Wireless Planning and Coordination Wing (WPC) Department of Telecom (DoT) Amendment for Amateur Radio Operations in India
Summary of Amendments made to rules applicable for Amateur Radio Operations in India.
Guidelines and clarification with respect to:
- Indian Wireless Telegraph (Amateur Service) Amendment Rules, 2009 dated 1st April, 2010 and
- Indian Wireless Telegraph (Amateur Service) Amendment Rules, 2005 dated 9th June, 2005
| Sr. No. | Category | Existing Rules | Amended Rules |
| 1. | Licenser categories | 1. Adv. Grade 2. Gr. I 3. Gr. II 4. Gr. II (R) 5. SWL |
1. General 2. Restricted |
| 2. | Examination Fee | Rs.10 (Rest. & Gr. II), Rs. 20(Gr. - I), Rs. 25 (Adv. Gr.) |
Rs. 100/- for each grade |
| 3. | Period of Validity | 2 years initial / 5 years renewal | 20 years initial / lifetime renewal |
| 4. | Licence Fee | Rs. 25 (Rest. & Gr. II), Rs. 40 (Gr. I), Rs. 50 (Adv. Gr.) for 2 years ----------------------------------- Rs. 60 (Rest.& Gr.lI), Rs. 40 (Gr.-I), Rs. 50 (Adv. Gr.) for 5 years |
Rs.1000/- for 20 years intially ------------------------ Rs. 2000/- for lifetime renewal for each grade |
| 5. | Renewal | Rs. 25 (Rest. & Gr. II), Rs. 40 (Gr. I), Rs. 50 (Adv. Gr.) for 2 years ----------------------------------- Rs. 60(Rest.& Gr.lI), Rs. 40 (Gr.-I), Rs. 50 (Adv. Gr.) for 5 years |
Rs. 1000/- for 20 years ---------------------- Rs. 2000/- for lifetime for each grade |
| 6. | Period of late renewal and surcharge | 5 Years Limit ----------------------------------- Rs. 10/- for every half year |
5 Years Limit ---------------------- Rs. 100/- for every half year or part thereof |
| 7. | Fee for change of location | Rs. 5/- | Rs. 200/- |
| 8. | Fee for mobile endorsement | Rs. 10/- | Rs. 200/- |
| 9. | Fee for issue of duplicate license | Rs. 10/- | Rs. 100/- |
| 10. | Fee for issue of duplicate renewal license slip | Rs. 5/- | Rs. 100/- |
Buying small packets of silica gel in Mumbai
Since Mumbai is a coastal city, many HAM Radio Operators need to take good care of their Radio Sets, Amplifiers and other equipment which is easily susceptible to moisture. Although there are many sophisticated gadgets like dehumidifiers which are available, Silica Gel is the age old tried and tested method.
Silica Gel can be used to remove any type of moisture from any type of equipment chassis or component.
The problem is finding retail sachets or packets of it.
Today I picked up some sachets of Silica Gel, which were pretty reasonably priced from:
Amrutlal Bhurabhai & Co.
Anand Bhuvan, Ground Floor, 17, Babu Genu Road,
Princess Street, Mumbai - 400002.
+91-22-2201-1023 / +91-22-2201-1024 / +91-22-2201-9187
http://amrut.in
Pricing:
25 gms @ Rs. 8/-
10 gms @ Rs. 5/-
5 gms @ Rs. 3/-
Taxes Extra
* Prices may vary from time to time.
How to Apply to Department of Telecomm. (DoT) WPC for a Duplicate Amateur Radio License
The following steps will help you to obtain a duplicate Amateur Station Operator's license from WPC, incase your license is lost / destroyed / mutilated or torn.
Step 1:
File an FIR with your local police station.
Step 2:
Write the application letter or use the below mentioned draft letter.
In the following draft, you only need to replace the details in green with your details.
