What is Amateur Radio?
Amateur radio is a community of people that use radio transmitters and receivers
to communicate with other Amateur radio operators. The things that amateur radio
operators do with their radios are diverse as the people themselves.
Amateur radio operators are often called ham radio operators or simply "hams."
(The origin of this nickname is for all practical purposes lost. Although some
people still speculate about, few agree and even fewer care. Amateur radio
operators proudly call themselves hams and nobody knows why.) There are about
600 thousand hams in the United States.
Ham radio operators are licensed by the United
States Government and enjoy far more privileges of radio operation than "CB"
radio operators do. With these privileges come responsibilities and rules for
the operation of an amateur radio station. Specifically, there are a few things
that hams are not allowed to do:
1) Hams are not allowed to do anything with
their radios that makes them money in way. Ham radio is a hobby, but
that doesn't mean it's completely frivolous. (Read on!)
2) Ham radio operators cannot `broadcast' to the
public. This means that ham radio transmissions are meant to be received by
other ham radio operators. While a short-wave radios or scanners will allow
you to listen to the ham radio bands, what you will hear is hams talking to
other hams and not music or other radio programs of `general' interest.
Within these (and other) guidelines, however,
hams are empowered to do just about everything that government and private radio
stations are allowed to do.
Things you can to do with amateur radio:
- Talk around the world - With HF radios hams
can talk to other hams in literally any part of the globe.
- Talk around town - With small portable VHF
and UHF transceivers hams enjoy extremely reliable communications within their
local community. By accessing radio links called repeaters hams can easily
talk 50 or more miles, and have even talked to hams in states miles away.
- QRP - Communicating with "very low power" is
a challenge that many hams enjoy. QRP is usually practiced on the HF bands.
- Packet radio - The internet over ham radio? Not really ... but ham radio
operators enjoy a digital network of their own, all without wires!
- International morse code - You
can get a license without knowing one beep or bop of morse code. If you want
to, though, it's still allowed. After you get your initial "technician
ticket," and so desire, you can get your "code" test passed, then progress up
in licensing privileges and the world, as far as you wish
- Amateur television - It's just like real
television because it is real television.
- Slow Scan TV - Send pictures around the world
for little or no cost.
- Contests - You can put your radio operating
skills up against other hams and teams of hams.
- Emergency and other volunteer services -
Floods, hurricanes, mudslides, earthquakes, ice storms ... when ever `normal'
communications go out, hams are ready to use their radios to provide emergency
communication services to their communities.
- Satellite communications - Hams have their own
satellites ... really! (Amateur's satellites are easy to use too).
- Traffic handling - "Ham telegrams" are used
to send messages to people around the world at no cost to the sender or the
recipient; all done by ham radio operators volunteering their time and
resources.
How to become an amateur radio operator
All hams in the United States are licensed by the FCC. Getting a "D" on a
multiple-choice test and paying about six dollars is all it takes. The FCC
doesn't even give the test ... Hams volunteer to give the test to people that
want to become hams. These volunteer examiners then file the paperwork with the
FCC and your ham radio license is set to you in the mail.
There are many ways to go about preparing for
and taking your ham radio license test.
- Local clubs - For those that like a
structured approach, many clubs organize meetings and classes to teach the
basic skills of radio operation and prepare people for their ham radio license
test. Getting started in Amateur Radio has never been easier. First, locate a
radio club in your area. Some radio clubs offer ham radio licensing classes,
or they can find a club volunteer to answer your questions. You may even be
invited to attend a local radio club meeting.
- ARRL publishes popular ham radio license
study guides to help you learn the things you'll need to pass your exam and
have fun with Amateur Radio.
- The Amateur Radio license examinations are
administered by ham radio volunteer examiners.. When you're ready to take your exam,
you'll need to locate an exam session near you. At the end of the classes, a
test is given. If you pass, you're a ham!
- Elmer's - An Elmer is the ham equivalent of a
"Yoda." Many new hams are taught my other hams. (Helping people is a common
thread throughout the ham radio hobby.) An Elmer knows the stuff you need to
pass your test and will help you prepare. While an Elmer can not give the FCC
examination, he or she will be in touch with other hams in your area and know
where public examinations are held.
- Self-study - It doesn't seem right to tell
you about going it alone, because then you're not doing it all by yourself!
Taking a class or having an Elmer is a far better way to get your license; and
when you pass your test you will already have friends to talk to.
What Can Amateur Radio Operators Do?
Ham radio operators use two-way radio stations
from their homes, cars, boats and outdoors to make hundreds of friends around
town and around the world. They communicate with each other using voice,
computers, and Morse code. Some hams bounce their signals off the upper regions
of the atmosphere, so they can talk with hams on the other side of the world.
Other hams use satellites. Many use hand-held radios that fit in their pockets.
Hams exchange pictures of each other using
television. We offer some actual ham radio operator photos and videos on this
site. Some also like to work on electronic circuits, building their own radios
and antennas. A few pioneers in Amateur Radio have even contributed to advances
in technology that we all enjoy today. There are even ham-astronauts who take
radios with them on space shuttle missions and thrill thousands of hams on earth
with a call from space!
Listen to amateurs talking through an FM voice
repeater at 141.150 on your scanner.
Using even the simplest of radio setups and antennas, amateurs communicate with
each other for fun, during emergencies, and even in contests. They handle
messages for police and other public service organizations during all kinds of
emergencies including the following below:
| Hurricanes |
|
Earthquakes |
|
Tornadoes and floods |
|
Motorist accidents |
|
Fires and chemical spills
|
|
Search and rescues |
|