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Amateur Radio has been around since the 1930’s - and has been on the innovative edge of communications technology ever since. Like your cellphone? Back before cells in the 70’s, hams were walking around making phone calls through their handheld transceivers using two meter repeater systems. In the 90’s they were using the same operating systems only talking to satellites dedicated to ham radio. Today, they’re Internet linking a local repeater with a repeater in, say, London and talking like they were standing in front of the Hard Rock. For years, Amateur Radio has been at the forefront of public service. Starting in the 60’s, the Hurricane Watch Net and the Maritime Mobile Net and others helped people at sea, people in the path of hurricanes to stay connected with the world. Hams have trained with the National Weather Service to protect their own communities by spotting for severe weather and tornados.
In between, hams make friends around town, around the country, and around the world. It’s an interesting hobby for several reasons. It’s easy to get started, but you need to pass a test to obtain a FCC license to operate. No, you don’t have to know Morse Code. Once licensed, there is a wide variety of aspects to the hobby- from ‘old fashioned’ Morse Code (still the most dependable means of communication in tough conditions) to computer generated digital communication. Hams have several dedicated satellites in the sky, and when they aren’t enough, hams just bounce a signal off the moon. It is a hobby that can last a lifetime. One of the best aspects is that ham radio is an equalizer. A number of very impressive people have licenses- and perhaps only on ham radio, their conversations are just like anyone else’s. Handicapped? No problem- and the conversation you have, the technical knowledge you possess, and the ability to reach out to other people is completely independent of your physical limitations.
But how do we get started? The American Radio Relay League has perhaps the best array of information. Start with this link: http://www.arrl.org/licensing-education-training . Locally, exams are given on a regular basis around Central Ohio. Check out: http://colvet.org/ or http://w8zpf.cboh.org/exams/ . And come to a club meeting. We’ll be glad to help! We’ll even be glad to give you the test! Check out the “Testing” page for details!
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