Welcome to the wonderful world of Amateur Radio. Whether you are new to the hobby and are wondering what it is all about, or you are a veteran "Ham", we hope you will find something here to interest you.

THE HISTORY OF AMATEUR RADIO

William Continelli, W2XOY, has written a terrific series of articles that span the history of Amateur Radio. It is fascinating reading for the veteran and novice alike.

LEARN ABOUT AMATEUR RADIO

GETTING STARTED IN AMATEUR RADIO

A reprint from one of our newsletters that tells you about the different license classes and what they involve. Tells you what you need to know to get started in this great hobby.

WHAT IS AMATEUR RADIO ?

My name is Marian Oliastro, W3MHO. I serve several functions in the ECARA. I am the newsletter editor, the webmaster of this web site, and Secretary for the club. This article tells a little bit about what my impression of Amateur Radio is and what it means to me.

WHAT'S HAM RADIO ALL ABOUT?

Butch McGee, K3YO, tells you some of the advantages of Amateur Radio and lists some of the many areas you can become involved in once you get your license.

WHAT IS FIELD DAY?

Every year on the last weekend in June the Amateur Radio community gets together for Field Day. You can call it a contest, or a mock emergency drill. This explains what it's all about. One thing that it IS ....

is lots of fun!

ARTICLES BY BILL CONTINELLI

A MEMBER'S ACCOUNT OF 9/11/2001

One of our members, Bill Continelli, W2XOY, author of "The Wayback Machine," was in Manhatten on the day of the terrorist attacks against the our country. Read his account from a ham radio operator's point of view, and the lessons he learned that we can all benefit from.

SHORTWAVE FREQUENCIES

Bill sent us a list of short wave radio frequencies that you can use to monitor what is going on in the world. With all of the action going on in the Middle East at this time, it could be very interesting to monitor some of the channels he has listed. He has also included many military frequencies as well as frequencies from the Middle East countries.

HAM RADIO AND RAILFANNING IN MISSISSIPPI

This is an article written by Bill Continelli, W2XOY, for audio broadcast on the "This Week In Amateur Radio" program scheduled for June 1, 2002. It tells about Bill's experience with locals while waiting on a back country crossroad to take some pictures of trains. They thought he was a terrorist! You'll enjoy this amusing account of his experience.

GALAXY RADIO

In another article for "This Week in Amateur Radio" Bill Continelli, W2XOY, tell us about the interesting things he's found on his many travels and visits to truck stops. You'll be surprised and entertained.

RADIO BAG

In this article written for "This Week in Amateur Radio" Bill tells us about his radio bag. He tells us about what's in it and why and makes some interesting recommendations. This is somethng we should all take a look at.

RADIO BIORHYTHMS

Have you heard of the Radio Biorhythm? Bill thinks it exists and tell you why and what it is in theis article. Take a look at the peaks and valleys in your radio operating life and get some great insights.

WEAVER STREET

Those of you who have "antenna farms" on top of your vehicle will love this story. Bill tells about the challenges of driving with different vehicles and antennas and dealing with height limitations. It's a fact of amateur radio life, and we've all been there at one time or another!

OVER AND OUT

Bill has some thoughts on some magazines and authors, including :"ELECTRONICS ILLUSTRATED." Check out this article and see what Bill has to say.

CQ MARS

In this article, Bill tells us about a friend in his early days of Amateur Radio who tried to contact aliens on his Ham Radio! Now that's what I call a CQ!

THE RADIO NIGHTMARE

Bill recently suffered a mini stroke and it lead to him having brain surgery. This led him to have an epic "dream." This is what he writes about here. These are his comments:

I needed to write this, because the events seemed SO REAL to me. The only bad thing....it was so real, I couldn't tell the dream world from the real world. As a result, I verbally abused my wife and mother because I thought they were in on the plot. I've apologized to them, and will continue to do so for a long time. They understood it was the drugs talking, not me.

And, the more I think of it, the more I'm convinced it was not a dream. It was some sort of a vision. The scary thing is, the USA is heading in that direction. Everyone has a cell phone, the Internet and most have cable TV. Ham radio growth is stagnant, CB is a shadow of it's former self. Even MURS, FRS and GMRS aren't as popular anymore. People don't realize that our entire communications structure is controlled by a Government/Corporate alliance. Flip one switch and you deny access to any person, or a group of people.

There's another thing to consider....for the past few years, our cars and trucks have been equipped with complex and sophisticated computer systems. Many also have a "black box" that records every time we drive, how fast we go, etc. Hooked up to a built in GPS system, your late model car could be tracked anyplace you drive. Flip another switch, and your car shuts off. Transportation denied. That's why I still hold on to my 1994 Chevy Lumina Van (A.K.A. "The Dustbuster"). No computer, no black box, no GPS, no outside control. It's my standby vehicle, and doesn't see much use. But I keep it in good shape, ready for action. When the Government flips the switch, I'll have my Chevy Van and my radios (as well as my shotguns!!). Every ham should do the same.

"REGINALD"

This is an older article Bill wrote for TODAY IN AMATEUR RADIO. He has, however, added an update to it. It is set in the early days of CB Radio It really brings back memories to all of us old "CBers".

THE LAND OF NOTHING

On a trip to California, Bill searches for nothing! Read this article to see if he finds it.

PERFECT FOR POCKET OR PURSE

Bill disusses the history and the pros and cons of transistor radios.

FIFTY YEARS AND STILL HERE

A discussion on the future of CB and Ham Radio.

THE WALKIE TALKIE

Are CB Walkie Talkies still being used, and what are their advantages?

CHANNEL 9 MEMORIES

Bill talks about CB emergency channel 9 and some examples of its use he remembers from days gone by and recently as well!

MILITIA RADIO

Just what the title implies. If you didn't know there was such a thing, you're not alone.

SANGEAN

Bill tests and reviews a new radio.

NOVICE MEMORIES

Newer 'hams' probably don't remember when the Novice license was the entryway into Amateur Radio. But many of us remember it with fondness. Bill tells about his experiences getting started in Amateur Radio, and we can all relate to this story.

CRUISE RADIO

Bill recently took a cruise to the Bahamas, and you don't think he'd leave home without his radios do you? Of course not! Follow his sea-going adventures in this three-part article!

Cruise Radio

Cruise Radio 2

Cruise Radio 3

Page updated 11/30/2010