What is Ham Radio?
Ham radio, also known as amateur radio, is a hobby and service that uses radio technology to connect people wirelessly. Ham radio operators, or “hams”, can communicate with each other across the street, around the world, or even into space without using the internet or cell phones. Ham radio has many uses, including:
- Emergency communications: Ham radio can work when other communication systems fail because it doesn’t rely on the power grid or other infrastructure
- Technological advancement: Ham radio operators are often at the forefront of new technologies
- Hobby and contesting: Ham radio operators enjoy activities like DXing and contesting
Ham radio operators use licensed radios that can range from hand-held to base-station radios, dashboard mounts, and remote shacks. Ham radio systems can access any frequencies in the 70 cm band and beyond, which makes them more powerful and capable of communicating over long distances than walkie-talkies.
To operate an amateur station, you need an amateur operator license grant from the FCC. To get a license, you must pass an exam administered by a team of volunteer examiners.
The term “ham” may have originated in 1908 when the Harvard Radio Club’s first amateur wireless station was called “HYMAN-ALMY-MURRAY” after its operators, Albert S. Hyman, Bob Almy, and Pookie Murray.
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