Delhi-NCR Repeater: Hopes from the Tower

 Voices carry far across the city

Delhi’s airwaves recently got a taste of real power. High above Noida, the World Trade Tower repeater came alive and showed what happens when height, technology and timing meet. At nearly the level of a 45-storey building, the signals spilled effortlessly across the NCR. Delhi, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Noida and Ghaziabad stations jumped in with handheld radios, many surprised how easily they triggered it. Some even reported clean contacts from Meerut.

I had planned to write about this repeater long back. But speed breakers like the endless shift of ham licences to the DoT portal got in the way. I wrote about that ordeal in another piece, Lost in Saral Sanchar.

Delhi-NCR's repeater rises high at WTT

The repeater was first installed during Delhi’s mega disaster rehearsal with hams taking the air. It ran on VU2DLR’s frequency 145.60 MHz with a Motorola rig and a Diamond antenna. For hours, traffic was heavy yet stable, a rare delight. I described parts of that rehearsal in my earlier blog Sirens, Signals & Static Joy.

When the rehearsal ended, the experiment began. Hams tried it with both handies and mobile base stations. Normally, most would use the full 25 to 50 watts of RF power. But with WTT, they could trigger it easily at just minimum settings – some even half a watt. The community was thrilled. One ham even joked, “Great, we’re not polluting the atmosphere with unnecessary RF.” It was a rare mix of humour and technical joy. Old handy talkies were dusted off, base stations fired up. Many whispered: “Our repeater has come back stronger.”

But the magic did not last. The repeater was soon pulled down with a promise it would return permanently at the same spot on WTT by Diwali.

Flashback: Vigyan Prasar’s VU2DLR days

For many years before this, the VU2DLR repeater had been Delhi’s lifeline. Run by Vigyan Prasar, it gave hams seamless contact across NCR. In winters, signals would travel farther and we had regular QSOs with Punjab, Agra and beyond. But by 2022, cracks showed. The repeater stayed on air but lacked care. After a few check-ins, it would develop a continuous knocking sound that made it useless. Soon, news of its decommissioning came, followed by a short WhatsApp message from its custodian. The community felt orphaned.

The closure of Vigyan Prasar in October 2023 added salt to the wound. For more than 30 years, it had promoted science and communication in India. And yet, the same government that talks of digital revolutions and science-based progress quietly shut it down, citing NITI Aayog’s cost-cutting advice. An institution that cost little, yet gave so much, was dismantled. Many in the scientific community still see it as a step backward.

Delhi does have other repeaters, like the advanced VHF VU2FUN and UHF VU2HUB, privately run by two enterprising brothers. They play globally via Echolink and DMR, and enjoy steady check-ins. But on the RF side, their reach has limits. Even high-gain antennas struggle to pick them up, unlike the Vigyan Prasar repeater which could be triggered almost effortlessly.

This is why so many Delhi hams keep their rigs idle. VHF and UHF radios are cheaper and easier to install than HF rigs, yet they remain unattractive without a strong repeater. The absence of one is the biggest reason why two meters often sounds like silence.

I have visited several cities, monitored repeaters during nets and casual ragchew. Delhi still has some of the best speakers I’ve heard on air. Their serious talk sprinkled with humour can make even a casual listener smile. But to hear them, we need an efficient repeater.

It is ironic that the national capital, with its tech hubs, top institutes, universities and political elite, cannot boast of a strong repeater network. India's young Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi,  VU2RG, once championed amateur radio and fought for lower import tariffs. Sadly, after him, his family, Sonia Gandhi (VU2SON), Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (VU2PGY) and even his friend Amitabh Bachchan (VU2AMY), did not pick up where he left. I only hope all three managed to migrate their licences to Saral Sanchar. If not, maybe someone should give them a reminder – it might even refresh their interest and give the ham world a boost.

The tower fades, but voices remain

As Diwali approaches, Delhi hams look once more towards the shining tower in Noida. The World Trade Tower repeater gave us a glimpse of what NCR can sound like when airwaves unite. One repeater, one signal, hundreds of voices carried across the city. May it return soon, stronger and brighter. That's all it takes to make the airwaves sing again.

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