Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Being an amateur radio operator
is a unique mix of fun, public service, and convenience. Although hams get involved for many
reasons, they all have in common a basic knowledge of radio technology and operating prin-
ciples, and pass an examination for the FCC license to operate on radio frequencies known as
the “amateur bands.” These bands are radio frequencies reserved by the FCC for use by hams
at intervals from just above the AM broadcast band all the way up into extremely high mi-
crowave frequencies.
Now that the knowledge of Morse code is no longer required to pass the FCC exam, it has
become quite easy to obtain the basic amateur radio certification for the “technician” level.
Children as young as eight years old have passed this certification, and many elderly people en-
joy being ham radio operators, daily traveling around the world on the air waves. If ham radio
has any interest for you, I strongly suggest you check out the ARRL (Amateur Radio Relay
League, also known as the National Association for Amateur Radio) Web site at
www.arrl.org
.
There you will find a wealth of basic information on ham radio as well as information and ac-
cess to study guides for getting your license. On the ARRL's Web page for membership, you
can access a tool for locating local amateur radio operator clubs for networking and to get in
touch with experienced operators that might be able to lend you a hand and provide advice for
getting started.
Although for most amateur radio operators, their main use of ham radio is for fun and en-
tertainment, it is called the “Amateur Radio Service” because it also has a serious side. The
FCC created this “service” to fill the need for a pool of experts who could provide backup dur-
ing emergencies. In addition, the FCC acknowledged the ability of the hobby to advance the
communication and technical skills of radio, and to enhance international goodwill. This philo-
sophy has paid off. Countless lives have been saved where skilled hobbyists act as emergency
communicators to render aid, whether it's during an earthquake in Italy or a hurricane in the
United States.
Not everyone has the time, money, or inclination to become a ham radio operator, but in
times of emergency it could be invaluable to know who your local ham operators are, so you
could visit their home to gather critical information when all the other usual channels of com-
munications are down. Not having heard about the ARRL Web site, I first located a couple of
nearby ham operators simply by asking some friends if they knew any local amateur radio op-
erators. Had I known about the ARRL Web site, I could have used their online “find a club”
tool, entered in my local zip code, and presto—a half dozen ARRL affiliated clubs would have
