What Is Ham Radio?......The FAQ
 

A necessary preface.....

(It is becoming increasingly difficult to fly the flag for
decency and for civilised behaviour in Radio Hammery. Even
the Usenet newsgroups dedicated to the cause have degenerated
into a hotbed of abusive onslaughts by those who ought to know
better; the Nugatory Numpties who boast of an interest
exceeding 10, 20, 30, 40 or even 50 years and yet who have
proved themselves incapable of even meeting the trivial exam
standards set for 6-year-olds. However, there still exists
the fundamental basis on which Ham Radio is based, and
that will never die. This FAQ ("What Is Ham Radio?") will
be regularly published and will not be shouted or bullied
down. It is important that those of a technical bent, who
are the natural seed-corn of Radio Hammery and who
gravitate towards us to be the real novitiate, can
still find us, (and know that we are still here), their fellows.)

-----ooooo-----

So,.....What is Ham Radio?

Ham Radio is a technical pursuit for those who
are interested in the science of radio wave
propagation and who are also interested in the
way that their radios function. It has a long-standing
tradition of providing a source of engineers who
are born naturals.

Ham Radio awakens in its aficionados a whole-life
fascination with all things technical and gives
an all-abiding curiosity to improve one's scientific
knowledge. It's a great swimming pool, please dive in!

This excitement causes a wish to share the experience
with ones fellow man, and shows itself in the
gentlemanly traditions of Ham Radio.

Radio Hams are in a unique privileged position in that
they can construct and operate their own equipment! No-one
else has this privilege. Users, such as broadcasters,
the po lice and armed farces, CBers and mobile phone
users have to purchase ready-made gear. Manufacturers
are not licensed to operate their gear. Radio Hams
are qualified to design, build and then
operate their own pieces of equipment. They do this
with gusto, and also repair and modify their own
equipment. This is a privilege well worth the effort
to gain, and one to be jealously guarded.

The excitement that drives a Radio Ham starts with
relatively simple technologies at first, perhaps making
his own Wimshurst machine and primary cells. Small pieces
of test equipment follow, possibly multimeters and signal
generators. Then comes receivers and transmitters. It is with
the latter that communication with like-minded technically
motivated people takes off. The scope for technical
development grows with the years
and now encompasses DSP and DDS. There is also a great deal
of excitement in the areas of computer programming to
be learnt and applied.

The technical excitement motivates Radio Hams to compete
with each other to determine who has designed and manufactured
the best-quality station. This competitiveness is found in DXing,
competitions and fox-hunts.

-----OOOOO----

However, beware! A Ham Radio licence is such a
desirable thing to have that there are large
numbers of people who wish to be thought of
as Radio Hams when, in fact, they are nothing
of the kind! Usually such people are a
variation of the CB Radio hobbyist; they buy their
radios off the shelf and send them back to be
repaired; they are not interested in technical discussion
and sneer at those who are; they have no idea how
their radios work inside and have no wish to find out;
they are free with rather silly personal insults.


-----ooooo-----

One infallible way to disambiguate the CB Radio Hobbyist
from the _REAL_ Radio Ham is to solicit their view of the
difference between CB Radio and Ham Radio. A Radio Ham will
perceive Ham Radio to be a technical pursuit and will
perceive CB Radio to be a social communications facility
no different in essence to a land-line telephone or a
GSM mobile in the hands of a 6-year-old. Thus a Radio Ham
could also hold a CB licence safe in the knowledge that
such a licence says no more about him than having a land-line
telephone, whilst continuing to regard Ham Radio as a separate
technical pursuit.

A CB Radio hobbyist, on the other hand, sees no difference between
a Ham Radio licence and a CB Radio licence. To him, they are
sisters-under-the-skin. Wrongly, the CB Radio Hobbyist then
tries to classify himself as the equal of the Radio
Ham when, in fact, he is nothing of the kind.

Ham Radio is not CB Radio and has no common ground with it!
Ham Radio is _THE_ technical pursuit for gentlemen; CB Radio
is the operating hobby for those who buy their rigs and
equipment off the shelf.

-----ooooo-----

If you are the sort of person who is motivated by
a technical interest in how things work; if you took apart
malfunctioning clocks, toasters and the like and put them
right despite never having seen them working, then
a Ham Radio licence is your traditional route! There has
never been a shortage of such people, and those who gravitate
towards such an interest have always been welcomed into
our shacks and their interests fostered. There is not today,
nor has there ever been, a need to go out and encourage
and press children, children who have never expressed an
interest in Ham Radio, to come into our shacks. Such an
activity should cause eyebrows to be raised - what
normal well-adjusted adults seek the social acquaintance
of children?!

