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Q1 2026
Q1 2026
The first quarter of 2026 has been a landmark period for the Pune Hams and Amateur Radio Club (PHARC). From intensive technical workshops and large-scale field activations, our members have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the advancement of amateur radio.
January: Skills Development & Field Preparedness
17th January 2026 | Taljai Hill HF Activation : As a precursor to the ARSI Hilltopping contest, PHARC conducted an HF field day at Taljai Hill. The session focused on NVIS (Near Vertical Incidence Skywave) propagation using a dipole set at 2m and a vertical antenna. This event served as a critical hands-on induction for COEP students and faculty awaiting their licenses following the December ASOC exams.
18th January 2026 | LARC40M Group Build Workshop : A marathon 12-hour technical session was held at the VU2PHQ station. Multiple LARC40M transceiver kits were assembled and tested. Participants, including eight students from COEP, mastered the art of winding toroids and coils, successfully demystifying complex hardware assembly for all involved.
25th January 2026 | ARSI Hill Topping and National Field Day contest : 15 stations from the PUNE HAMs and Amateur Radio Club VU2PHQ participated in the Annual Hill Topping and National Field Day Contest 2026 using their individual call sign and equipment. Participating stations were active from 7.45am IST to 10.00am from 6 different hilltops within and around Pune city operated VHF, UHF, 6M bands. The event gave the participants the thrill of participating in a contest, the protocol used in a contest and gave them an understanding of challenges in propagation due to the topography of the terrain.
February: Licensing & Outreach
21 February 2026 | ASOC Examination : PHARC hosted the Amateur Station Operator's Certificate (ASOC) examination at the club station, continuing our mission to mentor and bring fresh technical talent into the amateur radio community.
March: Propagation Studies & Mentorship
01 March 2026 | Jejuri Field Day : A comprehensive propagation experiment was conducted in Jejuri with 15 members. The team deployed an array of seven antennas including Magnetic Loops, Wolf River Coils, and Resonant Multiband Verticals to compare performance across bands.
21 March 2026 | Bhopdev Ghat Outreach : Operations commenced at 0700hrs for students of the Dhole Patil College of Engineering. Despite challenging 40m conditions, students engaged in VHF QSOs, practiced phonetics, and received briefings on NVIS propagation.
Q2 2026
Q2 2026
Building on this momentum, the second quarter of 2026 is set to further PHARC’s mission of technical excellence and outreach, beginning with the landmark reactivation of a historic club station and continuing with a robust calendar of advanced workshops and field operations.
April: A Historic Milestone
04 April 2026 | Reactivation of VU2COE (COEP) : In a significant achievement for the Pune's amateur radio community, PHARC successfully reactivated the College of Engineering Pune (COEP) Ham Radio Club station, VU2COE, after 15 years of dormancy. As a highly sought-after "rare" station, VU2COE immediately generated significant pile-ups, marking a triumphant return to the airwaves.
12 to 14 April 2026| ARISS SSTV Event : One of our club members successfully captured rare SSTV images transmitted from the International Space Station during the recent ARISS event. This served as a powerful educational tool, sparking curiosity and hands-on learning for local students. The achievement has also inspired a broader community of enthusiasts to explore the exciting intersection of amateur radio and space exploration.
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