Duplicate Amateur License Draft for WPC
Step 3:
Make a Demand Draft of *Rs. 10 (Ten Rupees Only) drawn only through State Bank of India in favour of PAO (HQ), DoT, New Delhi - Payable at New Delhi, Service Branch No. 7687. Refer to this guide for help on making the DD.
* The 2005 Amendment has revised the fees from Rs. 10 to Rs. 100. The implemented changes will be visible on the WPC Website.
Step 4:
Attach 1 unstamped envelope of size 23 cm x 15 cm with your address written on it, to the application letter, so that the duplicate license can be sent in it.
Step 5:
- Application for Duplicate License
- Demand Draft of Rs. 10* (or Rs. 100 as per 2005 Amendment)
- 2 Passport Size Photographs
- Self-Addressed Envelope
- Original FIR - Remember to keep a copy
- Copy of your lost / mutilated license (if you have it with you)
All the above must be sent to:
The Assistant Wireless Advisor to Govt. of India,
Ministry of Communication & Information Technology,
Department of Telecommunications (DoT), (WPC Wing),
Amateur Section, 6th Floor, Room No. 616 / 619, Sanchar Bhavan,
Parliament Street, NEW DELHI – 110 001.
Relevant Sections from THE INDIAN WIRELESS TELEGRAPH (AMATEUR SERVICE) RULES, 1978 - as amended by
The Indian Wireless Telegraphs (Amateur Service) Amendment Rules, 1984:
20. Loss and Issue of Duplicate of Licence and Document showing the Renewal of Licence:
(1) A person whose Licence or the document showing the renewal of licence has been lost, mutilated or destroyed shall notify the same to the Central Government.
An application in Annexure VII of these rules for the duplicate shall be made to the Central Government embodying a statement of the circumstances involved in the loss, mutilation or destruction of the licence or the document showing the renewal of licence for which a duplicate is required.
If the licence or the document showing the renewal of licence has been lost, the applicant must state the circumstance in which it was lost and the reasonable search has been made for it, and further that in the event it be found, either the original or the duplicate shall be returned for cancellation.
The mutilated licence or the document showing the renewal of licence for which the duplicate is required should be forwarded alongwith the application for cancellation.
(2) The Central Government may issue duplicate copy of any licence or the document showing the renewal of the licence and the following charges shall be levied for such issue-
(i) For duplicate of licence - Rs. 10
(ii) For duplicate of the document showing the renewal of licence - Rs. 5
How to fill in a Demand Draft (DD) Application Form for State Bank of India (SBI)
State Bank of India Demand Draft Application
--------------
All aspiring HAM Radio Operators, appearing for the Amateur Station Operators License Examination, need to send a Demand Draft to the Department of Telecomm. through State Bank of India.
The Demand Draft Application process can be quite time consuming and you may be quite lost if you have not read these instructions.
The following is a Step-by-Step guide on how to apply for a Demand Draft at State Bank of India as per the WPC guidelines. It is also applicable to any common person also applying for a DD at SBI.
Step I:
Go to any SBI Branch close to you. You can use the branch locator by clicking on this link:
http://www.statebankofindia.com/user.htm?action=branchlocator
Step II:
On reaching the branch get a Demand Draft / Banker's Cheque Application Form from the Customer Help Desk Counter. It will look like the application form in the illustration above.
Step III:
Fill in the Application Form, according to the guidelines given below: (Refer to illustration)
Main Form on left side, circled in Red:
- Name of the Branch you are currently applying to for the Demand Draft.
- Put a tick mark on the Draft option to select it, since this is a dual form for Bankers Cheque too.
- Write the current date.
- As per WPC guidelines, the DD is to be made in favour of "PAO (HQ), DoT, New Delhi"
- Fill in the amount (in words) for which you have to make the DD. For Grade I license it is Rs. 100 and for Grade II license it is Rs. 60. Please verify the amount as per current rules, before filling it in.
- At the "Payable At" field, fill in "New Delhi"
- At the "Payable At Branch" field, fill in "Service"
- The applicants signature comes here.
