- What is Amateur Radio?
- What do Amateur Radio Operators do?
- I have heard of Amateur Radio Emergency Service®. What is that?
- Are there other amateur radio groups that provide public service communications?
- Why are hams useful for so many things? Don’t these different agencies have their own radios?
- How can Amateurs do so many things away from their homes? Don’t they need big antennas and stuff?
- How can I learn more about Amateur Radio and getting a license?
Amateur Radio is a radio service which is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (The FCC) and is recognized by international treaties. It exists for the purpose of training radio operators, developing new technologies, enhancing international goodwill, and providing communications assistance for the public – especially during emergencies. For others, it’s simply just a hobby which they enjoy. There are over 700,000 licensed operators in the United States, and over 3 million worldwide.
2. What do Amateur Radio Operators do?
It is hard to narrow this down to just a single topic because there are many different parts to the hobby, and many people tend to just focus on a few different things. Some enjoy building or repairing radio equipment. Some enjoy “DXing”, which involves contacting hams in foreign countries. Others enjoy competing in contesting to see how many stations they can contact within a given time frame on particular modes or frequencies. Some hams prefer to communicate with Morse Code, while others don’t even use it at all. There are even some that transmit images using slow-scan or fast-scan television, or even some that use digital modes to transmit text messages all over the world without using the internet. Other’s would say their primary interest is “emergency communications”, while some are just interested in chatting with other hams that share common interests outside of radio.
3. I have heard of Amateur Radio Emergency Service®? What is that?
This organization serves to help organize hams interested in public service communications. By contacting an ARES Emergency Coordinator, an organization can reach out to a whole group of hams that are willing to assist with their communication needs in the public interest (without compensation – required by the FCC regulations). ARES groups exist throughout the United States and are often affiliated with emergency management agencies and Red Cross chapters.
4. Are there other Amateur Radio groups that provide public service communications?
Yes, there are many! Many marathons, road races, walk-a-thons, bike races, parades, and public gatherings of all sorts use ham radio operators to assist with organization and “situational awareness”. Many Emergency Management Agencies have ham groups affiliated with them, along with Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Services (RACES), the Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Net (SATERN), or even the Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS).
5. Why are hams useful for so many things? Don’t these different agencies have their own radios?
In some cases, it’s typically the need for more people in more places. For things like marathon routes, it benefits the organizers to have hams all along the route to observe and report instantaneously anything that happens. The National Weather Service has utilized ham radio reports of weather conditions for the National Hurricane Center and various NWS offices around the country. Sometimes, the Amateur Radio operators have more capable systems than the “professionals”, and the equipment typically survives after a disaster when the “regular” systems have been knocked out.
6. How can Amateurs do so many things away from their homes? Don’t they need big antennas and stuff?
Amateur Radio operators can operate on many different frequencies. Some of the High Frequency ranges do require large antennas, but the ones in the Very High Frequency or Ultra High Frequency range allow for small, portable antennas to be used. Hams can also communicate with satellites orbiting the earth, along with possibly even making contact with operators on the International Space Station.
7. How can I learn more about Amateur Radio and getting a license?
The best place to start is at http://www.ARRL.org. You can also stop by one of our meetings, or send us an email!
Snippets from above have been taken from the American Red Cross Disaster Services Technology (DST) newsletter to volunteers.