What is Ham Radio?

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-----

Please remember that this FAQ is a _POSITIVE EXHORTATION_
to you to exert yourselves to join our fraternity! (If you find
otherwise, then perhaps you are already classing yourself in the
mediocre groups of those who are criticised in the FAQ and from
whom we _MUST_ dissociate? If so - it's never too late for
a re-taxonomisation on your part - there's nothing elitist about
us, and we welcome all those who are prepared to put themselves
out in order to join our ranks!)

-----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;
they have not satisfied any technical qualification
and their licences prevent the use of
self-designed-and-built equipment.

These CB types engage in the competitive activities
with their Cheque-Book-purchased off-the-shelf radios
in a forlorn effort to prove that they are Radio Hams.

No _REAL_ Radio Hams are deceived by such people!

-----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. A sure sign of
a CB Radio hobbyist is if he holds, or has ever held, a licence
issued under the gangrenous degeneration that is the
M3/CB Fools' Licence scheme.

Although well written Mr Plod and in some places downright excellent I
think you are making assumptions about what AR "really is" and
imprinting your own views as being the gospel. Mind you there is nothing
wrong with that and invites positive discussion. Things could also be
very different in G land but my experiences are different. Just be
careful presenting this to outsiders as being something other than your
personal view.

You seem to dwell on the "difference" or "better than" that AR has over
other radio services. Since this and the associated CB bashing that
pervades this NG on a regular basis I guess you are in good company. You
could roughly divide radio use into "CB related" "Amateur related" and
anything else like public services and commercial. You then concentrate
yet again on the CB vs AR debate.

In my view there has always been a blurring about what use CB vs AR is
about. It's a double set of bell shape curves that overlap in a lot of
ways.

The first thing you have to do when judging behaviour and use is to
throw away the ideal world of what the law that was passed on the topic
actually menas or is interpreted to mean. Such arguments as "go get your
license and we'll let you experiment" are irrelevent in the light of
what ACTUALLY happens in the real world. The law is suppose to reflect
the community attitude and beliefs rather than force its direction.
There will never be enough resources to enforce a law if a large
percentage of those that affect it, ignore it! Yes there are undesirable
people on both CB and AR bands. This however is a subset of people
generally. You can be obnoxious just as easily without a radio as having
one. What grade of license you have is irrelevent and it continues to
happen.

There is a lot of social conversion on AR, husbands and wives use it as
a contact medium, people exchange weather reports and QSL cards. Those
that go on desert treks use it as a backup emergency system. There is a
lot on inane chatter about all types of things simply to hear one self
speak! Are these within the technical pursuit of the hobby? CB'ers
experiment with antenna systems and propagation, do technically illegal
things to their radios in the PURSUIT of making them work better. In the
process they learn and enjoy their hobby like an AR user does. Yes the
technical standard isnt likely to be as high but it is there.

There is NO brick wall seperating the use of the respective services. It
is very blurred and overlaps considerably. There is no black or white
view amongst most of those that use it. There are of course exceptions
that dont look at the real world and try to force their own misguided
views as correct. There is however a continual case of "I am better than
you because I am licensed" not unlike the "keeping up with the Jones's"
habit of preening in ones own nest.

Unhappily though "decency" or whatever you like to call it is not just a
function of radio users. Its the result of the way the world is changing
or if you like a sociological problem just waiting to explode. The place
is a lot unhappier, people are more willing to return to their animal
instincts and anything that makes it easy to tread in your neighbours is
fair game. I mean just look at this newsgroup...

Apologies for this post being OT in the other groups posted

Bob VK2YQA (Who is more intersted in technical pursuits)

Plod's Conscience wrote:

What is Ham Radio?

Bob Bob wrote:

The law is suppose to reflect
the community attitude and beliefs rather than force its direction.

I think someone needs to tell that to the lawmakers in the UK regarding
the speed limits on the motorways and the positioning of some of the
fixed speed cameras which are in areas that are NOT dangerous.

