About Ham Radio:

Ham Radio is a fun and facinating hobby. Local or international contacts, there is always someone to talk to on ham radio. With a tranceiver and a few wires strung up in the trees for an antenna, you can talk around the world. Imagine the thrill of making contact with someone in another country with nothing between you but air. Ham radio operators do this on a daily basis.

No other hobby can boast such a variety of interests. Let me explain some of the different types of communication available to a ham operator.

Phone: This is voice communications with a microphone. There are several different modes in this method: AM, FM, and SSB(Single Side Band).

CW: This is also known as Morse Code. CW stands for continuous wave, the type of signal used. Hams use the International Morse Code to talk with each other using nothing more than short and long tones. This is still a very good method of communication.

Digital: There are many types of digital communication. Amtor, Pactor, FAX, RTTY, Packet, and PSK31 to name just a few. All of these allow the operator to connect his computer to the radio and communicate with other hams. It's like internet chat without any wires.

SSTV: Slow Scan TV. Yep, hams actually send TV pictures to each other.

Satellite: Ham Radio operators have their own satellites to relay signals around the world. These satellites were built and put into orbit by individual hams or small groups of hams, but are there to be used by any ham who wants to.

Ham Radio operators are also experimenters. Many of the advances in communication technology have been pioneered by hams. FM radio, television, FAX and even cellphone technology were first dreamed up by ham experimenters.

To find out more about Ham Radio, contact a Ham Operator, he will be glad to answer all your questions. If you don't know a Ham Radio Operator, email me at jim@parishometown.com.