Ham Radio For Dummies, 3rd Edition

Introduction

You may have come across ham radio in any number of ways. Did you browse a ham radio website, see a Facebook page about ham radio, or watch a YouTube video? Maybe you have a teacher or professor, or a friend or relative who enjoys ham radio. You could have seen hams on the news providing communication after natural disasters like hurricanes or during wildfires. Maybe you saw them helping out with a parade or race or visited their Field Day setup, ham radio’s nation-wide “open house.” Ham radio has room for an amazing number of activities, including a mad scientist or two, and lots of hams just like you!

The traditional image of ham radio is of a room full of vacuum tubes, flicking needles, and Morse code keys, but today’s hams have many more options to try. Although the traditional shortwave bands are certainly crowded with ham signals hopping around the planet, hams use the Internet, lasers, and microwave transmitters; and travel to unusual places high and low to make contact, even to and from the International Space Station.

Simply stated, ham radio provides the broadest and most powerful wireless communications capability available to any private citizen anywhere in the world. Because the world’s citizens are craving ever-closer contact and hands-on experiences with technology of all sorts, ham radio is attracting attention from people like you. The hobby has never had more to offer and shows no sign of slowing its expansion into new wireless technologies. (Did ...