Ham Radio Talks When Nobody Else Can
Showcase interviews Steven Hendricks
Amateur radio uses the radio frequency spectrum for non-commercial and emergency communications. In the United States today, it counts nearly 750,000 practitioners. Worldwide, the number climbs to nearly 3 million. Particularly when disaster strikes, we can thank its practitioners, known as “hams,” for vital real-time communication that the printed word cannot always provide. We asked Steven Hendricks, ARRL (American Radio Relay League) Section Manager for the San Joaquin Valley Section, for more details.
Showcase: What is ham radio?
Hendricks: HAM radio is a way to communicate locally, regionally or worldwide through many different ways. VOICE, DIGITAL, CW, HF. If you like to tinker or build radios, antennas you can explore that.
Showcase: With the advent of the internet, do we still need ham radio?
Hendricks: Most definitely, as we have all seen when the internet goes down, HAM radio will always work.
Showcase: What can ham radio do that phones and the internet can’t? Cell phones and texting?
Hendricks: With HAM radio, you can still text, you can have conversations, and even send emails thru radio waves it’s called WIN LINK. With slow scan TV (Yes. I said TV you can send pictures). You can even communicate with the International Space Station. That’s just to name a few things you can do with Ham Radio.
Showcase: How and when did ham radio start?
Hendricks: It started in the late 1800’s when Heinrich Rudolf Hertz proved radio waves exist. Giuglemo Marconi an Italian inventor set up wired telegraphs. In the 1900’s people started experimenting with wireless communications. Currently now we are still experimenting.
Showcase: How can someone become a ham today?
Hendricks: To become a HAM you have to test. There are three different levels of class, you have Technician, General, and Extra Class. I recommend you find a local club that offers classes or you can get a study book from the ARRL.ORG web site. You can also find local testing places on the ARRL.ORG website.
Showcase: Why should someone join a local ham club?
Hendricks: The club promotes radio use in your area. They have meetings and activities, plus it’s a great way to meet other HAM operators in your area.
Showcase: What do you see as the future of ham radio?
Hendricks: The future is good we need to get more youth involved and continue to get more people interested. As we say,” HAM radio will be here when everything else fails”.
Showcase: Anything we left out?
Hendricks: With HAM radio the sky is the limit.There is so much you can do from voice communications, to CW (Morse code ), FT8, WIN LINK, AND HF just to name a few. Check out the ARRL.ORG web site to explore and get more info about HAM radio and the AMERICAN RADIO RELAY LEAGUE (ARRL).