Amateur Radio

Amateur Radio, or Ham Radio, as it is sometimes called, is a Federally 
Licensed Hobby Radio Communications service enjoyed by about 800,000
licensed Americans. These hams build and operate 2 way radios and can 
communicate with other hams across the country and all around the world.

Ham Radio actually started with people like Marconi and others, who in the 
early 1900's experimented with the wireless technology believing that one day 
communications as we now have, would be possible.

Little was know about frequencies in the beginning, and the first type of 
communications were bursts of static created with a spark gap mechanism. Soon 
after, it was discovered that frequency could be controlled and various 
developements led to refining the methods that radio signals were generated. 
The bursts of signals developed into a code so it became a specialized 
language all of its own. Samual Morse was responsible for standardizing an
International Morse Code that is still used today.

Many were experimenting with radio and thru all this experimenting, many 
developements and refinements came about. All of these early experimenters were
called hams. Voice communications soon became possible, and it was hams who 
developed it. Most refinements of voice communications including AM, FM, and
sideband came from ham operators.

Once technology developed, and practical commercial and business uses evolved,
the Federal Government stepped in to organize and regulate communications. 
Allocations were made to place frequency bands for broadcast, government 
communications, public service, business, and hams. Most of these early 
communications were on frequencies that are now the broadcast AM band and 
below. Hams discovered shorter wave communications and longer distance
communications came about. As the Hams developed the higher frequencies, they
discovered that different wavelengths acted differently at different times of 
the day or night and different times of the year. The government assigned 
different bands to hams and other users at various different wavelengths.

Ham radio operators have different assigned bands of frequencies throughout the 
radio spectrum including short wave as well as the VHF and UHF spectrum. 
Different frequency wavelengths react differently at different times of the day
and even different times of the year in the shortwave spectrum. The range of 
communications changes on these different bands at different times because the 
sun ionizes different layers of the ionisphere above the earth and radio signals
bounce off these different layers at different times changing the range of
communications and how far the radio signal is heard.

With the developement of the vaccuum tube, higher power communications and 
longer distance communications became possible. In the 50's, solid state 
electronic components made communications more portable.

Early radio was used for broadcast to the public, International Short Wave
Broadcast, and ships at sea as well as International 2 way Communications.
 
Ham Radio Operators are licensed by the Federal Communications Commission
and there are five classes of licenses with various privileges with each 
license.  Obtaining a license requires a person to pass a written and sometimes
a morse code test, depending on the class license sought. The written test is 
on federal law regulating ham radio as well as technical information on 
electronics and radio communications. Morse Code is still a requirement for 
getting most classes of ham licenses, but the 5 word per minute requirment, 
25 characters in one minute, is very easy. The requirements are kept so that 
hams appreciate the use of the valuable radio spectrum.

Hams can communicate by code, voice, data, and even television. They 
experiment with new technology and, many times, build their own radios. They
talk from their cars, homes, vacation homes, and even places of business. They
talk to local ham friends and form clubs. It's also important to note that 
they make new worldwide friends across the seas and this promotes world peace,
friendship, and understanding. Many hams collect QSL confirmation postcards
confirming or verifying their contacts with other hams. 
 
Radio spectrum is much in demand. All of the allocations of frequencies are
filled and the frequencies are shared and sometimes overcrowded in large 
Metropolitan areas. Hams have been allowed to keep the valuable spectrum 
because of the continuing contributions to developing new techniques that they 
make to communications technology as well as their valuable emergency 
communications ability in times of national disasters.

Further information can be obtained from the American Radio Relay League in 
Newingtown,  Connecticut, or any ham operator.