Introduction
Amateur radio have made significant contributions to science, engineering, industry and social services. Amateur radio often called ham radio, is both a hobby and service that uses various types of radio communication equipment to communicate with others for public service, recreation and self-training. A participant is called an amateur radio operator or a ham.
Amateur radio operator enjoy personal wireless communications with each other and are able to support their communities with emergency and disaster communications if necessary, while increasing their personal knowledge of electronics and radio theory. An estimated six million people throughout the world are involved with amateur radio. Amateur here indicates that amateur radio communications are not allowed for commercial or money-making purpose.
History
Amateur radio can be traced to at least the late 1800s, but amateur radio as practiced today began in the 1920s. The birth of amateur radio was strongly associated with various amateur experimenters hobbyists. Throughout history, amateur radio enthusiasts have made significant contribution to science, engineering, industry and social services. Research by amateur radio, operators has founded new industries, built economies, empowered nations and saved lives in times of emergency.
Activities and practices
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 is an activity dating to the earliest days of radio.
Technology has moved past the use of telegraphy in nearly all other communications and a code test is no longer part of United States (US) licensing for amateur radio. Hobbyists continue to enjoy the mode, particularly on the shortwave bands and for experimental work such as Moonbounce with its ingerent signal-to-noise ratio advantages.
Licensing
Radio Amateur operators are required to pass a licensing exam displaying knowledge and understanding of key concepts as a induction or introduction. In response, hams are granted operating privileges in large segments of the radio frequency spectrum using a wide variety of communication techniques with higher power levels permitted. The practice include CB radio, multi-use radio service or family radio service that require type approved equipment restricted in frequency range and power.
Tags: amateur radio, ham radio, radio