About Amateur Radio
KC0KVX, Saturday 17 March 2007 - 15:31:24
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Amateur radio, often called Ham radio, is a
hobby and
public service enjoyed by about six million people[1] throughout the world. An
amateur radio operator, also known as a ham or radio amateur, uses advanced 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. They support the community with
emergency and
disaster communications. Increasing a person's knowledge of
electronics and radio theory and radio contesting are also popular.
Storm spotting
Where severe storms are possible, storm spotting groups such as
SKYWARN in
the United States coordinate amateur radio operators to keep track of severe
thunderstorms and tornadoes. Reports from spotters and chasers are given to the
National Weather Service to warn the general public. Spotters also give
reports during winter storms, floods, hurricanes and wildfires. Other countries
have similar programs, such as the Canadian spotting program
CANWARN.
Emergency communications
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In times of crisis and
natural disasters, Amateur radio provides emergency communications when
wireline, cell phones and other means of communications fail. Unlike commercial
systems, Amateur radio is not as dependent on terrestrial facilities that can be
destroyed.[4]It also dispersed throughout a community without "choke points" such as celluar
telephone sites that can become overloaded.[5]
Amateur radio operators are also experienced in improvising antennas and
power sources and most equipment can be powered by an automobile battery.[6]Annual "Field
Days" are held in many countries to practice these emergency improvisational
skills. Amateur radio operators can use hundreds of frequencies and can quickly
establish networks tying disparate agencies together to enhance
interoperability.[7]
Recent examples include the
2001 attacks on the
World Trade Center the
2003 North America blackout, the
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake[8]and
Hurricane Katrina, where amateur radio was used to coordinate disaster
relief activities when other systems failed.
Specialized Interests of Ham Radio
While many hams just enjoy talking to friends, others pursue specialized
interests such as:
Some enthusiasts collect
vintage amateur radios, such as those using vacuum tube technology. Some
hams also assist in the restoration and operation of antique radio equipment at
museums and museum ships.
Many hams enjoy meeting each other in person as well through local clubs or
at Hamfests.
These annual events are popular, with the largest being held in
Dayton
Ohio, where more than 20,000 hams gather each May.
