Amateur Radio ("Ham" radio) is a hobby in which people use radio transmitters to communicate with other hobbyists all over the world. Governments give special names, called call signs, to each person whom they license to operate radio transmitters. These call signs are similar to commercial radio and television station call signs like WMAL, WRC, or WETA, but also include a number. The first letters are different for each country; for example all US call signs begin with the letter W, K, N, or A.

Hams use standard phonetics to help spell things out when they talk on the radio. This helps operators understand each other when radio noise or interference from other stations is present. Jiri in Czechoslovakia can say "This is OK2RZ, Oscar Kilo Two Radio Zulu" so that people like Savanna KE4CLL in Mason Neck, VA will understand the letters in Jiri's call sign. The standard phonetics approved by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) in Switzerland are Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, Foxtrot, Golf, Hotel, India, Julliet, Kilo, Lima, Mike, November, Oscar, Papa, Quebec, Romeo, Sierra, Tango, Uniform, Victor, Whiskey, X-Ray, Yankee, and Zulu. Historical note: These names correspond to naval signal flags used for ship-to-ship communication since the late eighteenth century. To learn more about communication using international signal flags, you may wish to visit the Terra.Org Website.

Hams talk to each other by many different methods. They often use a microphone and speak directly to other hams. They sometimes use Morse Code. The sounds "Didididit didit" mean "Hi". "Didah dahdah didah dah dit diditdah didahdit didahdit didah dahdidit didit dahdahdah" means "amateur radio". See if you can figure out what sounds stand for what letters. [Hint: "didahdit" means "R", "didah" means "A", and "dahdidit" means "D", etc.]. Some hams use computers or radioteletype to talk to each other by pressing a key on their keyboard which causes their computer to send a code to the other ham's printer or computer terminal. Some hams even send amateur television pictures to other hams. Many hams use the top of the atmosphere, the ionosphere, as a big mirror to reflect their radio waves (often called "shortwave radio") to far away places. Other hams use satellites to relay their signals to someone far away. Some Russian astronauts on the MIR space station are hams, as are a number of American sp ace shuttle astronauts. They have often had fun talking to fellow hams on earth during their spare time during space missions!

During Jamboree On The Air (JOTA) each year, amateur radio operators around the world invite Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts into their "radio shacks" and put them on the air so they can talk to other scouts all over the world.

Would you like to be an Amateur Radio Operator or learn more about radio?

Venturing Crew 80 in Alexandria, VA specializes in working with youth ages 14 through 21 to learn about amateur radio and computers in a fun setting with outdoor activities. Venturing Crew 80 has a complete amateur radio station at the Crew headquarters located in the First Christian Church in Alexandria. Venturing Crew 80 offers a beginning radio class to members and the public which will prepare you to pass the FCC license examination for your entry level Amateur Radio license. Demi Pulas (703-820-2534) is the Crew advisor.

The Mount Vernon Amateur Radio Club (MVARC) meets the second Thursday of each month (except December) at 7:30 pm at the Mt. Vernon Governmental Center, near Mount Vernon Hospital. John Forrest, WZ4A (703-971-3905) is the head instructor for radio classes.

An $8.00 subscription to 12 issues of "AUTOCALL", a monthly magazine on ham activities in the metropolitan Washington DC area plus articles about radio, is a great guide to local clubs, events, training classes and examination sessions. Send a check to the Foundation for Amateur Radio, AUTOCALL Magazine, PO Box 7612, Falls Church, VA 22040-1452. Single copies of AUTOCALL Magazine are available at the ham stores listed below.

How much does Amateur Radio cost? You can buy used equipment for between $300-$600 (less if you really shop for bargains) which will get you on the air with the experienced hams who often have a radio station costing $2000 or more. If you learn to build your own equipment, assemble a kit, or buy an old transmitter which only sends Morse code, you can start for under $100. If you join a club which has a club station, you can get on the air for no cost at all!

There are nice ham radio stores in our area. You can go there and look at their radios, listen to people operate the radios, examine new and used equipment for sale, and ask questions about Amateur Radio. Two such stores are:

Ham Radio Outlet
14803 Build America Drive
Woodbridge, VA 22912
703-643-1063

Electronic Equipment Bank
323 Mill Street N.E.
Vienna, VA 22180
703-938-3350

In addition your local Radio Shack stocks two ham band VHF transceivers and has books about learning Morse Code and Amateur Radio including the ARRL Novice/Technician manual "Now Your Talking! - Discover the World of Ham Radio".

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) publishes many books about Amateur Radio as well as a monthly magazine called "QST" which comes with membership in ARRL. Fairfax County libraries have copies of "The ARRL Handbook", a comprehensive text on electronics, radio communications, and Amateur Radio.