Shravanabelagola, January 10, 2006: For the first time in the history of Mahamastabhisheka, the celebrations will be live on Ham Radio.
According to Ajoy – VU2JHM – Special Event Station – Coordinator, an Amateur (Ham) Radio Special Event Station will become operational and offer Amateur Radio Service by licensed Ham Volunteers to assist the organizers in Communication at Shravanabelogola.
All Amateur (Ham) Radio licenses working from India do have their call sign prefix starting with VU2 or VU3. On occasion of Mahamastabhishekha Special Event a unique Callsign as “AT6MM” denoting the 2006 Mahamastabhisheka is due from Ministry of Communication & Information Technology, Government of India, New Delhi.
Amateur (Ham) Radio Volunteers are know for their valuable humanitarian service of providing vital communication whenever there is a Disaster as Earthquake, Floods, Cyclone, Wide Spread Fire from the affected place to rest of the world and vice versa.
At normal times they are either experimenting with their wireless equipment, antenna gadgets or taking part in a world wide event sitting in their homes either talking, using Morse key or connecting their computer. They do have lots of contests, which could be like working maximum countries (Zones) over weekend on one band or different band and different modes (voice, Morse, digital). They do voluntarily participate in Car Rallies, National Games to assist the organizers, very rare that they come for Religious events such as Sagar Mela in West Bengal and never participate in Political, Business events.
Volunteers who would be assisting the organizers would be on UHF and VHF hand held transreceivers with few base station equipments both fixed and mounted on vehicles to ensure quick communication handling messages of public safety, crowd control, missing people info anticipated out of the 30 Lakh visitors expected at this celebrations.
The Special Event Station at Shravanabelogola would be a High Frequency (HF) Station with capability of contacting many stations of the world with power of 100 watts on lower side band for 40 meters (7 MHz) and on upper side band for other bands.
Plans to link internet with local VHF thru VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) using Echolink is also worked out from the State of Art Media centre of Shravanabelogola apart from other Chat utility for those who are on this medium of communication.
These Amateur (Ham) Radio Volunteers are mainly from Bangalore City which has most Ham Radio Licencees in our country, there are dedicated ones who are expected from other states also to come as this Special event HF station would be active 24 hours of day and night and keeping it warm for full Mahamastabhisheka Celebrations needs more volunteers too.
Special QSL (acknowledgement) card would be provided for every QSO (contact) made to this Mahamastabhishekha Amateur (Ham) Radio Station, which would be sent through their bureau, and those who wish to get by airmail are requested to send one International Reply Coupon.
“To enable proper liaison amongst this technical hobby, Hassan Deputy Commissioner and President, Mahamastabhisheka Committee has nominated me as Special Event Station – Coordinator,” says Ajoy.
Few of the Celebrity Hams are: Amateur Radio Callsign Name of the Person Designation
1 VU2DMK Dayanaidhi Maran Hon. Minister of Communication, GoI
2 VU2SON Mrs. Sonia Gandhi Congress Party Leader
3 VU2PGY Mrs. Priyanka Gandhi D/o Sonia Gandhi
4 VU2AMY Mr.Amitabh Bachchan Noted Cine Actor
5 VU2HAS Mr. Kamala Hassan Noted Cine Actor
6 VU2SCU Mr. Charu Hassan Noted Cine Actor
7 VU2SLW Mr. Madhu Bangarappa Ex Minister and noted Cine Actor
8 VU3KMV Mr. Kumara Bangarappa Noted Cine Actor
9 VU3MSQ Mr. Shivaraj Kumar Noted Cine Actor
10 VU3VIP Mr. Krishnamurthy KB Member of Parliament
11 VU3DGK Mr. Dinesh Gundurao MLA.
Further details the media may contact
Lion Ajoy – VU2JHM, Special Event Station – Co-coordinator, Email: lionajoy@yahoo.com, Off Phone 080-22356399, Res 080-23442600 – Jain Heritage Centres News Service (JHCNS)