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Although I have not been very active lately, I am an
Amateur Extra Class operator in the
Amateur Radio Service (aka Ham Radio),
call sign N1TY ("November One Tango Yankee").
Many people are mistaken about what Ham Radio is. Some
think it's CB Radio... people chatting with truckers and
saying "10-4". Others think it's amateur broadcast radio,
like a college rock station. Some know more, and think it's
people sending Morse Code over short-wave radio (which
it can be!) and are uninterested because they don't want
to learn Morse (but you don't have to!)
What is Ham Radio? Well, it's a lot of things:
- Talking on VHF/UFH radios with friend via repeaters, over a local area (kind of
like police radios)
- Talking over the same handheld radio ("HT") around
the country or world by internet-linked repeaters
- Talking over short wave (HF) radios, by morse code or
voice, or even color FAX-like pictures via a system
called Slow Scan Television (SSTV)
- Real low-power TV (Amateur Television also known as ATV)
- Digital data communication via Packet Radio
- Satellite communications (few people
know there are
hobbiest-built
communications satellites in space that operate on Ham
Radio frequencies)
- EME communications (bounce radio
signals off Earth's original satellite... The Moon!)
- Listening to short-wave broadcasts including to the
mysterious Numbers Stations (here are some Numbers Stations Recordings)
- Public service and disaster preparedness and recovery
communications. 9/11? Hams were there providing
communications when other means failed. Tornados? Ham radio is there. Hurricanes? Ham radio is there. After Katrina? Ham radio was there (and one
of the few things that worked well!).
Ham radio is also a launchpad for many other hobbies and interests:
- Astronomy (tracking satellites, investigating solar
flare activity and its effect on the ionosphere, which in
turns affects HF radio)
- Electronics (build your own radios and gear)
- Physics (investigate how antennas work)
- Foreign cultures and languages (talk with people all
over the world)
- Geography (where the heck is Bongao?)
- Stamp collecting (amateurs often confirm radio
contacts by mail with "QSL Cards"... a great way to collect
stamps from all over!)
- Computers (write software to assist with antenna
design, digital communications, satellite tracking, ...)
The great thing is you get to pick any or all of these things that interest you. Ham Radio is also easy to get into. The entry level Technician Class License test is very easy, available all over, does not require you to study Morse Code, and will probably cost you less than $50 including study materials, license fee, and gas to get to the test. Find out more!