-----ooooo-----

Please remember that this FAQ is a _POSITIVE EXHORTATION_
to you to exert yourselves to join our fraternity!

What Is Ham Radio?......The FAQ
 

If M3 is the answer, it's a silly question! wrote:

I'd like to add a few frequently asked questions.

What Is Ham Radio?......The FAQ
 

Andy writes:

HAM RADIO is a way of legally putting stuff I design and
build on the air without having some dude with a clipboard
and a whistle show up on my doorstep....

That's the main reason I have been a ham for 45 years.

Andy W4OAH

What Is Ham Radio?......The FAQ
 

"AndyS" wrote in message
oups.com...
Andy writes:

HAM RADIO is a way of legally putting stuff I design and
build on the air without having some dude with a clipboard
and a whistle show up on my doorstep....

That's the main reason I have been a ham for 45 years.

Surely the _ONLY_ reason for anyone to be a Ham?

What Is Ham Radio?......The FAQ
 

I have great respect for the amateur license, but NOT EVERYONE BUYS A
COW JUST TO GET A GALLON OF MILK A WEEK.

If M3 is the answer, it's a silly question! wrote:
A necessary preface.....

(It is becoming increasingly difficult to fly the flag for
decency and for civilised behaviour in Radio Hammery. Even
the Usenet newsgroups dedicated to the cause have degenerated
into a hotbed of abusive onslaughts by those who ought to know
better; the Nugatory Numpties who boast of an interest
exceeding 10, 20, 30, 40 or even 50 years and yet who have
proved themselves incapable of even meeting the trivial exam
standards set for 6-year-olds. However, there still exists
the fundamental basis on which Ham Radio is based, and
that will never die. This FAQ ("What Is Ham Radio?") will
be regularly published and will not be shouted or bullied
down. It is important that those of a technical bent, who
are the natural seed-corn of Radio Hammery and who
gravitate towards us to be the real novitiate, can
still find us, (and know that we are still here), their fellows.)

-----ooooo-----

So,.....What is Ham Radio?

Ham Radio is a technical pursuit for those who
are interested in the science of radio wave
propagation and who are also interested in the
way that their radios function. It has a long-standing
tradition of providing a source of engineers who
are born naturals.

Ham Radio awakens in its aficionados a whole-life
fascination with all things technical and gives
an all-abiding curiosity to improve one's scientific
knowledge. It's a great swimming pool, please dive in!

This excitement causes a wish to share the experience
with ones fellow man, and shows itself in the
gentlemanly traditions of Ham Radio.

Radio Hams are in a unique privileged position in that
they can construct and operate their own equipment! No-one
else has this privilege. Users, such as broadcasters,
the po lice and armed farces, CBers and mobile phone
users have to purchase ready-made gear. Manufacturers
are not licensed to operate their gear. Radio Hams
are qualified to design, build and then
operate their own pieces of equipment. They do this
with gusto, and also repair and modify their own
equipment. This is a privilege well worth the effort
to gain, and one to be jealously guarded.

The excitement that drives a Radio Ham starts with
relatively simple technologies at first, perhaps making
his own Wimshurst machine and primary cells. Small pieces
of test equipment follow, possibly multimeters and signal
generators. Then comes receivers and transmitters. It is with
the latter that communication with like-minded technically
motivated people takes off. The scope for technical
development grows with the years
and now encompasses DSP and DDS. There is also a great deal
of excitement in the areas of computer programming to
be learnt and applied.

The technical excitement motivates Radio Hams to compete
with each other to determine who has designed and manufactured
the best-quality station. This competitiveness is found in DXing,
competitions and fox-hunts.

-----OOOOO----

However, beware! A Ham Radio licence is such a
desirable thing to have that there are large
numbers of people who wish to be thought of
as Radio Hams when, in fact, they are nothing
of the kind! Usually such people are a
variation of the CB Radio hobbyist; they buy their
radios off the shelf and send them back to be
repaired; they are not interested in technical discussion
and sneer at those who are; they have no idea how
their radios work inside and have no wish to find out;
they are free with rather silly personal insults.


-----ooooo-----

One infallible way to disambiguate the CB Radio Hobbyist
from the _REAL_ Radio Ham is to solicit their view of the
difference between CB Radio and Ham Radio. A Radio Ham will
perceive Ham Radio to be a technical pursuit and will
perceive CB Radio to be a social communications facility
no different in essence to a land-line telephone or a
GSM mobile in the hands of a 6-year-old. Thus a Radio Ham
could also hold a CB licence safe in the knowledge that
such a licence says no more about him than having a land-line
telephone, whilst continuing to regard Ham Radio as a separate
technical pursuit.

