Amateur Radio
Amateur radio, often called ham radio, is both a hobby and a service in which participants, called “hams,” use various types of radio communications equipment to communicate with other radio amateurs for public service, recreation and self-training.
Amateur radio operators enjoy personal (and often worldwide) wireless communications with each other and are able to support their communities with emergency and disaster communications if necessary, while increasing their personal knowledge of electronics and radio theory. An estimated six million people throughout the world are regularly involved with amateur radio.
The term “amateur” is not a reflection on the skills of the participants, which are often quite advanced; rather, “amateur” indicates that amateur radio communications are not allowed to be made for commercial or money-making purposes. (From The Wikipedia.)
Amateur Radio can play a large role in emergency events whether it be simply reporting news and information from an area that has been affected by severe weather or other natural disaster, or whether it may be getting information in and out of an affected area.
One of the advantages radio has other many other communications methods is its relatively low requirements to make it work. Internet technology can require computers, routers and physical (or satellite) network connections. Telephones can require lines and also power for the telephone switching stations. Cell phones also require power and an uplink. Radio of course is what cellular service piggy backs upon, but amateur radio opens up many possibilities that cell service cannot. Depending on the choice of frequencies amateur radio can be just local communications, or regional or even trans continental communications.
A radio, battery and antenna may be all that’s required for someone to be able to transmit and be heard for thousands of miles. The recent earthquake in Haiti has been an event where amateur radio operators around the world really have taken part in trying to help in getting information in and out of the affected area. I have listened to several of the emergency nets. Some of them have been on short range VHF (2m) signals using repeaters linked together through the internet. Others, have been using HF (shortwave) frequencies directly and on those nets I have heard people from Nebraska, Arkansas, Wisconsin, New York, Washington DC, Alabama, Mississippi, and Florida among many others using their amateur equipment to try to call into the area listening for traffic back from Haiti. With so many other technology options today we tend to forget, but really shouldn’t as radio should always be a solid communications alternative when all else fails.
The following pages I will try to give more detail on amateur radio and the various bands currently available for amateur use, modes which may take a bit of explanation and other things as I come to them. It may be a while before everything is fleshed out there so, bear with me.
More info on amateur radio band allocations can be found in this wikipedia article.
- 2 Meter Band
- Amateur Radio Emergency Organizations
- Amateur Radio News
- Asheville, NC area Amateur Radio Repeaters and Local Nets
amateur radio – Google News
ICPO Bulletin (02-10 September 2010) – Southgate Amateur Radio Club
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ICPO Bulletin (02-10 September 2010)
Southgate Amateur Radio Club IO92NV, WAB SK73, IOTA EU-005, WLOTA 1841), during September 3/4/5 weekend and is a special event organised by the Royal Air Force Amateur Radio Society for … |
CQ Unveils New Website: – eHam.net
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CQ Unveils New Website:
eHam.net Our new design makes it much easier for readers and prospective readers to access this treasure trove of ham radio information." CQ Amateur Radio is the … |
Hometown Happenings 0902 – Tbo.com
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Hometown Happenings 0902
Tbo.com Spring Hill Amateur Radio Club (SHARC) meets at 7 pm the third Thursday of every month at the Oak Hill Hospital Enrichment Center. Anyone interested in Ham … |
Ham radio operators getting busy in Dallas – Gaston Gazette
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Ham radio operators getting busy in Dallas
Gaston Gazette Ham radio operators from across the country have been camping all week in Dallas preparing for Saturday's 55th annual Shelby Ham Fest. … |
Amateur Radio DXpedition to Jarvis Island – latest – Southgate Amateur Radio Club
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Amateur Radio DXpedition to Jarvis Island – latest
Southgate Amateur Radio Club You can read this Plan here: During the first half of 2010 the FWS staff developed a draft "Compatibility Determination for Amateur Radio Operations at the … |
Program for Astronomy Education and Research Builds Radio-Telescopes – TMCnet
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Program for Astronomy Education and Research Builds Radio-Telescopes
TMCnet 31 — Tarleton State University issued the following news release: It all began with an article in the amateur radio magazine QST. … |
Amateur radio operators group ‘RACES’ into action – NorthJersey.com
 NorthJersey.com |
Amateur radio operators group 'RACES' into action
NorthJersey.com Parsippany RACES (Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service) joined thousands of amateur radio operators across North America this summer in the annual 24-hour … |
Ham radio operators to commemorate end of WWII – StarNewsOnline.com
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Ham radio operators to commemorate end of WWII
StarNewsOnline.com On the 65th anniversary of the Japanese surrender in World War II, local ham radio operators will try to link up historic battleships that … |
New radio lab helps students broadcast to the world and space – Picket
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New radio lab helps students broadcast to the world and space
Picket Unlike commercial radio, amateur radio does not operate on specific channels. Instead, there are 3 different ways of transmitting information over radio … |
Radio men keep communications open – Lansing State Journal
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Radio men keep communications open
Lansing State Journal The Clinton County Emergency Communications Team is a group of volunteer amateur radio operators who help area first responders communicate with one another … |
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