Amateur radio, also known as Ham Radio, is a hobby where licensed operators use radio equipment to communicate non-commercially. These operators, called "hams", use amateur frequencies for:
*Recreation
*Technical experimentation
*Emergency communication
*International friendship and exchange
*Non-commercial: Cannot be used for business or profit.
*License required: Operators must pass an exam and are issued a callsign by national authorities.
*Designated frequency bands: Operators transmit within the globally allocated amateur radio bands.
*Diverse modes: Includes voice (SSB, FM), digital (FT8, RTTY), images (SSTV), satellite (AMSAT), and even moon-bounce (EME) communication.
*DXing: Making long-distance contacts across continents.
*Contesting: Competing in radio events like the CQ World Wide DX Contest.
*Technical experimentation: Building antennas, radios, and testing digital modes.
*Public service: Assisting in emergency or disaster communication.
*Education: Introducing electronics and communication to students or youth groups.
Regulatory bodies:
*USA: FCC (Federal Communications Commission)
*China: MIIT (Ministry of Industry and Information Technology)
*International coordination: ITU (International Telecommunication Union)
Organizations:
ARRL (American Radio Relay League)
IARU (International Amateur Radio Union)
*** Many countries have local amateur radio societies ***
*Began in the late 19th century with early wireless experiments.
*Restricted during World Wars then rapidly expanded afterward.
*In the digital age, it evolved withdigital modes, SDR (software-defined radio) and internet-linked systems like EchoLink