Then I regret that it is likely that you are a CBer, or
a CBer-Masquerading-As-A-Radio-Ham. I very
much regret that you may have been misled into
a false sense of belief.

There is _NO_ common ground between CB Radio
and Ham Radio.

Ham Radio is a technical pursuit for gentlemen.

CB Radio is an operating hobby for idiots. (Save
when used in its original mode as a social communications
facility when it is then indistinguishable from land-line
telephony or GSM mobiles)

Bob Bob wrote:

In my view there has always been a blurring about what use CB vs AR is
about. It's a double set of bell shape curves that overlap in a lot of
ways.

These M3s make my blood boil
They make me see bright red
"So have a troll on Usenet"
Say the voices in my head

The R.S.C.B. traitors
I wish they were all dead
"Cancel your subscription then"
Say the voices in my head

PC Fuller's stalking me
With a cosh he's stuffed with lead
"Call the I.P.C.C., report the c***"
Say the voices in my head

"Come on dear", says Elizabeth,
"I'm warming up the bed"
But I'm much too busy trolling
For those voices in my head

"Mathematics teachers
With arsenic should be fed
That'll end their ego trips"
Say the voices in my head

E to the power of minus j
W, t and z?
Who gives a ****, just **** and moan!
Like the voices in my head

The scouts are dangerous criminals
By war-mongers they are led
"Expose their foul skulduggery!"
Say the voices in my head

That evil Windsor family
I'll pump 'em full of lead
I'll end their evil dynasty
For the voices in my head

I'm working on an atom bomb
I'm fettling it in my shed
Then I'll wait to hear the "DETONATE"
From the voices in my head

So in the final reckoning
When all is done and said
I'm really quite a nice guy
It's just these voices in my head

The voices in my head, oh yeah!
The voices in my head
A bullet will end the cackling of
The voices in my head

wy0ohg143 wrote:
"Plod's Conscience" wrote in message
ups.com...
What is Ham Radio?

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,

If you're tired of what is going on in the Usenet groups, you're
welcome to join the Ham Radio Unplugged group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ham-Radio-Unplugged/

You're new here, aren't you?

--
huLLy
Tel: 07976 123278
ICQ 136-987-925

"know code" wrote in message
...
Bob Bob wrote:

The law is suppose to reflect
the community attitude and beliefs rather than force its direction.

I think someone needs to tell that to the lawmakers in the UK regarding
the speed limits on the motorways and the positioning of some of the
fixed speed cameras which are in areas that are NOT dangerous.

Surely if the argument for the cameras was a valid one i.e. safety then the
slow down lights that flash at you to reduce your speed would be 100% better
than cameras which you sometimes don't even notice they are there until a
week later when the intent to prosecute letter drops through your
door...where does safety come in to it?, nothing to do with safety at all...
just revenue makers... so I agree with you...

Graham
--
-.-. -... / .-. .- -.. .. ---

Radio is only a Hobby. Don't let it rule your life...

73/51 - Graham, 26-Golf Charlie-19

The Magnum wrote:
"know code" wrote in message
...
Bob Bob wrote:

The law is suppose to reflect
the community attitude and beliefs rather than force its direction.
I think someone needs to tell that to the lawmakers in the UK regarding
the speed limits on the motorways and the positioning of some of the
fixed speed cameras which are in areas that are NOT dangerous.

Surely if the argument for the cameras was a valid one i.e. safety then the
slow down lights that flash at you to reduce your speed would be 100% better
than cameras which you sometimes don't even notice they are there until a
week later when the intent to prosecute letter drops through your
door...where does safety come in to it?, nothing to do with safety at all...
just revenue makers... so I agree with you...

Whoa, now I'm getting scared.... we actually agree on something

"huLLy" wrote in message
...

You're new here, aren't you?


No, I'm not new.
Come join the group.

What does it mean to be a real radio ham?

It means you have a real ham license. Anything else, including the rest
of your post, is just one person's opinion, period.

Bill, W6WRT