this blogspot, but fully at own individual responsibility. My intention always is that this adds to the growth of Ham Radio in India. If any Clubs/Associations require exclusive support, kindly contact us. 

With regards

Joseph Mattappally VU2JIM

jmattappally@gmail.com

+91 9495875338

A few of the Comments we have received:

"Book is excellent sir." Gopi Shetty

"Excellent work" Konannur Madhukar,

"Thank you, excellent Book. 73 De VU2 VIZ" - Syed Mohiddin Basha

"Yes, OM Joseph Mattappally, your book remain on my table all the time, all the best for ed 2 v.2.0"

"Excellent book and well written - all covered - sort bible for Indian hams dear OM Joseph - must congratulate you for on going process of 2nd edition - well nothing special to add in 2nd edition as most you have carried out in 1st ed itself - what is essential and a must for a SWL and novice - definitely you will update WPC new and latest info.. plus you may add 'Peanut' a small mention in chapter 16 and ((mention only (?) of Hamsphere as its paid portal)) You may add a chapter on VHF repeater with some details if not all of existing working ones in India. a page can be devoted to some useful Ham web links which you can think could be useful .. that's all .. 73 and best of wishes" de VU2BGH Bhogi Gondalia, 

Sir, great I still remember waiting for EFE every month... to read interesting articles including Gateway to Ham Radio... Nimod Achuthan Namboodiri 

Have gone through your book. It's really informative. Thank you - Rajesh VU2ARG

Great, congratulations for all your efforts  - Neelakantan VU3BGK Thiruchirappalli

Hearty congratulations sir - Dr Rangaraja Rao Vijayawada

All the Best Sir. Thanks for your contribution for promotion of HAM radio hobby - Sunil Das VU2SYD, Kolkotta

Great going. Congratulations Sir -  Jatin Shah VU2KWJ/W4KWJ

I have a copy of the book written by you. Great efforts. I have taken some data from this book for my interview to be broadcast through a Community Radio (if possible).  Once again I would like to appreciate your contribution towards Ham Radio.     Pandit VU2DCT Lucknow

Ok Excellent.... -  Tapas Chakraborthy VU2TKC Kolkatta 

Great Job!! Jim, Appreciate the efforts you have put in. Will certainly do so. All the best Good luck... Ram Mohan G Bangalore

Great work Adorable  - Dr Hussain Trivandrum Club

Good venture... congratulations -  Joshi VU2BRJ Belgaum 

I am keeping all the EFE magazine s which are published ur article Gate way to Ham Radio. 73  - Mammu M K.

This is a video SWL Ashraf from Gudalur (Theni, TN), sent to us in March 2021. He used to subscribe to 'Gateway to Ham Radio' Malayalam articles but since he had to go abroad, discontinued chasing Ham Radio. But he had bound all these pages in two volumes. In 2021 he is aback from Dx and now is preparing to appear for the ASOC exam.