Amateur Radio

Amateur Radio is probably one of the most interesting hobbies ever invented. There are 'hams' from every walk of life and Amateur Radio has affected everyone directly or indirectly at some point in time. We do much more than just talk to each other on our radios. We have several modes of communication including television and packet; a form of communicating through our computers hooked up to our radios. There are many ways to get involved in ham radio. One way is with your kids at schools. Now, there is nearly always a ham on Space Shuttle missions. And there are hams onboard the Russian Space Station MIR. Yes you can talk to outer space! And it will answer! Some shuttle missions are designated as SAREX mission in which they go out of their way to contact amateur radio clubs in various schools across the country. But our hobby isn't always fun. Hams are the eyes and ears of the National Weather Service during times of severe weather throught the SKYWARN program, and we are called upon to assist the police and fire departments during times of natural or man-made disasters. We also provide communications during such public events as marathons, bike-a-thons, fun runs and such. Another way to get the most out of ham radio is to join a club. A lot of clubs, such as the Kilocycle Club, are family-oriented so that everybody can benefit from the knowledge and have a good time. Statistically we are not the source of interference to cordless phones, TVs, home stereo equipment and such. Hams try to run a 'clean' station and if there is interference they are more than anxious to help correct the problem.

Amateur radio is a lot different than CB radio. CB operators are limited to 40 "channels" in the 26-27 MHz range and 4 watts of power. Hams, on the other hand, have access to a multitude of frequencies that begin just above the AM broadcast band and extend way up into the microwave region. We are also allowed as much as 1500 watts of power but there are restrictions. You don't need that much power to talk across town on a repeater but it does come in handy when you want to do some EME. EME? What's that? Earth-Moon-Earth. Bouncing radio signals off the moon. Pretty neat, eh?

Repeater? What's that? A repeater is a radio that can transmit and receive at the same time. It is usually located on top of a building or on a tower. The repeater receives on one frequency, amplifies the signal, and retransmits it at a higher power on another frequency. This greatly extends the range of your handie-talkie. It has also allowed for some awsome linked systems. You can sit at home, in your easy chair, and if you live in an area served by a linked system, can talk to someone hundreds or even thousands of miles away with only a walkie-talkie.

Still not interested? OK how would you like to have your own TV station? Ah, now we've got you're attention. Well with Amateur Radio you can. Of course you won't be able to broadcast the latest episodes of Southpark or anything like that, but you can carry on conversations, show off your ham shack or your dog or whatever. Also, some ATV, Amateur Television, stations retransmit live video from the Space Shuttle.

Now that you know a little about the hobby, we've provided some links to take you to different places that have information regarding Amateur Radio.

To learn more about SKYWARN, click the logo.

The KC Club is an ARRL-Affiliated club

Be sure to check out the Electronic Swap Meet and Ham Radio Online

If you are interested in satellites or just need the latest Keps, go to the page, or contact our club satellite guru, Keith Pugh, W5IU

Here are a few pages that belong to hams in the Ft. Worth area. WB3FVY, Dave Kaszubski of the TU Electric ARC, Comanche Peak Chapter. Dave, KB5YLG, is with the Tri-County ARC. And Russ, KW5KW, who is the Chairman of the Kilocycle Club

Last updated on 17 May 99