Amateur Radio: Participation

The Amateur Radio
Relay League is the largest
association of amateur radio
operators.

Briefly, what is Amateur Radio?

The Amateur Radio Service is a system for people to use radio for two-way non-commercial communication. It is useful for both long- and short-range communication. (Amateur Radio, a.k.a. Ham Radio, is NOT Citizens' Band (CB) Radio, which is intended for anyone to have short-range personal or commercial communication. It does not require a license and works rather well for this.)

The FCC gives three purposes for it:

• advancing the field of radio communication
• maintaining a pool of people proficient with radio technology
• enhancing international goodwill

What does this have to do with Participation?

Have you ever wanted to improve the image of your country abroad?


Have you ever wanted to meet amazing people from all over the world?


Have you ever wanted to know why the radio on your shelf (or the WiFi radio in your computer) works?


Have you ever wanted to talk to someone in Japan by means of the moon? How about using only the electronics you can hand-build in a tuna can? (OK, fine, you probably haven't thought of those specifically, and low-power (QRP) EME takes more than a tuna can... ;)

Ham Radio is an open, participatory medium for communication.

As a licensed amateur radio operator, I have talked with operators from Uruguay to Canada. I have built and (mostly) understood a simple radio beacon.


To wrap up this hardly-begun post rather than leave it unposted:

Amateur Radio is an unparalleled opportunity for participation in diplomacy and science, in engineering and community. Check it out!