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What is Ham Radio?

Here are just a few descriptions of what Amateur (Ham) Radio is all about.

From the American Radio Relay League (ARRL)

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What is Amateur Radio?

When cell phones, regular phones, the internet and other systems are down or overloaded, Amateur Radio still gets the message through. Radio amateurs, often called “hams,” enjoy radio technology as a hobby. But it's also a service –a vital service that has saved lives when regular communication systems failed.

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Who are Hams?

​Ham Radio operators are movie stars, missionaries, doctors, students, politicians, truck drivers and regular people. They are all ages, sexes and income levels linked by their interest in wireless communications technologies. There are more licensed American Amateur Radio operators now than ever before in history.

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Why do you need a license?

While license application requirements vary by country, the Amateur Radio Service is also controlled by international law and agreements because radio waves do not stop for international borders. In its regulations (Part 97), the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recognizes the ability of the hobby not only to advance radio communication and technical skills, but also to enhance international goodwill.

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What's the appeal of Ham Radio?

Hams are at the cutting edge of many technologies.  They provide thousands of hours of volunteer community and emergency services when normal communications go down or are overloaded.  All of them enjoy being creators, not just consumers, of wireless technology.   Learn More About Ham Radio

From the Royal Society of Great Britain  (Website)

 

What is amateur radio?

 

Amateur radio is a popular technical hobby and volunteer public service that uses designated radio frequencies for non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communications.

 

Amateur radio is the only hobby governed by international treaty.

 

As a radio amateur you are able to transmit radio signals on a number of frequency bands allocated specifically to the radio amateurs.

 

Radio amateurs make use of their frequencies in a number of ways:

 

Contacting people all over the world by radio which often leads to developing international friendships

Competing in international competitions to test how effective your equipment is, and how good you are as an operator

 

Technical experimentation — many of the leaps forward in radio technology have been initiated by radio amateurs

 

Communication through amateur space satellites or with the International Space Station (which carries an amateur radio station)

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Providing communications at times of emergencies and undertaking exercises to ensure you keep the capability to do so.

 

There is no better way to explore the fascinating world of radio communications than by becoming a radio amateur.

 

A 1910 announcement by the then HM Postmaster General licensed “experimental wireless”, which still uniquely gives radio amateurs the ability to innovate without commercial or statutory controls even in the closely regulated environment of the 21st century.

From Ham Radio Prep  (website)

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Ham radio is a licensed radio service that enables you to communicate all around the world and even outer space with your own equipment. It’s vital for emergency communications, technological advancement, and it’s an incredible hobby with over 750,000 licensed hams in the United States.

 

In this article we’ll give you a crash course introduction to ham radio, including how it got its funny name, how it stacks up to other radio services, ham radio licensing, and all the awesome ways you can use it. We’ll also give you a few tips to get started in ham radio for beginners.       Go to Full Article

From Wikipedia

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Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, is the use of the radio frequency spectrum for purposes of non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, private recreation, radiosport, contesting, and emergency communications.[1] The term "amateur" is used to specify "a duly authorized person interested in radioelectric practice with a purely personal aim and without pecuniary interest";[2] (either direct monetary or other similar reward) and to differentiate it from commercial broadcasting, public safety (such as police and fire), or professional two-way radio services (such as maritime, aviation, taxis, etc.).

 

The amateur radio service (amateur service and amateur-satellite service) is established by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) through the Radio Regulations. National governments regulate technical and operational characteristics of transmissions and issue individual station licenses with a unique identifying call sign, which must be used in all transmissions. Amateur operators must hold an amateur radio license which is obtained by passing a government test demonstrating adequate technical radio knowledge and legal knowledge of the host government's radio regulations.

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Radio amateurs are limited to a small set of frequency bands, the amateur radio bands, allocated throughout the radio spectrum, but within these bands are allowed to transmit on any frequency using a variety of voice, text, image, and data communications modes. This enables communication across a city, region, country, continent, the world, or even into space. In many countries, amateur radio operators may also send, receive, or relay radio communications between computers or transceivers connected to secure virtual private networks on the Internet.

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Amateur radio is officially represented and coordinated by the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU), which is organized in three regions and has as its members the national amateur radio societies which exist in most countries. According to an estimate made in 2011 by the American Radio Relay League, two million people throughout the world are regularly involved with amateur radio.[3] About 830,000 amateur radio stations are located in IARU Region 2 (the Americas) followed by IARU Region 3 (South and East Asia and the Pacific Ocean) with about 750,000 stations. A significantly smaller number, about 400,000, are located in IARU Region 1 (Europe, Middle East, CIS, Africa). 

​Go to Full Article

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