About Amateur Radio
It is not easy to explain Amateur Radio to the average person. In today's world we have the internet and cell phones, global communications is in our hands. So why is Amateur Radio important today? If you look back through the years, many of the communication electronics you use today sprang out of early radio experimenters, most of which were amateur radio operators. Almost all of the different types of antennas in use today were developed by amateurs. Still today there hams out there experimenting and developing new concepts and techniques.
What is Amateur Radio? Amateur Radio or Ham Radio by Federal Communication Commission (FCC) rules is a Service. In times of emergency many operators use their equipment and skill to provide communications support to agencies and organizations, both governmental and non-governmental. I can guarantee you in every major disaster for the last 50 years Amateur Radio has been there in one capacity or another.
Amateur Radio is also a hobby. Many of us have local friends we chat with on the air. We get together for lunch and dinner and other social events. Since Amateur Radio has long range capabilities, many of us also have friends all around the world that we can chat with as well. Since this is a very technical hobby, we can call on the experience of others to help each other learn.
What is the difference between Citizen Band and Amateur Radio? Although both hobbies involve radio, that is really where the similarities end. Citizen Band or CB has very limited frequency allocations, power levels, and modes. It is illegal for someone on a CB to talk to someone in a foreign country; however, there are amateur radio operators all over the world and you can talk to them all. Some hams have talked to or worked as we say, several thousand other hams around the world. You can also take your American Amateur Radio License to some foreign countries and operate (with a little coordination ahead of time). I operated in the Philippines for almost 2 years and contacted 85 different countries and nearly 2000 other hams. It is not legal to do that with a CB.
Click here for a side by side comparison of the two hobbies.
As you can see, the Amateur Radio Service has far more capabilities than CB when operated LEGALLY.
Why should I become a ham operator? There are many reasons that we become amateurs. I became one because my dad was one and it was a way to stay in touch with him. I talked weekly to my father via ham radio while I was stationed overseas. My oldest son became one for the same reason. Many people get into the hobby to help in times of emergency. While others get there license so they can chat with other people while on the way home from work. I stay in the hobby for a number of reasons most of all have been mentioned above and additionally I like to tinker with the radios inside and out to learn what makes them tick.
How hard is the test? Not hard at all. When my son (KD5QBS) was 14, he started studying on a Tuesday after school and passed his test the next Thursday night. You can take take practice tests online free. These are the same questions that you will see on the actual test. Testing sessions are administered by Volunteer Examiners (VE) and tests are run in just about every major city in the country and many smaller towns as well.
Amateur Radio is a great family communication tool. Airtime is free and the whole system is built around emergencies. If a disaster strikes your area, your cell phone may not work but your radio will because it does not rely on the same infrastructure and you will be able to get a message through. We are working in our family to get everyone licensed just for that purpose. It is a very family friendly environment. I can leave my radio on in front of my children and not have to worry about foul language and rude conversations. Compare that to channel 19 on CB.
I am not saying that all CBer's are worthless nor am I saying that CB Radios are worthless. I am saying that Amateur Radio has much more to offer and pound for pound and more importantly dollar for dollar has much greater capabilities.
If you have any questions or want more information, Email me.