What They Actually Do

What They Actually Do

Amateur Radio is not only a grand and glorious hobby, Radio Amateurs serve people through providing emergency communication systems; especially in natural disasters or in other emergencies as a voluntary, noncommercial communication service. Amateur Radio experimentation is yet another reason many people become part of this self-disciplined group of trained operators, technicians and electronics experts are the assets to a country. Hams pursue their hobby purely for personal enrichment in technical and operating proficiency, without any consideration for payments. Below are some examples.

1. During any natural disaster, Amateur Radio operators set up and operate organized local and long-distance communication, as backup of the Government and emergency official communication system, as well as non-commercial communication for private citizens affected from the disasters. Amateur Radio operators are most likely to be active after disasters that damage regular lines of communication due to power outages and/or destruction of the telephone infrastructure.

2. Talk around the world - With HF radios hams can talk to other hams in literally any part of the globe. They can talk from the top of the mountain to deep sea.

3. Talk around town - With small portable VHF and UHF transceivers hams enjoy extremely reliable communications within their local community. They can talk with a minimum range of 20 Kilo Meters up to 500 Kilo Meters by using multiple repeaters.

4. QRP - Communicating with "very low power" is a challenge that many hams enjoy. QRP is usually practiced on the HF bands.

5. Packet Radio - The internet over ham radio? Not really ... but ham radio operators enjoy a digital network of their own, all without wires!

6. Amateur Television - It's just like real television because it is real television. Slow Scan TV Send pictures around the world for little or no cost.

7. Contests - They can put their radio operating skills up against other hams and teams of hams.

8. Hopefully they will use their radio less for calling the fireman, the police, and emergency road-side assistance, 911 and other telephone-linked services.

9. Emergency and other volunteer services - Floods, hurricanes, mudslides, earthquakes, ice storms ... when ever normal communications go out, hams are ready to use their radios to provide emergency communication services to their communities.

10. Satellite Communications - Hams have their own satellites. Amateur's satellites are easy to Use. Even Hams can talk with the astronauts of ISS (International Space Station or Alpha Station) and they used to talk with MIR station on the space.

11. Emergency Traffic Handling - "Ham Telegrams" are used to send messages to people around the world at no cost to the sender or the recipient; all done by ham radio operators Volunteering their time and resources.

12. Emergency Medical Support - Ham Medical Team formed with some Doctors who are HAM. This kind of team work on any natural disaster and urban incident.

This unique mixture of fun, convenience and public service is the distinguishing characteristics of Amateur Radio. Although people get involved in amateur radio for many reasons, they all in common have the basic knowledge of radio technologies, regulations and operating principles, which is demonstrated through passing an examination leading to a certificate of proficiency. And through getting an authorization to operate on radio frequencies known as the "Amateur Bands." Radio amateur reserve these bands for use at intervals from just above the AM broadcast band all the way up into high microwave frequencies.Hams exchange pictures of each other using television. Some also like to work on electronic circuits, build their own radios and Antennas. Anyone above the age of 12, no matter gender or Physical ability and educational qualification can become a Ham. There are Actors, Politicians, Astronauts, Engineers, Doctors, Bankers, Pilots, Sailors, Kings and Queens are Hams.Hams also swing into action during the emergencies and natural calamities such as cyclone, storm, earthquake, floods and other disasters. Amateur Radio Stations act as the 'SECOND LINE' of communication when existing public or government communication links fail to act.Hams also assist in sport events like the ASIAD, CAR RALLY and many other CAR AND MOTORCYCLE rallies taking place throughout the year. They provide vital communication links from the remote rally routes assisting the sports officials and they really enjoying doing it.

