What is Ham Radio?

Ham Radio is a technical pursuit for those who
are interested in the science of radio wave
propagation and who are also interested in the
way that their radios function. It has a long-standing
tradition of providing a source of engineers who
are born naturals.

Ham Radio awakens in its aficionados a whole-life
fascination with all things technical and gives
an all-abiding curiosity to improve one's scientific
knowledge. It's a great swimming pool, please dive in!

This excitement causes a wish to share the experience
with ones fellow man, and shows itself in the
gentlemanly traditions of Ham Radio.

Radio Hams are in a unique privileged position in that
they can construct and operate their own equipment! No-one
else has this privilege. Users, such as broadcasters,
the po lice and armed farces, CBers and mobile phone
users have to purchase ready-made gear. Manufacturers
are not licensed to operate their gear. Radio Hams
are qualified to design, build and then
operate their own pieces of equipment. They do this
with gusto, and also repair and modify their own
equipment. This is a privilege well worth the effort
to gain, and one to be jealously guarded.

The excitement that drives a Radio Ham starts with
relatively simple technologies at first, perhaps making
his own Wimshurst machine and primary cells. Small pieces
of test equipment follow, possibly multimeters and signal
generators. Then comes receivers and transmitters. It is with
the latter that communication with like-minded technically
motivated people takes off. The scope for technical
development grows with the years
and now encompasses DSP and DDS. There is also a great deal
of excitement in the areas of computer programming to
be learnt and applied.

The technical excitement motivates Radio Hams to compete
with each other to determine who has designed and manufactured
the best-quality station. This competitiveness is found in DXing,
competitions and fox-hunts.

-----OOOOO----

However, beware! A Ham Radio licence is such a
desirable thing to have that there are large
numbers of people who wish to be thought of
as Radio Hams when, in fact, they are nothing
of the kind! Usually such people are a
variation of the CB Radio hobbyist; they buy their
radios off the shelf and send them back to be
repaired; they are not interested in technical discussion
and sneer at those who are; they have no idea how
their radios work inside and have no wish to find out;
they are free with rather silly personal insults;
they have not satisfied any technical qualification
and their licences prevent the use of
self-designed-and-built equipment.

These CB types engage in the competitive activities
with their Cheque-Book-purchased off-the-shelf radios
in a forlorn effort to prove that they are Radio Hams.

No _REAL_ Radio Hams are deceived by such people!

-----ooooo-----

One group of people who claim to be of the standard of
Radio Hams but who are in reality nothing more than an
apology for the failure of a CBer are those class B
licensees who falsely proclaimed that they were against
the use of a Morse Test to control access to the HF
bands, until, that is, a test was introduced at their
intellectual level, the intellectual level of 6-year-olds.

6 year-olds simply lack the mathematical tool kit to
enable them to handle even the simplest algebraic manipulation
for Ohm's Law and thus, the disgraceful Class Ber's in
the aforementioned category are not Radio Hams by any stretch
of the imagination!

Polymath wrote:
What is Ham Radio?

Aha....the CBer returns. Welcome back good buddy!

---------------
The following posts are by Gareth Alun Evans, aka 'Airy R Bean', aka
'Polymath':

_Sep 6 1997, 8:00 am_

As the result of holding a CB licence, I have recently received a
consultative document about the future of CB Radio in this country,
which suggests that serious consideration is being given to legalising
AM and SSB on 27 Mhz.
--
72's etc

_Sep 6 1998, 8:00 am_

A group of us in Wiltshire have just equipped from Tandy, standard
Midland 40 channel rigs. All work fairly well, range about 1/2 mile,
less if in trees. Get your aerials somewhere else, the Tandy ones are
too rigid and break easily. Most farmer's wholesalers have them.
New rig about £60, second hand about £20.

Don't forget your CB licence @ £15 pa.

As a radio ham, I was very sceptical at first (CB=Children's
Broadcasting, etc) But once we got them, they are indispensable. With
all the backchat besides the useful conversations, it makes it seem as
though everybody in the convoy is in one vehicle and makes for a much
more enjoyable day out.

_Sep 19 1998, 8:00 am_

73 de Gareth G4SDW (Also licensed CB),

------------------------

Google is your friend

Poos


--
vy 73 de Conrad Poos

"Ich bin ein radio amateur"

Poxy mouth wrote:
What is Ham Radio?

Staying long Beanie? I hope not.
Don't let us make you late back to the nut house.
....(_!_)...

Polymath wrote:
What is Ham Radio?

Ham Radio is a technical pursuit for those who
are interested in the science of radio wave
propagation and who are also interested in the
way that their radios function. It has a long-standing
tradition of providing a source of engineers who
are born naturals.
still peddling the same hate filled bile?