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The hobby of Amateur Radio has something for about everyone! When someone
that is not in the hobby thinks of Amateur Radio they automatically think of
someone sitting behind a desk with a microphone talking to some-one that is
in ten-buck-two that they cannot see!
The tests given by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) have gotten a
lot easier over the years. Years ago you used to have to wait until
representatives from the FCC were holding exams in your area. The different
classes of license not only had certain radio frequencies that your could
operate on, but also had different speeds of Morse code that you had to send
and be able to receive at!
Today many local radio clubs hold regular exams sessions once a month, with
some right in your town. Larger cities may have two or three going on at
the same time! You do not need to be able to send and receive Morse code
any longer (at any speed) to operate at the license level that you have passed
written test for. A group of radio operators used to stay at the level that
Morse code was not needed, but a lot of radio operators today (with the code
requirements completely gone for any class of license, at the objection of
some of the older (longtime) hams) have decided to go for a higher class
license.
A lot of things that we use today (and think nothing of) was probably tested,
improved, and maybe even invented on Amateur (ham) Radio. One thing that
everyone has is a television. Ham radio has quite a few operators that
operate a lot of TV on their radios, exchange with others different pictures
that have been taken locally and broadcast over their radios. Some are avid
balloon enthusiasts that connect a camera and Amateur Radio transmitter on
the balloon. They (usually) a group of “hams” and maybe a professor (from
the local collage), and someone from the weather bureau follow the balloon
on the ground to pick it up.
Have you ever watched a group exhibit expertise with model airplanes? Each
one has a colored flag on their transmitter that identifies their
transmitting frequency. The flags are dark blue, light blue, all kinds of
colors. Some have the color black on their flag which means they are
operating on an Amateur Radio Band. These model enthusiasts have an Amateur
Radio License.
Students in a school in New York (or elsewhere) may listen to an
instructor(s) about life and other things in outer space. They can ask
questions of their instructor(s) and get answers to their questions even
though the instructor is a few miles above them somewhere in outer space.
There is an Amateur Radio Operator close to the radio so they (the class and
the school teacher) can talk on the radio under their license. Most if not
all of the astronauts have an Amateur Radio License.
Most of the local clubs are involved either by sponsoring a “Ham Fest” by
them selves or joining with another club or more to sponsor a “Ham Fest”.
Usually at these “Ham Fests” they have certain times that they give new
license tests, and upgrade tests. These are most of the time over and above
the testing sessions that they give during the year. Also at these
gatherings are vendors and other radio operators that sell everything from
new/used antennas, radios, computers, all kinds of radio parts, and books on
radio (fixing, building, or operating). I am probably missing some things
they sell, but you get the general idea.
Some also have exhibitions on some new thing(s) that they or some other
organization has. Some clubs have vans that have all kinds of radio gear in
it that they use for “ARRL Field Day”, rescue operations, or a local disaster
(i.e.: tornado or flood). There are special vehicles that can either be Fire
Department or Police Department vehicles that are used as command posts for
an emergency.
Another high spot at these “ham Fests” are some of the specialized lectures.
These are given by experts in their area, and can be about anything from
transmitting through satellites to a new kind of digital mode that is
transmitted with a computer connected into a radio. There are also sometimes
meetings of special interest groups to discuss such things as problems with
emergencies or accomplishments that they have had and why.
This definitely did not cover many things that are part of the hobby.
Amateur Radio Gifts handles the main things that will help advertise many of
the activities of the Amateur Radio Operator such as paperweights, t-shirts,
and coffee mugs.
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