Amateur Station Operator's Certificate

Amateur Station Operator's Certificate or ASOC is the examination that needs to be passed to receive an amateur radio licence in India. The exam is conducted by the Wireless and Planning and Coordination Wing (WPC) of the Ministry of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.cite web
last = VU3WIJ
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title = An Introduction to Amateur Radio
work = The Indian Wireless Telegraphs (Amateur Service) Rules, 1978
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url = http://hamradio.in/amateur_radio
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accessdate =2008-07-19] The examination is held in various cities in India on monthly or quarterly basis depending on the size of the city. The licence may be awarded to an individual or a club station operated by a group of licensed amateur radio operators.

The first amateur radio operator was licensed in 1921 during the British rule. Partly due to low awareness among the general population and prohibitive equipment costs, the number of licensed amateur radio operators remained low for several decades. In 1970, there were less than a thousand operators; by 1980, the number had risen to 1,500. In 2000, there were 10,000 operators and as of 2007, there are more than 17,000 licensed users in cite news">url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050304/nation.htm#10|title=Government to promote amateur radio|last=Ramchandran|first=Ramesh|date=2005-03-03|work=The Tribune|accessdate=2008-07-27]

History

of a fictitious amateur radio operator. VU2 is the call-sign of India.The first amateur radio operator in India was Amarendra Chandra Gooptu (callsign 2JK), licensed in 1921.Cite book| last = Missra | first = Avinash | title = Brief History of Amateur Radio in Calcutta | publisher =
year = 1996 | place = Kolkata | series = Hamfest India '96 Souvenir | url = http://www.qsl.net/vu2msy/india.htm | isbn = ] cite book|last=Regal|first=Brian|title=Radio: The Life Story of a Technology|publisher=Greenwood Press|date=2005-09-30|pages=77/152|isbn=0313331677|url=http://books.google.co.in/books?id=N2rNO6FX8o4C&pg=PR18&dq=amateur+radio+india&lr=&client=firefox-a&sig=ACfU3U0o9hoWt5GKWRmx78cvQMhLeqyZKg#PPA77,M1|accessdate=2008-06-30] Later that year, Mukul Bose (2HQ) became the second ham operator, thereby introducing the first two-way ham radio communication in the country. By 1923, there were twenty British hams operating in India. In 1929, the call sign prefix "VU" came into effect in India,cite web|url=http://142.176.174.139:90/OTC/VE1WG%20Maritime%20Radio%20History%20.pdf|title=Historical Notes on Amateur Radio Development with Official License Records for Maritime Provinces 1911 - 1927|last=Gellis|first=Vm J|date=2007|pages=13|accessdate=2008-07-28] replacing three-letter call signs. The first short-wave entertainment and public broadcasting station, "VU6AH", was set up in 1935 by E P Metcalfe, vice-chancellor of Mysore University. However, there were fewer than fifty licence holders in the mid-1930s, most of them British officers in the Indian army.cite web|url=http://www.arsi.info/aboutus.htm|title=About us|publisher=Amateur Radio Society of India|accessdate=2008-07-23]

With the outbreak of World War II in 1939, the British cancelled the issue of new licences.cite web|url=http://www.wr6wr.com/newSite/articles/features/mahatmashams.html|title=The Mahatma's Hams|last=Williamson|first=Owen|date=Williamson|publisher=WorldRadio|accessdate=2008-07-23] All amateur radio operators were sent written orders to surrender their transmitting equipment to the police, both for possible use in the war effort and to prevent the clandestine use of the stations by Axis collaborators and spies.

Temporary amateur radio licences were issued from 1946, after the end of World War II. By 1948, there were 50 amateur radio operators in India, although only a dozen were active. Following India's independence in 1947, the first amateur radio organization, the Amateur Radio Club of India was inaugurated on 15 May, 1948 an the School of Signals at Mhow in Madhya Pradesh. The club headquarters was later moved to New Delhi, where it was renamed the Amateur Radio Society of India (ARSI) on 15 May, 1954. As India's oldest amateur radio organization, ARSI became its representative at the International Amateur Radio Union.cite web|url=http://www.iaru.org/iaru-soc.html|title=Member Societies|publisher=International Amateur Radio Union|accessdate=2008-07-23] In 1952, the Wireless and Planning and Coordination Wing of the Ministry of Communications was created that specifically handled the issue of licences and legislation.

