| Home |
| Search |
| Today's Posts |
|
#14
August 12th 05, 11:17 PM
|
|||
|
|||
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 |
| Thread Tools | Search this Thread |
| Display Modes | |
|
|
Threaded Mode
