a much better peice of writing

K=D8HB wrote:
"Polymath" wrote

What is Ham Radio?

This message is a VERY brief attempt to explain the hobby and give
some pointers on where to get more information. Almost certainly I won't
answer all your questions, so feel free to ask for help. Hams are famous
for their eagerness to help newcomers. I should also point out that
this explanation assumes you live in the USA. Almost every country
has hams (amateur radio operators), but each has their own name
for the various classes of license, and the test requirements vary from
country to country.

(First 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, 1305 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 sommon
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 Magicians License. The Federal
Communications Commission calls them Amateur Radio Operator Licenses,
and they come in 3 "classes".

The Technician class license, is currently the most popular class,
providing the "first taste of magic" to most new licensees. There
is no Morse code examination for this license, and the written
examination is not considered difficult by most applicants. The
frequency bands for this license are largely "local" in nature. (You
can gain access to some "long distance" bands if you pass a slow
(5 words per minute) Morse examination, but this option may soon
be history if a recent FCC is adopted.)

The other two classes of license are General and Extra.
These two classes have access to portions of all amateur bands, with
progressively more difficult exams, and a requirement requirement
to pass a 5 word per minute Morse code exam.

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. They are on the Web at
http://www.arrl.org.

Or you can write them at:

ARRL 225 Main Street Newington, CT 06111

or call them at 1-800-32NEWHAM

Ask for their "Prospective Ham 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. Include your ZIP
code in your query so they can send you info tailored for your
location.

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 examination for the Technician
license.

Good luck, and welcome to the "magical" hobby.
=20
Regards,
=20
Hans, K0HB