Have you ever thought about how cool it would be to communicate with someone by radio in Europe or Asia? Or what about talking to an orbiting astronaut? These are just a few of the exciting things you can do in the world of amateur radio. This is a very enjoyable hobby that does not cost a lot of money. So read on about how to get going in the world of amateur radio, and join the 700,000 amateur radio operators in the United States.

An amateur radio hobbyist, or ham, will use several different frequencies on the radio to talk to others. Other listeners can listen in on what you are talking about with their own scanner or receiver. There are several bands of frequencies that are put aside by the Federal Communication Company for the use of hams. A ham normally will work just above the broadcast range for AM, then as far as the microwave area. They also will use the range of gigahertz. Many ham bands can be located in the frequencies that you find above the radio band for AM, or 1.6 MHz, until just before the band used for citizens band, or 27 MHz.

In the day time, 15-27 MHz is the perfect band to use for talking over very long distances. At night time, you will find that the best band to use is from 1.6-15 MHz. These are also known by hams as the shortwave bands. The bands in this range are not the same as the ones used for FM radio or for television stations. Those two are only good for transmitting signals a short distance and only can broadcast for a mere fifty miles, give or take a few miles. On the other hand, short waves have the ability to reflect off of the earth’s upper atmosphere from the broadcast transmitter and then to the receiver antenna.

When you start using your radio, you will probably be broadcasting to one person, or perhaps a group of amateurs. Hams usually will use a network at a prearranged time so that they can exchange messages. When there is a disaster in the area, hams will send out critical information to their ham friends. Hams can in general provide a very important service during emergency situations. This is because so often the Internet and cell phone lines are down or are jammed. For example, on 9/11 in Washington DC, I could not get through on my cell phone for at least an hour.

Many hams that are starting out will begin with VHF FM. This is where you use a transceiver that you hold with your hand. You transmit on 1 frequency and receive on a different frequency. You also will use an FM repeater in this case. You will ‘borrow’ space on an antenna from a TV station or radio station in your area. The FM repeater will receive the signal and then will broadcast it again but on a different frequency. The tower will deliver your message with much more wattage, so it can increase the distance your radio can broadcast by hundreds and hundreds of miles.

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Category: Recreation
Keywords: amateur radio,ham operators,recreation,hobbies,communications