A CB Radio hobbyist, on the other hand, sees no difference between
a Ham Radio licence and a CB Radio licence. To him, they are
sisters-under-the-skin. Wrongly, the CB Radio Hobbyist then
tries to classify himself as the equal of the Radio
Ham when, in fact, he is nothing of the kind.

Ham Radio is not CB Radio and has no common ground with it!
Ham Radio is _THE_ technical pursuit for gentlemen; CB Radio
is the operating hobby for those who buy their rigs and
equipment off the shelf.

-----ooooo-----

If you are the sort of person who is motivated by
a technical interest in how things work; if you took apart
malfunctioning clocks, toasters and the like and put them
right despite never having seen them working, then
a Ham Radio licence is your traditional route! There has
never been a shortage of such people, and those who gravitate
towards such an interest have always been welcomed into
our shacks and their interests fostered. There is not today,
nor has there ever been, a need to go out and encourage
and press children, children who have never expressed an
interest in Ham Radio, to come into our shacks. Such an
activity should cause eyebrows to be raised - what
normal well-adjusted adults seek the social acquaintance
of children?!

-----ooooo-----

Please remember that this FAQ is a _POSITIVE EXHORTATION_
to you to exert yourselves to join our fraternity!

What Is Ham Radio?......The FAQ
 

So,.....What is Ham Radio?

Ham Radio is a technical pursuit for those who
are interested in the science of radio wave
propagation and who are also interested in the
way that their radios function. It has a long-standing
tradition of providing a source of engineers who
are born naturals.

You mean a sort of unique club for the elite?
With secret hamonic handshakes?
With members who are all "upper class" school educated?

Ok. I get the picture, good buddy.

What Is Ham Radio?......The FAQ
 

Oh dear, don't start Mr Evans on one of his rants about the masons :-(


"Joe Ninetee" wrote in message
...
With secret hamonic handshakes?

What Is Ham Radio?......The FAQ
 

Sorry! Then I guess he's not yet invented the "hamon"!
My only **real** comment is that we are all **radio
amateurs**, who hold **experimenters licences**. At
least that's what they called them when they were
invented, to keep them seperated from the
**professionals**.


Oh dear, don't start Mr Evans on one of his
rants about the masons :-(

With secret hamonic handshakes?

What Is Ham Radio?......The FAQ
 

Well, in my part of the world, and the parts I can talk to lately, the
most negative issues around "ham radio" are on the internet newsgroups,
not on the airwaves. It is unfortunate that anyone would take the
rantings and attacks of the few obviously "impaired" individuals that
continually post crap in the newsgroups, as something that is indicative
of the general state of "Radio Hammery". As with any human endeavor,
there will always be some bad apples, and in usenet newsgroups, there is
absolutely NO filter to keep out the people who wish to disrupt everyone
else. At least not yet. Someday, when we all pay for our posts (it's
coming, believe me) and we all digitally sign our posts to ensure we are
who we say we are, then maybe we'll have civility and normalcy come back
to the newsgroups. Until then, at least, the comraderie and decency of
true hams will still shine out on the air, in good times and during
emergencies, and we will all be seen for what we are, not what a few
whackos would like you to believe we are turning into....

Thanks
--Rick AH7H

If M3 is the answer, it's a silly question! wrote:
A necessary preface.....

(It is becoming increasingly difficult to fly the flag for
decency and for civilised behaviour in Radio Hammery. Even
the Usenet newsgroups dedicated to the cause have degenerated
into a hotbed of abusive onslaughts by those who ought to know
better; the Nugatory Numpties who boast of an interest
exceeding 10, 20, 30, 40 or even 50 years and yet who have
proved themselves incapable of even meeting the trivial exam
standards set for 6-year-olds. However, there still exists
the fundamental basis on which Ham Radio is based, and
that will never die. This FAQ ("What Is Ham Radio?") will
be regularly published and will not be shouted or bullied
down. It is important that those of a technical bent, who
are the natural seed-corn of Radio Hammery and who
gravitate towards us to be the real novitiate, can
still find us, (and know that we are still here), their fellows.)
---snip----

What Is Ham Radio?......The FAQ
 

Someday, when we all pay for our posts (it's
coming, believe me)

That'll be the day when ham radio comes back to life then. Paying for posts?
That's paying for toilet paper on a wipe by wipe basis.

D