Many ask “What is Ham Radio”? The answer can be broad to very personal depending on the amateur operator, or Ham, that is asked. Ham Radio at its core is a radio service that is licensed for amateur use by a country’s governing body. Here in the United States, it is the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). 

According to the American Radio Relay League’s (ARRL) website, Amateur Radio (ham radio) is a popular hobby and service that brings people, electronics, and communication together. There are many activities and niches amateur operations can take part in. The broadest and most obvious activities are just getting on the air and taking, whether that’s using voice, Morse code, or digital means.

One of my favorite activities is Parks on the Air. This is what drove me to pursue the use of the HF frequencies. See my post on Parks on the Air (POTA) for a more in-depth discussion of the POTA program.

Other activities include using satellites as repeaters. Even the International Space Station can be contacted as many astronauts are Hams. Other people like to bounce their signals off the moon back to the earth, known as Earth Moon Earth or EME, to increase the range of a VHF or UHF signal.

Many Hams like to interface their radios with their computers to send signals using digital modes. Their computer sends the data to a sound card, either an external device or one built into the radio, that converts the digital information into audible tones that are transmitted over the air and are then received and decoded in the same manner. Many digital modes exist, such as FT8, that make receiving weak signals that are covered by a high noise floor possible. Sending email is also possible over the radio. The possibilities are almost endless.

Experimentation is a hallmark of Ham Radio. This has led to the development of many discoveries and innovations from creating various digital modes to new hardware and software. The most common starting point of experimentation is the building antennas. Hams are not only allowed but are encouraged to build their equipment. 

Radio contesting is an activity that involves Hams participating in the attempt to make the most contacts or gain the highest score within a specified time frame. The rules and scoring methods are set forth by the contest organizers. These contests may be limited to Hams in a particular area, on limited frequencies, or limited modes of operations.

These are just a few of the almost infinite ways amateur operators put their licenses to use.

Leave a comment below to share what Ham Radio is to you.

Until next time, 73