“Isn’t ham radio just an “old man’s” hobby? Why would I want to get involved in that?”
Actually, no. ham radio, also known as amateur radio, is a hobby for all age groups.
There are so many aspects to ham radio, that there is something for everyone. I’ve made a short list below, but there is so much more.
Ham radio operators can:
- talk to astronauts aboard the International Space Station
- participate in contests (making the most contacts in a set amount of time)
- participate in fox hunts (usually set up by local clubs)
- experiment with building antennas
- talk with other hams locally, across the country and around the world
- make new friends
“Okay, that all sounds interesting enough, even though I don’t know what some of it means. But I’m still not convinced why I need to get a ham license.”
Have you ever been through a natural disaster (severe thunderstorm, hurricane, tornado, earthquake, etc.) or found yourself traveling in areas where you had no cellphone service (hiking, driving, kayaking, canoeing, etc.)? When you lose the ability to communicate with the outside world it can stressful.
“Sure, but I can just buy a pair of those two-way radios from the box stores and they don’t require a license”
True. However, the range of those radios is extremely limited to “line-of-site” and if you are in mountainous terrain, you may find they don’t work well at all.
Another limitation is that they use a single frequency band assigned a limited number of channels (20 for FRS or 40 for CB) and their power is extremely limited by the FCC.
Ham radios on the other hand, have access to multiple frequency bands and are allowed to transmit up to 1500 watts of power.
When we find ourselves in a severe thunderstorm or tornado watch issued by the NOAA, I can immediately tune-in to our local Skywarn Net and get “real-time” information from other hams in our area. We know when the rains hit and where, in proximity to us, as well as any other important information such as where the local shelters are and if they have needs we can help supply.
Just having the peace of mind that I have the ability to reach someone, if all other forms of communication are down, is worth it.
If you want more information, check out the Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL) website: www.arrl.org