Why Amateur Radio Operators known as HAM

Why Amateur Radio Operators known as HAM

Have you ever wondered why radio amateurs are called "HAMS"? Well, it goes like this: The word "HAM" as applied to 1908 was the station CALL of the first amateur wireless station operated by some amateurs of the Harvard Radio Club. They were ALBERT S. HYMAN, BOB ALMY and POOGIE MURRAY. At first they called their station "HYMAN-ALMY-MURRAY". Tapping out such a long name in code soon became tiresome and called for a revision. They changed it to "HY-AL-MY", using the first two letters of each of their names. Early in 1901 some confusion resulted between signal from amateur wireless station "HY-ALMU" and a Mexican ship named "HYALMO". They then decided to use only the first letter of each name and the station CALL became "HAM". In the early pioneer days of unregulated radio amateur operators picked their own frequency and call letters. Then as now, some amateurs had better signals as commercial stations. The resulting interference came to the attention of congressional committees in Washington and Congress gave much time to proposed legislation designed to critically limit amateur radio activity. In 1911, ALBERT HYMAN chose the controversial WIRELESS REGULATION BILL as the topic for the Thesis at Harvard. His instructor insisted that a copy be sent to Senator DAVID L. WALSH, a member of one of the committees hearing the Bill. The Senator was so impressed with the Thesis that he asked HYMAN to appear before the committee. ALBERT HYMAN took the stand and described how the little station was built and almost cried when he told the crowded committee room that if the BILL went through they would have to close down the station because they could not afford the license fee and all the other requirements which the BILL imposed on amateur stations. Congressional debate began on the WIRELESS REGULATION BILL and little station "HAM" became the symbol for all the little amateur stations in the country crying to be saved from the menace and greed of the big commercial stations who didn't want them around. The BILL finally got to the floor of Congress and every speaker talked about the "....poor little station HAM." That's how it all started. You can find the whole story in the Congressional Record. Nation-wide publicity associated station "HAM" with amateur radio operators. From that day to this, and probably until the end of time in radio; and amateur is a "HAM."A HAM needs to be Considerate, Loyal, Friendly, Balanced and Patriotic. Because Radio signals do not know territorial boundaries; Every HAM has a unique opportunity and scope to enhance international goodwill. Although the main purpose of Amateur Radio is research and recreation, it is called the "Amateur Radio Service" because it also has a serious representation. The Government introduced this "Service" to fill up the need for a pool of experts who could provide backup emergency communication service. Additionally, the Government acknowledged the ability of Amateur Radio operators to advance communication and technical skills, and to enhance international goodwill. This philosophy has paid off. Countless lives have been saved where skilled hobbyists acted as emergency communicators to render aid, whether it is during or following a hurricane, tornado, ice storm, earthquake or some other disasters. Proper identification and recognition of operating capabilities and technical proficiency of amateur radio operators have been required in Bangladesh since 1991.Each Amateur Radio Station has its own unique Callsign (Name) Allocated by the authorities. The unique Callsign allows you to identify the Person (Station), for example the callsign of Late Prime Minister of India Mr. Rajib Gandhi is 'VU2RG' where "VU" stands for India, "2" Stands for Grade I and "RG" for Rajib Gandhi. The callsign is Universal Identifier and is Unique.
Hams have their own lingo, like a male ham is known as OM (Old Man), and a female ham is known as YL (Young Lady) married ladies are known as XYL (Ex-YL), children's of the hams are known as Harmonics.

Beginning of Amateur Radio

Beginning of Amateur Radio

It will not be exaggerated if it is said that, Main research on today’s modern radio communication has been started by Amateur Radio. Though Bengali scientist Sir Jagadis Chandra Bose had started research on radio technology but in the year of 1901 Guglielmo Marconi has proved that it is possible to send message or data from one place to another on Spark Gaps within the air. At that time some other people started to research on the radio technology and they had started to make this kind of radios to communicate among themselves. Finally, they declared themselves as Amateur Radio Operators. These stations operated at Low Frequency at that time.
Gradually, after understanding the importance of Radio Communication different broadcasting stations started operating. They started broadcasting on Lower Frequencies. For that reason Amateur Radio Operators leave that frequency and begin to research with HF (High Frequency) for sending the radio signals to more distances. Presently the speedy telecommunication is running around the world is totally dependent on the Satellites. Before the satellite age, HF SSB (High Frequency Single Side Band) was the only telecommunication media that was being used world wide for voice communication. They use HF SSB for voice communication to cover a distance of thousands miles. This HF SSB modulation technique is the great success of Amateur Radio Operators. Till now and forever this is the only modulation technique that does not need any third party object except ionosphere. With the development of radio communication, some Govt. Radio broadcasting company has started broadcast by the year 1912. During that time it needed to establish some rules and regulation with license. At the beginning of 1914, Mr. Hiram M Maxim gathered all Amateur Radio Operators together and established American Radio Relay League (ARRL) for running the Amateur Radio Activities smoothly. That is the world’s largest Amateur Radio association. Presently International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) have assigned some frequencies exclusively for Amateur Radio between 1800 KHz to 23 GHz.