----- Original Message ----- From: "Gopal Madhavan" gopal.madhavan@gmail.com To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Sent: Tuesday, June 09, 2009 3:22 AM Subject: [amsat-bb] VU2MKP Silent Key
Being paralyzed from the neck down, he could only use his head and mouth to control his motorized wheel chair and it was a common sight for him to drive around the streets of Bangalore, visiting friends, going to restaurants and even shopping for radio components for his radio projects.
He was an avid radio amateur, controlling the radio and associated equipment, all with plastic rods held in his mouth. He operated the computer also in this fashion and even made computer drawings on antenna designs etc which he shared with friends- my satellite antennae were home brewed from drawings he sent me.
He was a keen DXer and had friends all over the world, on HF and satellites also. When AO 40 was operational he made several hundreds of contacts.
Since I worked a lot of DX on AO-40 I checked my log for VU2MKP and confirmed I was one of the contacts he had made. Due to the time difference and relative short mutual window I did not work very many VU's. I had worked him on the 25/09/03 and he asked for a QSL via the Bureau. It took three years for the exchange to be made. His nice card was filled out by hand.
Clare VE3NPC