Here is something that I wrote a couple decades back --- it's a tad "dated"
now, but I think the central premise holds...
Dit dit,
Hans, K0HB
-------------------------------------------------------11
What is Ham Radio, and How do I get started?
- A short introduction by Hans Brakob, K0HB
(I have to explain something you might not have realized. In doing so, I'm
going to paraphrase something written by Steve Ford, WB8IMY, in his
introduction to a book entitled "The ARRL Operating Manual".)
In case you didn't know, belief in magic is a necessary requirement for all
Amateur Radio operators. Of course, you won't see a question concerning
magic or metaphysics on the test you take to obtain your license, but in
your heart you will come to believe in that powerful, intangible force.
All of us in the hobby have felt its influence at one time or another. Some
night when the band is dead as a doornail you'll be tuning aimlessly, not
expecting to hear a single signal because NOTHING could be coming through
at that hour. But then, rising out of the noise like a ghost, there will be
a faint call from another stalwart explorer thousands of miles distant. You
pounce, establish contact and both of you marvel at the fact that the
conversation is taking place at all. A few minutes later, however, the
signal vanishes as quickly as it came. Your rational mind will shrug it off
as a quirk of propagation, but that little tingle in your gut will tell you
otherwise.
If you could travel back in time to, say, 1294 AD, you'd probably be burned
at the nearest stake for even suggesting that two human beings could
communicate with each other over great distances without a physical
connection. No doubt they would accuse you of dabbling in magic -- and
they'd be right!
As Amateur Radio operators, we work feats of magic every day. Many of us
have become jaded about our powers and we tend to dismiss them as
commonplace. We hardly think twice when we use our equipment to summon the
elemental forces of the universe. But every so often we need to pause and
remind ourselves of what we are really doing. We need to remember the
essence of what drew us to our unusual avocation in the first place: the
wonderful magic of wireless communications.
So how can YOU become a magician?
First, you need to prepare to obtain a Magician's License. The Federal
Communications Commission calls them Amateur Radio Operator Licenses, and
they come in 5 "classes".
There are two "entry class" licenses, namely the Novice and Technician
class. These two classes of license are designed to give the newcomer
access to a number of frequency bands without a too-strenuous exam.
The Novice class gives the widest range of frequencies, and will be
attractive to folks with a desire to talk to "distant" places. The written
test is the simplest of all the tests, and the examination also requires
you to be able to copy Morse code at 5 words per minute. This license will
also give you access to some "local" bands, but not as many as the
Technician class.
The Technician class license, as the name implies, is aimed more at folks
with a technical bent (you don't have to be an electrical engineer though).
The written test is a bit more difficult, but you don't need to know Morse
code for this license. The frequency bands for this license give you more
"local" communications, although if you wish, you CAN take the Morse test,
in which case you will also get access to the "worldwide" bands the same as
the Novice class.
The next three classes of license are General, Advanced, and Extra. These
three classes have access to portions of all amateur bands, with
progressively more difficult exams, and requirements for copying faster
Morse code (13, 13, and 20 words per minute respectively).
To prepare for the exams you will need some study material and more
information about classes, examination points (the exams are given by
volunteer Hams in your community), and clubs in your area. A number of
organizations will be more than willing to help. One such organization is
the American Radio Relay League. Write them at:
ARRL, 225 Main Street, Newington, CT 06111
or call them at 1-800-32NEWHAM.
Ask for their "newcomers" package. It will include more detailed
information, a list of classes and clubs in your area, and a list of
scheduled examinations in your area also.
If you are near a Radio Shack store, go there and ask for a book entitled
"Now You're Talking". This book is also available from the ARRL. It
contains all the information you need, including study material and sample
questions for the examinations for Novice and Technician licenses.
Good luck, and welcome to the "magical" hobby.
On Tuesday, May 28, 2013, Ward Silver wrote:
>
> On 5/28/2013 7:16 AM, ZL2HAM wrote:
>
>> Pitching radio just as a way to
>> talk to others, which puts it in competition with cell phones, Skype and
>> the
>> Internet, is a mistake.
>>
>
> Completely agree. What is it that ham radio has which is not available to
> any other citizen communication service anywhere? (Citizens Band and
> freebanders notwithstanding) The answer is a completely novel way to
> interact with an unseen and rarely experienced aspect of the world around
> us. The ionosphere, tropospheric propagation, meteor scatter, moon bounce,
> grey line, dawn enhancement (that sounds like a great movie title right
> there), backscatter, sporadic E, long path... What I tell people is that
> when I'm on the radio, I can literally hear the world turning. That is
> what stops them in their tracks - not that I can talk to the Islets of
> Langerhan which they can do any time from anywhere for free. (As long as
> the 'net is working where they are...that's a different story.)
>
> The point being not that our communications are easier than commercial
> stuff but that it's HARDER for cool reasons! That's why hiking and
> backpacking and bicycling and fly fishing are all still so popular - it's
> not the common, ordinary, everyday stuff. That you can build and
> experiment and fool around with radio stuff is icing on the cake.
>
> 73, Ward N0AX
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>
--
73, de Hans, K0HB
"Just a boy and his radio"
--
Sea stories at --------> http://K0HB.wordpress.com
Superstition trails ---> http://OldSlowHans.com
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