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Photos: Socialising via Ham radio in the age of social media

In the age of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, a community of amateur radio buffs or ‘hams’ communicates through morse code and the jargon of the air waves through elaborate radio set-ups or ‘shacks’ in their homes. Delhi’s community of hams comprises individuals who have been hooked to a world of incidental human interactions, communicating with each other for decades. And with Delhi’s hams continuing to share their lives with each other, this medium of communication is far from fading out.

Updated on: Mar 19, 2019 4:01 PM IST

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Rahul Kapoor speaks to a fellow ‘ham’ at his residence at Surya Niketan in New Delhi. Kapoor, 69, is part of Delhi’s small community of amateur radio buffs or hams, thriving even in this age of the internet. While Bangalore is known as India’s capital of ham radio — hailed as the first true social networking — Delhi too has hams, who have set up amateur radio stations or ‘shacks’ at their homes. (Sanjeev Verma / HT Photo)

Updated on Mar 19, 2019 4:01 PM

Rahul Kapoor speaks to a fellow ‘ham’ at his residence at Surya Niketan in New Delhi. Kapoor, 69, is part of Delhi’s small community of amateur radio buffs or hams, thriving even in this age of the internet. While Bangalore is known as India’s capital of ham radio — hailed as the first true social networking — Delhi too has hams, who have set up amateur radio stations or ‘shacks’ at their homes. (Sanjeev Verma / HT Photo)

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Kapoor’s interest in amateur radio began in 1963, when a friend bought an old crystal set. “We could hear various Delhi stations on it, and I was so fascinated. But a radio was a great luxury those days, cost about a month’s salary,” he said. So, in 1967, he decided to assemble his own radio. He was only 16 when he got his ham licence. (Sanjeev Verma / HT Photo)

Updated on Mar 19, 2019 4:01 PM

Kapoor’s interest in amateur radio began in 1963, when a friend bought an old crystal set. “We could hear various Delhi stations on it, and I was so fascinated. But a radio was a great luxury those days, cost about a month’s salary,” he said. So, in 1967, he decided to assemble his own radio. He was only 16 when he got his ham licence. (Sanjeev Verma / HT Photo)

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Rajesh Chandwani (L) and Pradeep Kumar at the ham station in Chandwani’s house in Gurugram. Kumar, a ham for the past 41 years, is also a secretary of DARTS (Delhi Amateur Radio Technical Society), the capital’s most active amateur radio club. What gives these hobbyists, aged 20 to 85, the thrill is the ability to communicate without a service provider, through voice and Morse Code. (Yogendra Kumar / HT Photo)

Updated on Mar 19, 2019 4:01 PM

Rajesh Chandwani (L) and Pradeep Kumar at the ham station in Chandwani’s house in Gurugram. Kumar, a ham for the past 41 years, is also a secretary of DARTS (Delhi Amateur Radio Technical Society), the capital’s most active amateur radio club. What gives these hobbyists, aged 20 to 85, the thrill is the ability to communicate without a service provider, through voice and Morse Code. (Yogendra Kumar / HT Photo)

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Radio antenna at Chandwani’s residence. Chandwani, 50, has one of Delhi-NCR’s biggest shacks and is thrilled whenever he establishes contact with faraway individuals from varied professions. The unique jargon of hamdom, which believes in the philosophy of ‘One World One Language’, has its own special words, phrases, Q-Codes and numbers -- 73 means ‘best wishes’, and 88 means ‘love and kisses’. (Yogendra Kumar / HT Photo)

Updated on Mar 19, 2019 4:01 PM

Radio antenna at Chandwani’s residence. Chandwani, 50, has one of Delhi-NCR’s biggest shacks and is thrilled whenever he establishes contact with faraway individuals from varied professions. The unique jargon of hamdom, which believes in the philosophy of ‘One World One Language’, has its own special words, phrases, Q-Codes and numbers -- 73 means ‘best wishes’, and 88 means ‘love and kisses’. (Yogendra Kumar / HT Photo)

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QSL cards at Mohammad Sofi’s residence in New Delhi. Like other passionate hams, Sofi has hundreds of QSL cards received from stations all over the world with call sign, date, time, location and signal quality. Some have photographs of the senders and their neighbourhoods. “These are among my most prized possessions; the memories, and proofs of the contacts I made with fellow hams around the world,” he said. (Biplov Bhuyan / HT Photo)

Updated on Mar 19, 2019 4:01 PM

QSL cards at Mohammad Sofi’s residence in New Delhi. Like other passionate hams, Sofi has hundreds of QSL cards received from stations all over the world with call sign, date, time, location and signal quality. Some have photographs of the senders and their neighbourhoods. “These are among my most prized possessions; the memories, and proofs of the contacts I made with fellow hams around the world,” he said. (Biplov Bhuyan / HT Photo)

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An amateur radio buff for 29 years, 56-year-old Sofi likes to homebrew his own equipment. he spends two hours – between 8:30 and 10:30 pm every day — designing new circuits, testing his equipment with other stations for signal and voice quality. Sofi says ham radio is a calling of those who are passionate about electronics and have a scientific bent of mind. (Biplov Bhuyan / HT Photo)

Updated on Mar 19, 2019 4:01 PM

An amateur radio buff for 29 years, 56-year-old Sofi likes to homebrew his own equipment. he spends two hours – between 8:30 and 10:30 pm every day — designing new circuits, testing his equipment with other stations for signal and voice quality. Sofi says ham radio is a calling of those who are passionate about electronics and have a scientific bent of mind. (Biplov Bhuyan / HT Photo)

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Radio equipments at Sofi's residence. Sandeep Baruah, a scientist and in-charge of the Vigyan Prasar Amateur Radio Club Station in Delhi, states that ham radio is far from dying. According to him, there has been a rise in the number of ham meets and festivals in the past few years. He further says that it’s a hobby that fosters scientific temperament and empowers individuals who indulge in it. (Biplov Bhuyan / HT Photo)

Updated on Mar 19, 2019 4:01 PM

Radio equipments at Sofi's residence. Sandeep Baruah, a scientist and in-charge of the Vigyan Prasar Amateur Radio Club Station in Delhi, states that ham radio is far from dying. According to him, there has been a rise in the number of ham meets and festivals in the past few years. He further says that it’s a hobby that fosters scientific temperament and empowers individuals who indulge in it. (Biplov Bhuyan / HT Photo)

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