Amateur Radio Frequently Asked Questions:

1) What is Amateur Radio?

In its most general sense the term Amateur Radio covers a very wide
range of activities initiated by a group of people for the public good
both short term and long term on a purely non-profit and non-commercial
basis, using frequencies provided by a nation upon which that group
performs its activities. Such a group is known as a nation's Amateur
Radio Service.

2) Why Amateur Radio?

A great many national governments recognize the necessity for forming a
body of volunteers existing entirely outside the commerical
telecommunications infrastructure who are permitted to use radio
frequencies. The necessity comes out of at least the following
motivations: (a) the ability to form auxillary communications for
public safety and welfare less subject to regional outage in the face
of disaster, unrest, or other emergencies affecting normal
communications (b) encouraging spread of scientific and technological
literacy throughout the population via self training, (c) encouraging
innovation in the state of the art of communications technology or in
the basic sciences on which that technology is based, (d)
encouraging goodwill between countries through informal communications
between citizens of those respective countries with no payments needing
to be made to a common carrier.

3) Who is eligible to operate an Amateur Radio?

Typically any citizen of a country whose laws create an Amateur Radio
Service, who can pass a skills test in any or all of theory,
regulations, or telegraphy which may be required for the safe operation
of an amateur station on the frequencies granted for such operation.
The skills test is usually basic for minimum priviledges and intensive
for maximum priviledges. The skills test is usually administered
either by a government official or by a panel of volunteers appointed
by that official. Upon passing the skills test a license to operate is
granted to that citizen.

4) Can children operate an Amateur Radio?

In the United States and many other countries there is no minimum age
requirement for a minor citizen to be licensed to operate an amateur
radio.

5) Who is ineligible to operate an Amateur Radio?

Typically anyone ever convicted of a felony of any kind, although this
bar can be waived on a case by case basis through a legal hearing.
Also, typically anyone whose license grant to operate had been revoked
through a substantial violation of that nation's amateur radio
regulations, and again, this bar can be waived on a case by case basis
through a legal hearing.

6) What equipment can be legally used for operation?

In most countries any licensed amateur radio operator can build
equipment either directly from electronic components or may adapt
existing telecommunications equipment to transceive on frequencies
designated for amateur radio. In other, more authoritarian countries,
equipment may be held in keeping by a nation's government in designated
club buildings. In countries governed under a civil law framework
rather than a common law framework, a one-time or periodic tax may need
to be paid to the government for each transmitter or receiver to be
authorized for use by that citizen.

7) How much power can be legally used for operation?

Each nation can choose maximum legal power either on the basis of
license priviledge, propogation or interference characteristics of the
band in question, or safety considerations such as bodily RF exposure.
Power limits could range from 5 watts to 2000 watts.

8) What communications can be conducted over amateur radio?

Typically only communications relating to public safety, statements of
a personal nature, or technical conversations. Further, personal
conversations may not involve material considered obscene or indecent
as based on the standards of the nation of whom the citizen is a part.
More authoritarian countries may place additional restrictions such as
the banning of any communications containing political content or
opinion. Limited one way communications are permitted, usually
pertaining to telegraphy practice or to call outs for the purpose of
initiating a two way conversation. Communications may generally not
be intentionally obscured or encrypted, any published or commonly
utilized language or protocol is considered acceptable for this
purpose. One-way continuous broadcasting of news or music is
typically prohibited.

9) Can unlicensed people ever operate an amateur radio?

In limited cases, yes. a) In genuine emergencies dangerous to life or
limb, or potentially so, unlicensed people may use the signals MAYDAY
or PAN respectively to call out for help or to warn away on any radio
frequency, not just amateur radio frequencies. b) Anyone can operate
an amateur radio under the direct supervision of an amateur radio
operator using the priviledges of that supervisor. c) Anyone can use
a frequency for micropower use so long as the frequency is not
expressedly prohibited for such use. Power limits can be quite severe
but they are adequate for use in demonstration, education, or research
and development within the home or laboratory.

It is a myth that any person can transmit or broadcast unlicensed in
international waters. Typically jurisdiction banning unlicensed
operation extends either through the flag of the vessel containing the
radio, or through the citizenship of the person transmitting.

10) How is amateur radio different from other competing informal radio
operation?

Some countries do authorize citizen, family, or remote control radio
services restricted to the use of government type-accepted equipment
having fixed frequency channels, limited power, limited antenna size
and/or height, and limited maximum distance.

Amateur radio is distinguished from these services by virtue of its
special characteristics: a) potentially unlimited range, b) no
restrictions to type-accepted equipment, c) transmission may take
place anywhere within the designated band, d) international
communications are allowed.

11) How is amateur radio different from experimental radio?

Some nations do offer upon application a legal grant for a limited
number of people to operate telegraphy, voice, or telemetry upon bands
or frequencies having interesting characteristcs. These bands or
frequencies may later become adopted as part of the bands authrorized
for amateur operation.

12) Is there a banned countries list?

Not at present. During the Cold War the United States and some other
democratic nations did indeed publish a short list of totalitarian
states and other states sponsoring terrorism with whom there was no
legitimate purpose other than espionage for international
communications, even as amateur radio operators. Such blockades are
no longer in force. Instead, amateurs may not communicate with private
citizens of other countries who have an objection to amateur radio.
For all practical purposes this means the only country with whom
amateur radio operators may not communicate with are North Korea or
Yemen,
countries that are totalitarian states that do not permit amateur
radio.