What is HAM Radio
Amateur radio, often called Ham radio, is a hobby enjoyed by about six million people throughout the world.An amateur radio operator, also known as a ham or radio amateur, uses various types of radio equipment to communicate with other radio amateurs for public service, recreation and self-training.
Amateur radio operators have personal wireless communications with friends, family members, and even complete strangers, and often support their communities with emergency and disaster communications while increasing their personal knowledge of electronics and radio theory.
The legal term “Amateur” in this sense is not a reflection on the skills of the participants, which are often quite advanced; it just indicates that the associated spectrum cannot be used for commercial or money-making purposes.
What do HAMS do
Radio amateurs use various modes of transmission to communicate. Voice transmissions are most common, with some such as frequency modulation (FM) offering high quality audio, and others such as single sideband (SSB) offering more reliable communications when signals are marginal and bandwidth is restricted.
Radiotelegraphy using Morse code remains popular, particularly on the shortwave bands and for experimental work, with its inherent signal-to-noise ratio advantages. Morse, using internationally agreed code groups, also facilitates communications between amateurs who speak different languages. It is also popular with homebrewers as CW-only transmitters are simpler to construct.
Modern personal computers have led to a boom in digital modes such as radioteletype, which previously required cumbersome mechanical equipment.Hams led the development of packet radio, which has since been augmented by more specialized modes such as PSK31 to facilitate real-time, low-power communications on the shortwave bands. Echolink using Voice over IP technology has enabled amateurs to communicate through local internet-connected repeaters and radio nodes, while IRLP has allowed easy linking together of repeaters. Other modes, such as FSK441 using software such as WSJT, are used for weak signal modes including meteor scatter and moonbounce communications.
Repeaters, or automated relay stations, are used on VHF and higher frequencies to increase signal range. Repeaters are usually located on top of a mountain, hill or tall building, and allow operators to communicate over hundreds of square miles using a low power hand-held transceiver. Repeaters can also be linked together by use of other amateur radio bands, landline or the Internet.
Communication satellites called OSCARs (Orbiting Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio) can be accessed, some using a handy-talkie (HT) with a stock “rubber duck” antenna. Hams also use natural satellites such as the moon and the ionized trails of meteors as reflectors of radio waves.Hams are also often able to make contact with the International Space Station (ISS), as many astronauts and cosmonauts are licensed as Amateur Radio Operators.
Amateur radio operators use their amateur radio station to make contacts with individual hams as well as participating in round table discussion groups or “rag chew sessions” on the air. Some join in regularly scheduled on-air meetings with other amateur radio operators, called “Nets” (as in “networks”) which are moderated by a station referred to as “Net Control”.Nets can allow operators to learn procedures for emergencies, be an informal round table or be topical, covering specific interests shared by a group.