01.pdf

Contents

1.5.2 Chasing DX

1.5.3 Operating Awards

1.5.4 Satellite Communication

1.5.5 QRP: Low-Power Operating

1.5.6 Operating Mobile

1.5.7 VHF, UHF and Microwave Operating

1.5.8 Vintage Radio

1.5.9 Radio Direction Finding (DF)

1.6 Public Service

1.6.1 Emergency Communication

1.6.2 Emergency Communication Organizations

1.6.3 Public Service and Traffic Nets

1.7 Ham Radio in the Classroom

1.7.1 ARRL Amateur Radio Education &

Technology Program

1.8 Resources

1.1 Do-It-Yourself Wireless

1.1.1 Something for Everyone

1.1.2 What’s in it for Me?

1.2 Joining the Ham Radio Community

1.2.1 Getting Started

1.2.2 Study Guides

1.2.3 Taking the Test

1.2.4 Your “Elmer”

1.2.5 Your Ham Radio Identity

1.3 Assembling Your Station

1.3.1 How Much Will It Cost?

1.3.2 Computers and Ham Radio

1.4 Hello, World! — Getting on the Air

1.4.1 Voice Modes

1.4.2 Morse Code

1.4.3 FM Repeaters

1.4.4 Digital Modes

1.4.5 Image Communication

1.5 Your Ham Radio “Lifestyle”

1.5.1 Ham Radio Contesting —

Radiosport

Chapter 1

What is Amateur

(Ham) Radio?

1.1 Do-It-Yourself Wireless

Ever evolving, Amateur Radio has always been what its participants bring to it and what

they make of it. “Make” is a key word in ham radio, since many enthusiasts still enjoy building

their own radio communication equipment and electronics. It is in such “hands-on” activities

that this Handbook often comes into play.

Hams also “make” contact with each other using equipment they’ve bought or built, or a

combination of the two, over a wide range of the radio spectrum, without the need for any

external infrastructure — such as the wired or cellular telephone network or the Internet.

The methods hams use to keep in touch range from the venerable Morse code — no longer

a licensing requirement, by the way — to modern digital modes and television. The marriage

between Amateur Radio and computer technology grows stronger by the day as hams invent

ever more creative ways to make computers and the Internet essential station components.

The wonder of software defined radio (SDR) techniques has even made it possible to cre-

ate virtual radio communication gear. SDRs require a minimum of physical components;

sophisticated computer software does the heavy lifting!

For more than a century, a

growing group of federally licensed

radio hobbyists known as Amateur

Radio — or “ham radio” —

operators has had a front-row

seat as radio and electronics have

broadened our horizons and touch

virtually all of our lives. Hams

pioneered personal communica-

tion, even in the days before the

telephone and household electric-

ity were commonplace and the

Internet not yet conceived. The

word “radio” — or “wireless” — still

evokes awe.

Today we enjoy wireless ameni-

ties that range from the ubiquitous

cell phone to diminutive “netbook”

PCs than can go just about any-

where. Personal communication is

the goal. Wireless radiocommuni-

cation lets us reach out via voice or

text message or tells us — literally

— how to navigate in strange sur-

roundings. Printers and scanners

now can communicate wirelessly

with your PC. Radio signals can

even automatically set your clock

to the precise time. In this chapter,

Rick Lindquist, WW3DE, provides

a broad overview of Amateur

Radio activities and licensing

requirements.

1.1.1 Something for Everyone

Amateur Radio offers such a wide range of activities that everyone can find a favorite niche.

As one of the few truly international hobbies , ham radio offers the ability to communicate with

other similarly licensed aficionados all over the world. The competition of “radiosport” — just

to pick one activity many hams enjoy — helps operators to improve their skills and stations.

Further, ham radio offers opportunities to serve the public by supporting communication in

disasters and emergencies, and it’s a platform for scientific experimentation.

Ham radio has extended its horizon into space. The International Space Station boasts

a ham radio station, and most ISS crew members are Amateur Radio licensees. Thanks to

the Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) program, properly equipped

hams can talk directly with NASA astronauts in space. Hams contact each other through

Earth-orbiting satellites designed and built by other radio amateurs, and they even bounce

radio signals off the moon and to other hams back on Earth.