Partly due to low awareness among the general population and prohibitive equipment costs, the number of licensed amateur radio operators did not increase significantly over the next two decades, numbering fewer than a thousand by 1970.cite book| last = Missra | first = Avinash | title = Brief History of Amateur Radio in Calcutta | year = 1996 | place = Kolkata | series = Hamfest India '96 Souvenir | url = http://www.qsl.net/vu2msy/homebrew.htm | isbn = ] CW (Morse code) and AM were the predominant modes at that time. The electronic equipment was mostly valve-based, obtained from Indian army surpluses. During the mid-1960s, the modes of operation saw a change from Amplitude Modulation to Single Side Band (SSB) as the preferred communication mode. By 1980, the number of amateur radio operators had risen to 1,500. In 1984, then Indian Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, waived the import duty for wireless equipment. After this, the number of operators rose steadily, and by 2000 there were 10,000 licensed ham operators. As of 2007, there are more than 16,000 ham radio operators in India.cite news|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050304/nation.htm#10|title=Government to promote amateur radio|last=Ramchandran|first=Ramesh|date=2005-03-03|work=The Tribune|accessdate=2008-07-27]

Licence categories

The Indian Wireless Telegraph (Amateur Service) Rules, 1978 lists five licence categories:Section 5 cite web|url=http://www.arsi.info/images/wpc78full.pdf|title=The Indian Wireless Telegraphs (Amateur Radio) Rules, 1978 |date=1979|work=Ministry of Communications, Government of India|publisher=Controller of Publications, Civil Lines, New Delhi|pages=34|accessdate=2008-08-03]
# Advanced Amateur Wireless Telegraph Station Licence
# Amateur Wireless Telegraph Station Licence, Grade–I
# Amateur Wireless Telegraph Station Licence, Grade–II
# Restricted Amateur Wireless Telegraph Station Licence
# Short Wave Listener's Amateur Wireless Telegraph Station Licence (SWL)

To obtain a licence in the first four categories, candidates must pass the Amateur Station Operator's Certificate examination.Section 7 cite web|url=http://www.arsi.info/images/wpc78full.pdf|title=The Indian Wireless Telegraphs (Amateur Radio) Rules, 1978|date=1979|work=Ministry of Communications, Government of India|publisher=Controller of Publications, Civil Lines, New Delhi|pages=34|accessdate=2008-08-03] This examination is held monthly in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai), every two months in Ahmedabad, Nagpur and Hyderabad, and every four months in some smaller cities.Appendix II cite web|url=http://www.arsi.info/images/wpc78full.pdf|title=The Indian Wireless Telegraphs (Amateur Radio) Rules, 1978|date=1979|work=Ministry of Communications, Government of India|publisher=Controller of Publications, Civil Lines, New Delhi|pages=34|accessdate=2008-08-03] The examination consists of two 50-mark written sections: Radio theory and practice, Regulations; and a practical test consisting of a demonstration of Morse code proficiency in both sending and receiving.Annexure III, Appendix I, Section 2.3 cite web|url=http://www.arsi.info/images/wpc78full.pdf|title=The Indian Wireless Telegraphs (Amateur Radio) Rules, 1978|date=1979|work=Ministry of Communications, Government of India|publisher=Controller of Publications, Civil Lines, New Delhi|pages=34|accessdate=2008-08-03] After passing the examination, the candidate must then clear a police interview. After clearance, the WPC grants the licence along with the user-chosen call sign. This procedure can take up to 12 months.cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Ham_operators_are_a_cut_above_the_rest/articleshow/2063133.cms|title=Ham operators are a cut above the rest|date=2007-05-21|work=Times of India|publisher=Times Group|accessdate=2008-07-25]

ee also

* Amateur radio in India
* Amateur radio callsigns of India

Further reading

* Citation
last = Verma
first = Rajesh
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title = ABC of Amateur Radio and Citizen Band
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publisher = EFY Publications
year = 1988
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* Citation
last = Ali
first = Saad
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title = Guide To Amateur Radio In India
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publisher = E.M.J. Monteiro
year = 1985
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References

*Note:ref|callsign|* Indian call signs do not use numbers as an identifier. This picture is for demonstration purposes only.

External links

* [http://www.hamradioindia.org/amateur_radio/ Hamradioindia.org - An Introduction to Amateur Radio]