Amateur Radio: A Public Service Very Old and Very New

You have probably heard of amateur radio, often called ham radio. You probably think you know exactly what it is and you are either very interested or are totally unmoved by the idea. Amateur radio is probably a great deal more than you think it is.

Amateur radio exists for the primary purpose of providing public service, such as essential communications during disasters. Hams might also provide communications and help with coordination during charity events or other civic functions.

Although the primary purpose of amateur radio is to provide public service, the vast majority of the time it is a hobby and just plain fun.

You may have owned a citizen's band radio (CB) at one time or another. If you are old enough it is almost certain you had one at one time a few years back. It seems like everyone did. You might think amateur radio is pretty much the same thing as CB. I can tell you comparing CB to amateur radio would be like comparing a kite to an Air Force fighter jet.

With CB you can talk a couple of blocks, or if the conditions are right you can talk much farther, but you have to put up with a lot of noise. You have only a couple of choices. You can operate (hams call it "work") on AM or single side band (SSB). You can pick a frequency. That's about it.

With amateur radio you can work an infinite number of frequencies. You can work several bands of frequencies. You can work AM, SSB or FM. You can operate digital or analog transmissions. You can use morse code or voice. You can use a mode called RTTY. You can use computers to talk to each other. You can send a signal with rather low power to a satellite and have the signal sent back to earth, half way around the world. Along with newer amateur radio activities like those involving computers, there are many other things in the hobby besides talking to people, like amateur television. There are several amateur radio operators that never talk to anyone else. They enjoy other facets of the hobby, like engineering a better antenna or computer interface. Probably the latest addition to things you can do as an amateur radio operator is talk around the world with a radio-computer interface, allowing your voice to be heard anywhere on the Internet by other hams.

Amateur radio also exists for the purpose of training people. The training starts by being taught and studying electronic theory, propagation, rules and regulations, and other things that will be used regularly in the hobby. The initial training is to prepare people for their first license or for license upgrades. Amateur radio is self-policing for the most part. If there is a violation of a rule, regulation or good practices, one or more operators will certainly point it out to the violator.

If you are interested in the concept of amateur radio, or if you enjoy computers, or maybe you like to build things, there are several good places to start. The Internet is always a good resource. You might start with the American Radio Relay League (ARRL). They can be found at www.arrl.org. Your second best resource would be Radio Shack. They have books for sale on how to become an amateur radio operator. Your public library should have a variety of books on the subject. Do not buy the Amateur Radio Hand Book until you know you want to be a ham. It has all the information you need plus tons and tons more. It is too much and learning to become a ham is not its purpose. Almost every larger city has an amateur radio club. You can probably find out about one or more at your local Radio Shack. Most all clubs provide "Novice" classes designed to prepare you for your entry level amateur radio exam.

After you get your first license ( or as hams call it, "ticket") members of your local club will be glad to help you all they can to get ready for your license upgrade.

In short, there is an endless list of fun things to do under the umbrella of amateur radio. If you like to talk, consider ham radio. If you like the idea of talking half-way around the world, check into ham radio. If you like computers or building electronic things, look into being a ham. Start online or at your local library. Find local clubs. Sign up for a "Novice" class and I'll look for you on the air.