Hams talk with one another from cars, while hiking or biking in the mountains, from remote

campsites or while boating. Through a plethora of activities, hams learn a lot, establish lifelong

friendships and, perhaps most important, have a lot of fun. Along the way, radio amateurs

often contribute some of the genius behind the latest technological innovations.

In all likelihood, you’re already a ham or at least have experimented with radio and electron-

ics yourself and are thinking about becoming one. This Handbook is an invaluable resource

that reveals and explains the “mysteries” governing electronics in general and in radio — or

wireless — communication in particular, especially as it pertains to Amateur Radio.

HAMS ARE EVERYWHERE!

Amateur Radio is open and accessible to everyone. Hams are mothers, fathers, sons and

daughters of all ages, ethnic backgrounds and physical abilities who are part of a unique

worldwide community of licensed radio hobbyists. These individuals come from all walks

of life. Some are even well-known celebrities. They have one thing in common, however.

What is Amateur (Ham) Radio?

1.1

Fig 1.2 — Ann Santos, WA1S, enjoys traveling to remote

locations and bringing her radio equipment along.

( AD6E photo )

Fig 1.1 — Scott, K7ZO, and Joe, NK7U,

work together to make contacts during

an on-air contest. ( NØAX photo )

Fig 1.3 — Dave Pulver,

KG4CZV, was among

those ready to support

emergency radio

trafic as Tropical

Storm Ernesto

approached North

Carolina in 2006.

Fig 1.4 — German radio amateur Peter Ernst, DL4SZB, hunts

DX from his well-equipped station in Goldberg. ( WW3DE photo )

Fig 1.5 — Amateur Radio as a social activity: Nancy Rabel Hall,

KC4IYD, and her daughter Carol meet up with Joe Phillips,

K8QOE (SK), at a ham radio convention. ( N1BKE photo )

1.2

Chapter 1

All find joy and excitement by experiencing

radio communication and electronics on a

very personal level.

How can you spot a radio amateur? Some-

times it’s easy. The driver of that car in front

of you sporting an “odd-looking” antenna

may be a ham who’s equipped his vehicle for

mobile operation. Your neighbor on the next

block with the wires strung between trees or,

perhaps, a tower supporting what looks like

a very large television antenna probably is

one too.

Modern technology continues to make

ham radio more accessible to all, including

those on a tight budget or confronting physi-

cal challenges. People who are not as mobile

as they’d like to be find the world of Amateur

Radio a rewarding place to make friends —

on the next block or around the globe. It’s

possible for a ham to control a transmitting

and receiving station via the Internet using a

laptop computer, even if that station is thou-

sands of miles distant.

For many radio amateurs, a relaxing eve-

ning at home is having a two-way radio con-

versation with a friend in Frankfort, Kentucky

— or even Frankfurt, Germany. Unlike any

other hobby, Amateur Radio recognizes no

international or political boundaries, and it

brings the world together as good friends.

Hams at the Forefront

Over the years, the military and the electronics industry have often drawn on the

ingenuity of radio amateurs to improve designs or solve problems. Hams provided

the keystone for the development of modern military communication equipment, for

example. In the 1950s, the Air Force needed to convert its long-range communication

from Morse code to voice, and jet bombers had no room for skilled radio operators.

At the time, hams already were experimenting with and discovering the advantages

of single sideband (SSB) voice equipment. With SSB, hams were greatly extending

the distances they could transmit.

Air Force Generals Curtis LeMay and Francis “Butch” Griswold, both radio ama-

teurs, hatched an experiment that used ham radio equipment at the Strategic Air

Command headquarters. Using an SSB station in an aircraft lying around the world,

LeMay and Griswold were able to stay in touch with Offutt Air Force Base in Nebras-

ka from around the globe. The easy modiication of this ham radio equipment to meet

military requirements saved the government millions of dollars in research costs.

