A Look At Ham Radio

Ham radio is often referred to as amateur radio and is a hobby that is enjoyed by millions of individuals across the globe. A ham radio operator uses a two-way radio to broadcast with other amateurs for the purpose of entertainment, public service or other venture.

The use of ham radio may actually help to save lives as operators often support the local community with emergency and disaster communications. On a recreational basis, ham radio can help to increase an individual’s self awareness of electronics, the operations of radio and communication. In addition, ham radio is often used to showcase entertainment for listeners and may even help to launch a new career for an amateur.

Ham radio was once confined to an actual radio, but the progression of the world wide web has changed the way that people both listen and communicate via radio. In fact, there are a number of radio stations that actively communicate with listeners online. This activity paved the way for ham radio to reach a broad audience via the internet. While some simply use ham radio as a way to talk with friends, meet new people who share common interest and discuss topics that are relevant to a specific idea, others regularly use ham radio to send and receive emergency notifications relating to severe weather, emergency situations, disaster relief and other forms of scenarios that call for fast action that are of interest to the public.

Like traditional radios, ham radio equipment is often portable enough to accompany the operator while on vacation. In order to use ham radio, individuals must be licensed and cannot successfully travel with the equipment otherwise. The only way that an individual can become licensed to operate ham radio is to successfully pass an exam, which is created to confirm the individual’s knowledge and understanding of key radio concepts. Unlike CB radio, individuals broadcasting on ham radio must possess a valid license to do so.

The best way to learn about ham radio operator licensing is to stop by a local club and speak with the owner. He/she will be able to direct most hopeful operators in the right direction. Once licensed, individuals will gain additional information on regulations and rules surrounding ham radio use and broadcasting. In addition, ham radio broadcasting equipment will be made available to licensed amateurs and can be found at a variety of internet specialty stores.

Ham Radio

Amateur radio (also called ham radio) is a hobby enjoyed by about 3 million people throughout the world and over 600,000 in the USA alone. It is about communications and the multiple ways of communicating through radio waves.

What most people do not know about this hobby and the people that are operators is that they are one of the most used groups as means of emergency communication, when other conventional means of communications fail, in a disaster situation for example...
Amateur radio (also called ham radio) is a hobby enjoyed by about 3 million people throughout the world and over 600,000 in the USA alone. It is about communications and the multiple ways of communicating through radio waves.

What most people do not know about this hobby and the people that are operators is that they are one of the most used groups as means of emergency communication, when other conventional means of communications fail, in a disaster situation for example.

Local communications is one of the first things to go away in case of a disaster such as hurricanes or tornadoes. Phones and electricity go down and the only thing left is amateur radio operators that can operate from a battery and a piece of wire for an antenna.

These operators have networks set up all over the world that can be immediately activated and used to coordinate disaster relief activities. Recent examples include the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, when amateurs worked weeks side by side with rescue crews supplying communications.

Amateur operators were also involved this last year in all the hurricanes that we had all over the world. They have been watching and reporting the advance of the storms, setting up nets to pass traffic for rescue groups as well as passing health and welfare traffic to people trying the get in touch with relatives in the stricken area. They carry a message out to someone that says we are ok and we are alive and that is always great.

The National Weather Service might have great radars, but a radar can't see the storms like human eyes can. Just ask someone that works for the weather service about the role of radio operators and you will get one answer- they are the “eyes” of the National Weather Service. They are on duty any time that there are storms in the area. Any time of day and night these people are watching storms and reporting what they see.

Their accurate reports can be used immediately by the weather service and further by the local radio and TV stations which broadcast the reported data to the public.

Amateur radio operators are saving thousands of lives each year, yet this gets almost no recognition. And the kicker is that their service is at no cost to the public. As mentioned before, amateur radio is a personal hobby; this means the operators buy all their own radio equipment.

And they use it for public safety. Whenever needed to warn the public of danger.

Are they heroes? Think about it.