So what,s the big deal about Amateur Radio?

Background

I have had many diverse hobbies and interests that I have actively pursued over the years. In general most hobbies entail a specific activity or set of activities directly related to the main activity.
This is where Amateur Radio differs dramatically in that it is probably the most diverse hobby there is.
Yet this hobby can be as simple or diverse as you wish to make it. It is entirely up to you.
One thing is for shure, becoming a Ham will give you part of one of the biggest brother/sisterhoods in the World. The following is merely an overview of the hobby and I will not be going into any major detail.

Aspects of the Hobby

Communication :
The most obvious part of the hobby entails communicating. This could be simply chatting to a ham on the local repeater, assisting with communications after a natural disaster or talking to an astronaut aboard the ISS.
Communication in itself is made up of many different activities, general conversations, giving assistance, Contesting, DX-ing etc. Contesting is where certain targets and timelines are set, i.e. the most contacts made with other hams in a specified period. DX-ing is where amateurs try to make contact with amateurs in other countries.
Types of Communication :
Your means of communicating can be as simple as direct radio to radio or you could use a repeater or a satellite transponder to relay your signal across thousands of kilometers. Digital communication is another very interesting aspect of Amateur Radio, of which there are many different types or modes, for example AX25 Packet, RTTY, PSK31,MFSK, BPSK and SSTV (Slow Scan TV) to name only a few. All you need to enjoy these modes are a PC with soundcard, software a very simple PC to Radio interface and of course your radio.
Activities
Over and above Contesting and DX-ing there is also many other activities like Homebrew construction of your own equipment or test instruments, antenna and tower building, Radio DF (direction finding), Field day events, Swop meets, ATV, launching rockets & balloons with radio equipment, laser and microwave communication and experimentation with different modes and methods of communication.
Furthermore you could study the effects of the different propagation methods on the various amateur bands.

OK so what are the requirements, where can I get more information and where do I sign up:

To become a Radio Amateur you need to conform to the requirements as set out in your country of residence. This normally entails a written exam. If you wish to work on the HF bands you will be required to pass a morse code proficiency test as well.
You can get more information from your local club or association - just run a search on the search engine of your choice.
In South Africa you will get all the information and documentation you need from the following website:

South African Radio League

Although I have only covered a very small portion of the hobby, I hope that it has been enough to give you a small insight into the diverse nature of Amateur Radio.

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