More recent technological experimentation has focused on such techniques as

software deined radio (SDR). This amazing approach enables electronic circuit

designers to employ software to replace more costly — and bulkier — hardware

components. It’s no coincidence or surprise that radio amateurs have been among

those investigators doing the ground-level research and experimentation to bring this

technology from the laboratory to the marketplace. Transceivers built on the SDR

model now are making inroads within the Amateur Radio community and represent

the likely wave of the future in equipment design.

sive handheld transceivers or even home-

made gear. In “Hamspeak,” a two-way, on-

the-air communication is known as a “QSO”

— an old radiotelegraph, or Morse code, ab-

breviation often pronounced “CUE-so.”

It’s nearly as simple for groups of hams

with common interests to gather on the

airwaves to share their thoughts and even

pictures. These on-the-air get-togethers are

called “nets” or “roundtables,” depending on

their formality. When hams meet and engage

in extended on-the-air conversations, they

call it “ragchewing.”

Nets often provide an on-the-air venue

to find other hams with similar interests

both inside and outside of Amateur Radio.

Topics may be as diverse as vintage radio,

chess, gardening, rock climbing, railroads,

computer programming, teaching or an in-

terest in certain types of radio equipment.

Religious groups and scattered friends and

families may also organize nets. Nets form

when like-minded hams gather on the air on

a regular schedule. You can find your special

interest in The ARRL Net Directory on the

ARRLWeb .

With your ham radio license in hand, you

can meet new friends, win awards, exchange

“QSL cards” to confirm radio contacts by

mail, challenge yourself and others, learn

and educate, contribute to your community,

travel, generate international goodwill and

continue a century-old wireless communica-

tion tradition. Let’s take a closer look.

1.1.2 What’s in it for Me?

As a community of communities, Ama-

teur Radio can be whatever you want it to

be. Whether you are looking for relaxation,

excitement, enjoyment or a way to stretch

your mental (and physical) horizons, Ama-

teur Radio can provide it — even for those

with time and money constraints. However it

happens, communication between or among

individuals is at the core of nearly all ham

radio activities. In its most basic form, ham

radio is two people saying “Hello!” to each

other over the air, perhaps using inexpen-

1.2 Joining the Ham Radio Community

Although you no longer have to learn the

Morse code to become an Amateur Radio

licensee, you must have a license granted by

the Federal Communications Commission

(FCC) to operate an Amateur Radio station

in the United States, in any of its territories

and possessions or from any vessel or aircraft

registered in the US. There is no age require-

ment, nor do you have to be a citizen to obtain

a license a US Amateur Radio license. Chil-

dren as young as four and five have passed

ham radio exams!

In the US, there are three classes — or

levels — of Amateur Radio license. From the

easiest to the most difficult, they are Techni-

cian, General and Amateur Extra class. You

must only take and pass a written examina-

tion for each license. The higher you climb

up the ladder, the more challenging the test

and the more generous the privileges the FCC

grants. To reach the top — Amateur Extra —

you must pass the examinations for all three

license classes.

ham license is sometimes called. Technicians

enjoy a wide, but somewhat limited, range of

voice and digital radio operating privileges.

These include access to some “high frequen-

cy” (HF) or short-wave spectrum (hams have

access to HF “bands” or frequency segments

in the range from 1.8 MHz to 29.7 MHz),

where most direct international communica-

tion happens. Most Technician privileges are

in the VHF-UHF and microwave spectrum,

however. These allow operation on widely

available FM voice repeaters. A repeater

greatly extends the communication range of

low-power, handheld transceivers or mobile

1.2.1 Getting Started

Most people start out in Amateur Radio by

getting a Technician license or “ticket,” as a

What is Amateur (Ham) Radio?

1.3

munication using voice, digital, image and

television techniques.

Reaching the top rung of the Amateur Ra-

dio ladder — Amateur Extra class — means

passing a more-demanding 50-question ex-

amination. Amateur Extra licensees enjoy

privileges on all frequency bands and modes

available to hams. The exam may be challeng-

ing, but many hams consider it well worth

the effort!

Ham Radio’s Rules of the Airwaves

International and national radio regulations govern the operational and technical

standards of all radio stations. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU)

governs telecommunication on the international level and broadly deines radio

services through the international Radio Regulations . In the US, the Federal Com-

munication Commission (FCC) is the federal agency that administers and oversees

the operation of nongovernmental and nonmilitary stations — including Amateur

Radio. Title 47 of the US Code of Federal Regulations governs telecommunication.

