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Amateur Radio
My first "modern radio" bought in 1990, a Kenwood TS140S
Most people don't know a lot about amateur radio, or ham radio, as it is more
often called. For some it is the "dit dit dit dah dah dah" of Morse code. While
Morse code is a part of ham radio there are a lot of other operating modes
including SSB, short for Single Side Band, which is a voice mode. Then there are
modes such as RTTY, PSK31, and other digital modes. There are even satellites
built and controlled by amateurs.
For those interested in computers the digital modes can be operated by most
of the newer computers. One of the hottest modes going now is PSK31 which uses
the soundcard in a computer, an interface between the computer and radio, and
the radio to make contacts. After you get everything set up you just type on
your computer and send it over the radio to the other station, where the PSK31
program take the signal from the radio and turns it back into text. This mode
uses low power to transmit and modest antennas are fine.
To get your ham license you will have to take a test. These tests are usually
given by local clubs at various locations around the country and the license is
granted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). There should be a
test session near
you. The test will have questions about radio theory, operating rules, and laws
concerning amateur radio. If you want to operate on HF, or High Frequency, you
will have to take a Morse code test also. Years ago you had to be able to copy code
at different speeds for different license classes, such as 5 WPM
(words per minute) for Novice up to 20 WPM for Extra class. There have been
changes in the rules the past few years and now the code requirement is 5 WPM
regardless of class. Also a couple license classes were eliminated and now there
are only three; Technician, General, and Extra. For more information about
becoming a ham check out this page
on the ARRL web site.
As I get the time I will try to add a short page for the more popular
operating modes with general information about each and links to sites with more
detailed information.