TZUTC: -0500   
   MSGID: 488.fidonet-ls_arrl@1:2320/33 28e152ff   
   PID: Synchronet 3.20a-Win32 master/1c63f4d2c May 24 2023 MSC 1929   
   TID: SBBSecho 3.20-Win32 master/1c63f4d2c May 24 2023 MSC 1929   
   BBSID: TBOLT   
   CHRS: ASCII 1   
   Amateur Radio, also known as "Ham Radio", is a hobby and a service.   
   Hams, who must be licensed by their governments, operate two-way radio   
   stations from their homes and cars, talking with other hams across town   
   or across the world. Amateurs may communicate only with other radio   
   amateurs. Special sets of radio frequencies, or bands, are set aside   
   for use only by Amateur Radio operators.   
       
   A PIONEERING HOBBY   
       
   The hallmark of Amateur Radio through the years has been technical   
   advancement. Hams pioneered long-distance use of the short-wave bands   
   and today have expanded the range of formerly "local" bands through the   
   use of automatic relay stations, called "repeaters". They even use   
   satellites to enhance their transmissions. With special hook-ups, it's   
   possible for a ham with a small hand-held radio to communicate with   
   other hams half a world away.   
       
   A PUBLIC SERVICE   
       
   Amateur Radio is primarily a hobby, for personal enjoyment. But in   
   times of need, it is transformed into a corps of highly trained public   
   service communicators, ready, willing and able to help their neighbors.   
   Hams are probably best known for their work during disasters.   
       
   WHO ARE HAMS?   
       
   Just about anyone can be a ham. Men, women, boys, girls, hams range in   
   age from under 8 to over 80. There are no limits. Many handicapped   
   people find a door to the world in Amateur Radio. Many famous people   
   are hams, but most are just plain folks who like making friends around   
   the world.   
       
   HAMS ARE NOT CB'ers. While many hams started out in CB radio, the two   
   services are entirely separate. CB (Citizens Band) radio is intended   
   for local communications on personal or business matters. No license is   
   required. Amateur radio is a world-wide service, for noncommercial   
   communication only. A license is needed. Hams also have a much wider   
   choice of frequencies and methods of communications than CB'ers.   
      
   HAM RADIO IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD   
       
   Having a "ham" or Amateur Radio operator as a neighbor can be a great   
   advantage - especially in times of crisis. While most hams spend most   
   of their "on the air" time in their "shacks" or stations enjoying their   
   hobby, they're also "on call" in times of need. If your town is hit by   
   a flood, hurricane or other natural disaster, chances are that your   
   neighborhood ham will be part of an emergency communications team,   
   helping direct rescue officials to where they're needed, helping relief   
   agencies and public safety officials keep in touch with each other.   
      
   On a more personal level, if disaster strikes elsewhere, and you have   
   relatives or friends in the stricken area, your neighborhood ham can   
   probably sent a message - free of charge - to find out how those people   
   are doing. You don't need to wait for a disaster to send a "radiogram".   
   Many hams enjoy relaying and delivering these messages -always free of   
   charge - all over the United States and to certain foreign countries.   
   Hams have organized networks to speed the flow of these messages.   
      
   Hams also provide "phone patches", particularly for US servicemen   
   overseas. By hooking their radios and telephones together, hams can let   
   people at home talk with loved ones for just the cost of a local phone   
   call.   
       
   HAMS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS   
       
   Many individual hams and local Amateur Radio Clubs work on a regular   
   basis with a variety of community organizations. In most cities, hams   
   are affiliated with local disaster preparedness agencies. But they also   
   work with other groups such as the March of Dimes, providing   
   communications for walkathons, bikeathons, etc.   
       
   Hams also provide communications for such large-scale events as the   
   annual New York City Marathon and the 1,000+ mile Torch Runs for the US   
   Olympic Games. Hams do all this without payment. Federal law bars them   
   from accepting any compensation for the service they provide. It's all   
   done for the satisfaction of helping their neighbors.   
       
   Is one of your neighbors a ham? Amateur Radio operators (hams) don't   
   look different from anyone else, so how can you tell if one of your   
   neighbors is a ham? One tell-tale sign could be a big antenna on the   
   roof or in the back yard (though it could also be a CB antenna,   
   satellite "dish" or big TV antenna).   
       
   Another hint could be callsign license plates on the car. Amateur   
   callsigns in the US begin with A, K, N or W, have one or two letters   
   followed by a number from 0 to 9, then one to three more letters   
   [Examples: W1AW, N2BFG, KK5AA, AC2T]. Many states issue special   
   license plates to amateurs in recognition of their service to the   
   community.   
       
   If you think a neighbor is a ham, ask. If the answer is yes, you might   
   ask to see his or her station, or "shack". There, you'd see   
   transmitting and receiving equipment, certificates and cards confirming   
   contacts with different parts of the world.   
       
   Is that big antenna really important? In a word, yes. While it's   
   possible to get on the air and make hundreds of contacts with a fairly   
   simple wire antenna, hams who want to be certain their signals get   
   through put up bigger antennas to direct their signals to certain   
   points. This is particularly important, say, for "phone patches" with   
   servicemen overseas. These let people at home talk by phone - via radio   
   - with loved ones half a world away.   
       
   WHAT ABOUT MY TV?   
       
   While signals from Amateur Radio transmitters may occasionally seem to   
   cause interference to TV's and stereos, so do CB sets, computers,   
   vacuum cleaners, hair dryers, medical devices and countless other   
   things. In most cases, though, the problem is actually in the TV or   
   stereo. Manufacturers of consumer goods generally cut corners on costs   
   by leaving out the inexpensive filters that can eliminate most   
   problems.   
   --- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32   
    * Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (1:2320/33)   
   SEEN-BY: 1/120 123 15/0 18/0 50/109 90/1 105/81 106/201 116/17 18   
   SEEN-BY: 116/116 123/0 10 25 131 170 180 200 525 755 3001 135/115   
   SEEN-BY: 135/300 153/7715 154/10 30 40 50 700 218/700 840 220/70 90   
   SEEN-BY: 221/1 6 222/2 226/17 18 30 227/114 229/110 112 113 206 307   
   SEEN-BY: 229/317 426 428 470 664 700 240/1120 1200 250/1 266/512 267/800   
   SEEN-BY: 275/1000 282/1038 291/111 299/6 301/1 113 317/3 320/219 322/757   
   SEEN-BY: 335/364 341/66 342/200 396/45 460/58 467/888 633/267 280   
   SEEN-BY: 712/620 848 1321 770/1 100 340 772/210 220 230 2320/0 33   
   SEEN-BY: 2320/105 304 401 3634/0 12 27 56 57 119 5001/100 5005/49   
   SEEN-BY: 5020/715 1042 4441 5030/49 5058/104 5061/133 5064/56 5075/128   
   SEEN-BY: 5083/1 444 5090/958   
   PATH: 2320/33 105 154/10 3634/12 5020/1042 301/1 221/6 218/840   
   PATH: 770/1 712/848 229/426