The Amateur Radio Service is governed by Part 97.

Experimentation has always been the backbone of Amateur Radio and the

Amateur Service rules provide a framework within which amateurs have wide

latitude to experiment in accordance with the “basis and purpose” of the service.

The rules should be viewed as vehicles to promote healthy activity and growth, not

as constraints that lead to stagnation. The FCC’s rules governing Amateur Radio

recognize these ive aspects, paraphrased below, as the basis and purpose of the

Amateur Service.

• Amateur Radio’s value to the public, particularly with respect to providing

emergency communication support

• Amateur Radio’s proven ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio

art

• Encouraging and improving the Amateur Service through rules that help ad-

vance communication and technical skills

• Maintaining and expanding the Amateur Service as a source of trained opera-

tors, technicians and electronics experts

• Continuing and extending the radio amateur’s unique ability to enhance inter-

national goodwill

1.2.2 Study Guides

You can prepare for the exam on your

own, with a group of friends or by taking a

class sponsored by a ham radio club in your

area. ARRL has materials and lesson plans

for hams who wish to teach Amateur Radio

licensing classes for newcomers. Anyone

can set up license classes. Many Amateur

Radio clubs hold periodic classes, usually

for the Technician license. The ARRL sup-

ports Registered Amateur Radio Instructors,

but registration is not necessary to conduct a

class. Check the ARRL Web site, www.arrl.

org , for classes, clubs or volunteer examiners

(VEs) in your area (more on VEs below).

Help is available at every step. The ARRL

publishes study materials for all license

classes. Visit the ARRL Web site or contact

ARRL’s New Ham Desk for more informa-

tion on getting started. The Resources section

at the end of this chapter includes telephone

number and address information. The ARRL

can help you find ham radio clubs in your area

as well as ARRL-registered instructors and

local VE teams. A lot more information is on

the ARRL Web site, including frequencies

hams can use, popular operating activities and

how to order the latest ARRL study guide.

For newcomers seeking to obtain a Techni-

cian license, The ARRL Ham Radio License

Manual includes the complete, up-to-date

question pool with the correct answers and

clear explanations. The manual assumes no

prior electronics background. It delves into

the details behind the questions and answers,

so you will understand the material, rather

than simply memorize the correct answers.

If you already have some electronics back-

ground or just want brief explanations of the

material, you might decide that ARRL’s Tech

Q&A manual is a more appropriate choice. It

also includes the entire Technician question

pool to help you prepare.

When you are ready to upgrade to a Gen-

eral class license, The ARRL General Class

License Manual or ARRL’s General Q&A

can help you prepare. In like fashion, The

ARRL Extra Class License Manual and

ARRL’s Extra Q&A will guide your study

efforts for the Amateur Extra class license.

Check the ARRL Web site for detailed infor-

mation on these and other options to study

for your license.

The Amateur Radio

Service rules, Part 97,

are in six sections: Gen-

eral Provisions, Station

Operation Standards,

Special Operations,

Technical Standards,

Providing Emergency

Communication and

Qualifying Examination

Systems. Part 97 is

available in its entirety

on the ARRL and FCC

Web sites (see the

Resources section at

the end of this chapter

for further information).

Fig 1.6 — ARRL’s

Ham Radio License

Manual contains all

the information you

need to study for your

Technician license.

stations too far apart to transmit to each other

directly. The “Tech ticket” is a great introduc-

tion to the fun and excitement of ham radio

and to the ways of the hobby.

The sole requirement for the Technician

license is passing a 35-question written

exam. It covers FCC rules and regulations

that govern the airways, courteous operating

procedures and techniques and some basic

electronics. The privileges granted give Tech-

nicians plenty of room to explore and activi-

ties to try. For some, the Technician is the only

ham license they’ll ever want or need.

By upgrading to General class, a Techni-

cian licensee can earn additional operating

privileges, such as access to all of the Ama-

teur Radio HF bands. Upgrading to General

entails passing another 35-question written

exam. In addition to Technician privileges,

General-class hams enjoy worldwide com-

1.4

Chapter 1

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