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MODULE I - INTRODUCTION TO HAM RADIO WHAT IS AMATEUR RADIO A young government employee in Leyte makes friends over the radio with a ham in Macao, China. A priest in Metro Manila participating in a "DX contest" swaps call signs with hams in 100 countries during a single weekend. In Cebu, volunteers save lives as part of their involvement in an emergency communications net. And at the scene of a fire incident in Tacloban City, a ham calls for help by using a pocket-sized hand-held radio. This unique mix of fun, public service and convenience is the distinguishing characteristic of Amateur Radio. Although hams get involved in the hobby for many reasons, they all have in common a basic knowledge of radio technology, regulations and operating principles, demonstrated by passing an examination for a license to operate on radio frequencies known as the "Amateur Bands."

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A FUN Hobby... Ham radio operators use two-way radio stations from their homes, cars, boats and outdoors to make hundreds of friends around town and around the world. They communicate with each other using voice, computers, and Morse code. Some hams bounce their signals off the upper regions of the atmosphere, so they can talk with hams on the other side of the world. Other hams use satellites. Many use hand-held radios that fit in their pockets. Hams exchange pictures of each other using television. Some also like to work on electronic circuits, building their own radios and antennas. A few pioneers in Amateur Radio have even contributed to advances in technology that we all enjoy today. There are even ham-astronauts who take radios with them on space shuttle missions and thrill thousands of hams on earth with a call from space! The hobby is particularly interesting in the sense that many "hams" may talk to each other as extra special friends for years without ever having met. Joy may be defined as the time when two "hams", who have talked to each other for many years, finally see each other on "eyeball" for the first time. Space shuttle astronaut Jay Apt sits aboard the Atlantis, wearing a headset and holding a ham radio.

A SERVICE Hobby... The worth of amateurs has been proven many times in war as well as during occurrences of disasters and calamities. Governments of different countries have duly recognized and rewarded the amateurs for their assistance during emergencies. Amateurs have often spearheaded rescue assistance immediately after hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, and other calamities. It has been primarily because of these voluntary and courageous services that international conferences ultimately allocated certain frequencies for the sole use of the amateurs. The hobby is non-pecuniary and thus is not to be used for business purposes. Amateur is coined from the Latin word "amatore" which means "for love of" and it is for love of radio that "hams" all over the world zealously protect their frequencies from "intruders". In spite of their determination to fight for their rights, the "hams" are friendly persons "who love to teach and dessiminate the hobby to friends and young people." This is especially manifested in their cooperation with the Boy Scouts the world over. Using even the simplest of radio setups and antennas, amateurs communicate with each other for fun, during emergencies, and even in contests. They handle messages for police and other public service organizations during all kinds of emergencies including: Hurricanes, Earthquakes, Tornadoes and floods, Motorist accidents, Fires, Search and rescues. The dream of many "hams" is to save a life through the use of his equipment. It has been known that hams have actually initiated the rescue of sinking ships. Some hams have saved lives by giving medical instructions to people through ham radio. This dream, plus the fact that contacting exotic places is as exhilirating as ever, insures the continuing popularity and growth of amateur radio.... WHAT IS AMATEUR RADIO WHY IS AN AMATEUR RADIO OPERATOR CALLED A 'HAM' HOW TO GET AN AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE HOW TO ORGANIZE AN AMATEUR RADIO CLUB SO YOU WANT TO BE A HAM!   Subscribe For A Free Ham Radio E-Tutorials Back To Top

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