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What Dipu Da says about the book?

About the book Shri D.P. Dey, VU2DPD (fondly I call him Dipu Da) wrote-".... The book describes the basic radio theory and also contains a few pages of questions and answers for the Amateur Radio Operator's Certificate Examination, which is pre-requisite for establishing and operating his own ham radio station. Some circuits of transmitters including the addresses from where PCB can be obtained are also included in the book for the benefit of new licencees. The 60 odd clear photographs and sketches enhance the beauty and quality of the book. Sandeep has written the book in a simple way which is readily intelligible even to a non-technical reader.
This book being the first of its kind in the North East Region and containing almost all information needed to become a ham, will act as a comprehensive guide-book for the learners."
In the foreword, Sandeep writes "The author claims no originality in the book". Sri D.P. Dey (VU2DPD), an experienced ham from Calcutta, after going through the book  gave his remark -"..it is nothing but a humble way to quote himself."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



















 

 

 

 

SCANNING THE WORLD WITH AMATEUR RADIO
-A Guide to establishing your ham radio station
(Published on the Occasion of  Guwahati Book Fair 1993)

I got fascinated with this technical hobby (ham radio) since my schooldays. "Scanning the World with Amateur Radio" was compiled in 1992 when I had ample of time after doing my graduation in "Agriculture"(1992) and virtually living an unemployed life (of course I used to earn my pocket money by writing articles in the newspapers during those days).  In fact I was faded up doing a graduation course of as long as 4 years duration and dropped out (after completing it!) deciding not to do an M.Sc. (which I later on persued in 1994-95 albeit reluctantly and completed with "good marks". I emphasis on "good marks" because I felt that I didn't have the inherent skill to be called a 'gardener' or a 'farmer' or their modern version-'the agricultural scientists'! Probably there was somewhere a broken link that despite being from a farmer's family, my father became a 'Civil Engineer' and then I tried to join that broken link "by".....in the language of Cap'n Fatty Goodlander :"Turning into a fuck'n gardener" ;-)!!) I was fortunate enough to have a supporting family though. I thought of putting my father's old manual typewriter ('Brother' from Japan) to some good work and at the same time wanted to share whatever I learned (in fact I re-wrote the entire Late Saad Ali's, VU2ST book with a pen instead of xeroxing it from a xeroxed version received from my good old friend Deepak Sharma) while trying to become a ham radio operator (I applied for a licence in 1986 but could finally get my licence in 1989). So I started typing the book by collecting matters from various sources. At the same time, I also had a dream to import a sophisticated commercial ham radio equipment (at that time perhaps available for around Rs. 25,000/-) because I was not a very confident homebrewer (I made a VU2VWN QRP CW TX for 40m which was performing somewhat erratically. I even tried putting audio into it for AM and succeeded communicating to a distance of 150 km with my friend Ranjit Da, VU2RCH and Baruah Da, VU2NKB. I got a somewhat better QRP CW TX from Ranjit Da, VU2RCH later on). So, I had to make a choice between investing the money (I was sure to get it from my father who has always been a source of inspiration for me) in buying a commercial equipment or getting my book on ham radio published! As there was no 'creativity' involved in purchasing a ready made equipment (and I was already successfully doing communication using the Morse Code), I thought of becoming myself creative to produce some thing which would be beneficial to the others in the long run! So, my choice is now sitting pretty in front of you! I felt exalted as if I have completed a great project with my father as the sponsor (how many fathers would sponsor such ventures which have no commercial outcome!!)...Now that I have completed a big (!!) project, I jumped into another new project. This is entirely personal and for my own recreation and satisfaction. Then Dipu Da (VU2DPD-who is also a national ham radio net controller of the AIR Net), Baruah Da (VU2NKB) and Ranjit Da (VU2RCH) thought that let this CW operator gets a chance to talk also (I mean SSB). So Dipu Da sent me the layout of the NR-60 through Baruah Da and I made two PCBs of the NR-60 out of the copper clad boards (available at Guwahati!). I assembled the entire thing except the 'coils'! Oh Yeah! I had to come to Delhi for the components which were not available in Guwahati. Mainly the 'crystals' (10 MHz) were not available. It was a week long project. Ranjit Da always loved the company of hams and I felt that he was sincerely inviting me to stay in his house for a week. I shall never forget the hospitality of Ranjit Da (VU2RCH) and his YL (Bijoya baidew), VU3BCH during my stay in their house. My heartliest gratitude to them always. It was because of Ranjit Da's physical and intellectual effort that I could come home with a dual bander (40m and 20m) NR-60 and made thousands of SSB contact with that till 1998. A word of gratitude to Baruah Da, VU2NKB who helped me practicing the Morse Code before the exam. A word of gratitude to my maternal uncle (Shri Kiran Baruah-who is an electrical engineer and renowned in the family for his eccentricity) who presented me the copies of Marvin Tapper's 'Basic Radio'. He purchased each volume for Rs. 1.50/- during his youth at Banaras when he was a student of Banaras Hindu University. They came very handy for me to prepare and learn the ham radio things. This uncle once purchased an entire range of Medical books when my mother had to undergo two operations consecutively! Fortunately those costly volumes were later on utilised by my cousin for her medical study

What Ranjit Da think about my book?
Shri Ranjit Chaliha (Ranjit Da), VU2RCH, an experienced ham and ardent homebrewer (my first fully operational CW transmitter was a QRP milliwatter gifted to me by Ranjit Da. He has an entirely homebrewed ham station to his credit. And he has big quad too! He is infact a genius. Despite being at a remote place he established the first ham radio station in Assam), in his review wrote-" It is obvious that great skill and involvement was necessary to compile all the material and data and put in just 63 pages as text and 42 pages of elaborate and informative appendix.... The profile of amateur radio is quite in dark for many of the common people even for technical persons of India. The time and space is being conquered by the telecommunication and electronics. This book will help the novice to start his work and imbibe immense information to satisfy his inquisitive mind. Meticulous printing, vivid illustrations and lucid description are adding beauty to the book. The book is written in simple language and understandable even to non-technical persons. Few printing mistakes, misplaced technical terms need corrections in subsequent edition."

The book was compiled from the following sources:
100 Great Lives (Vol.1&2):p.146,377Dividends From Space;p.218Encyclopedia Americana,Science Reporter,May                1988,p.290Everyday Electronics & Computer Projects, January 1985, p.40Practical Wireless, March 1984, pp68Electronic    Communication by Robert L. Shrader Basic Radio by Marvin Tepper Radio, Journal of FARSI, April 1978Zero-Beat, Journal  of SPAR.Guide to Amateur Radio in India by Saad Ali, VU2STABC of Amateur Radio in India by Rajesh Verma,                   VU2RVMElectronics For You, March 1985 & May 1988CQ-Amateur Radio.History of Communication-an article written by VU2JYL (published in Zero-Beat)Radio Netherlands Technical Publications.Entertaining Electronics by E. Sedov,pp 146.Far   East Broadcasting Company, Manila, Philippines technical publications
Number of pages: 100+


(Availability: non-laminated vesion of a few copies are available with me)




 


Matters of the Book review are collected from
"On The Air-Bulletin of the Calcutta VHF Amateur Radio Club" and
"Smile Worldwide-Bulletin of DX Network Club"