- Write down your Full Name and Residential address (preferably how it appears in your ASOC Application Form).
- Fill in the Amount of DD (Either Rs. 60 / 100 as per requirement) and Fill in the Exchange / Commission Amount (Rs. 30 for amounts below 10,000 as per http://www.statebankofindia.com/user.htm). Total it up in the Total field.
- Signature of the receiver comes here. You may sign here beforehand, except if another person will be collecting it on your behalf.
Step IV:
Fill in the Counter Foil on the right side of the form, circled in Orange:
- Write the current date.
- Write down your Full Name as it appears on the main form.
- As per WPC guidelines, the DD is to be made in favour of "PAO (HQ), DoT, New Delhi"
- At the "Payable At / Branch" field, fill in "Service Branch, New Delhi"
- Fill in the amount (in words) for which you have to make the DD. For Grade I license it is Rs. 100 and for Grade II license it is Rs. 60. Please verify the amount as per current rules, before filling it in.
- Fill in the Amount of DD (Either Rs. 60 / 100 as per requirement) and Fill in the Exchange / Commission Amount (Rs. 30 for amounts below 10,000 as per http://www.statebankofindia.com/user.htm). Total it up in the Total field.
Step V:
Submit this application form at the appropriate window. Your Demand Draft will be printed within 30 minutes and given to you.
This DD has to be submitted with the required documents, to WPC as per the guidelines issued.
Frequencies
Very Low Frequency (VLF)
- 3-30 KHz
- Also known as Surface Waves
- Propogation / Transmission through the surface of the earth
- Radiation range is thousands of kilometers
- Requires large transmission power due to absorption by the earth.
- Wavelength is very high
- Huge antenna structures required
- Waveband is not preferred by HAMs
Low Frequency (LF)
- 30-300 KHz
- Progopation same as VLF
- Range same as VLF
- Limitations same as VLF
- This wave band is used for Ship-shore navigational aids.
Medium Frequency
- 300-3000 KHz
- Also known as Tropospheric Waves
- Propogation / Transmission through the troposphere
- Popular Medium Wave (MW)
- Radiation range is upto 700 km during the day but increases during the night
- Requires large transmission power due to absorption by the earth.
- Wavelength is high
- Huge antenna structures required
- Waveband is not preferredby HAMs
High Frequency (HF)
- 3-30 MHz
- Also known as Sky Waves
- Most popular short wave band.
- World Wide Communication for all services including Amateur Bands
- Waves travel from the antenna, into the Ionosphere and reflected to a distant point.
- The wave encircles the globe (circumference of 40,087 Kms) in 150 milliseconds over 300,000 hops.
- The reflected distance depends upon the angle of radiation from the antenna with respect to the earth. Radiation angle determines the distance coverage, which in turn increases the reflected angle. The effect is extended distance coverage. Lowering the antenna height produces the inverse effect.
Very High Frequency (VHF)
- 30 - 300 MHz
- This wave penetrates the ionosphere and does not reflect back to earth, hence long distance communication is not possible.
- It is also known as space wave.
- It is most effective for line of sight communication and local mobile operation.
- The range of this wave is dependant on the height of the antenna. The higher the antenna, the larger the range.
- The normal average range is 50-75 Kms., and with an antenna can extend beyond 100 Kms.
Ultra High Frequency (UHF)
- 300 - 3000 MHz
- Similar to the VHF and also works for Line of Sight Communication (Space Waves)
- Penetration into the ionosphere is even sharper than VHF and thus works very well for satellite communication and outer space communication (like with the moon or space crafts).
- HAMs also use the lower part of this band for local communication just like VHF, but the Line of Sight is more critical here.
Super High Frequency (SHF)
- 3 - 30 GHz
- Similar to UHF and is exclusively used for space communication.
- Requires precise alignment of both Rx and Tx antennas.
- This frequency on commercial bands is used for TV and Radio Relay using Geo Stationery satellites in space and dish antennas on earth.
Extremely High Frequency (EHF)
- 30 - 300 GHz