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> home > faq'sFrequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
What is Ham Radio?Amateur radio is a hobby that has been around almost as long as radio itself. Amateur radio operators, usually referred to as “Hams”, are people with an interest in radio design and communication. More importantly, they provide the community with a vital resource in the event of an emergency or natural disaster. Hams enjoy operating their own two-way radio station to talk to people all over the world or in their own community. In the early days of radio a century ago this was done using the "dits" and "dahs" of Morse code, but nowadays Hams are more likely to talk into a microphone or use high tech digital techniques. Hams can be found bouncing signals off the moon, using satellites or using the computer in their hobby. Many Hams simply like to "ragchew", the Ham term for sitting back and having a long conversation with another Ham. The necessary equipment consists of a transmitter and receiver (or transceiver), an antenna (which can be as simple as a piece of wire), a microphone and/or a Morse code key. For more complex communication specialized equipment is required, The cost of equipment varies widely depending on which modes the amateur wants to use. One can get on the air for as little as $150.00 with used equipment. Because of the variety of equipment and the modes available, it is not possible to cost a "reasonable" station. However, it is certainly not necessary to spend a lot of money to enjoy the hobby. Amateur radio is not only a hobby. Thousands of Hams are involved in essential public service. We provide communications after natural disasters, such as tornadoes, floods or earthquakes, when all the other lines of communications are down. We bring with us our own power generators and equipment so that we are completely independent. We maintain our emergency equipment in readiness so that we can move to an area in trouble with the minimum of delay. Hams around Edmonton have been active in many community activities, providing communication during the Edmonton tornado and the forest fires or during quieter times such as Heritage Days, the Edmonton marathon and the Birkebeiner cross country ski race. There are many ways in which Hams communicate. The most popular is using voice transmissions, just as you would over the telephone (without getting a bill at the end of the month!) Increasingly now, Hams use digital modes. The oldest of these is Morse code, which is still used by many Hams. Traditional modes, such as radiotelegraphy, are still popular but, with the advent of the computer, Hams now use some very sophisticated techniques to get messages to remote parts of the world. PSK 31 is a code generated by a computer that can be transmitted by radio over long distances with very low power. The Internet is used to enhance radio transmissions in modes called Echolink and IRLP. Amateur radio satellites are orbiting the globe and provide another way for Hams to talk to each other. Signals are even bounced of the moon by some Hams. Television has not been neglected and there are two types. Slow scan television uses simple equipment to transmit single pictures. ATV or amateur television allows live video to be sent over the air, just the same as with commercial television. Amateurs can operate their equipment in homes, cars, boats, office buildings, even on bicycles. The necessary equipment consists of a transmitter and receiver, an antenna (which can be as simple as a length of wire), and a microphone. The transmitter and receiver are often combined (a transceiver) and may be small enough to fit in a shirt pocket or large enough to occupy a desk. The cost to become operational in amateur radio equipment varies widely. It can cost as little as $200 with used equipment. Because of the variety of equipment and modes available it is not possible to cost a "reasonable" station. However, it is certainly not necessary to spend a lot of money to fully enjoy the hobby. How do radio signals reach around the world?Radio signals are a form of light waves, just at a different frequency. Like light, radio travels in straight lines. If you can see a place from your station, you will be able to get a signal there. That is one reason why many antennas are very high up; you can “see” more from there. Radio is different from light because it bends more easily and can to a certain extent penetrate solid objects, although it has a harder time with a mountain than a sandpile. This is the reason that you can often talk to places, which fairly close, that you cannot “see”. Since the earth is curved, it doesn’t seem reasonable that a radio wave that starts off from your house in a straight line could reach the other side of the world. The trick is to bounce the radio waves off a layer, thousands of metres above us, called the ionosphere. This is quite possible using certain frequencies, typically below 30 MHz. The signal bounces back down to earth, often thousands of miles away and may then bounce back to the ionosphere and back to earth and so on. This property of the ionosphere is a blessing for Hams who can then talk to people on the other side of the globe. This doesn’t happen with all frequencies and Hams learn that there are particular frequencies as well as particular times of the day, of the year and of the sunspot cycle when we in Canada can easily chat to the Russians, the Australians or Hams in India. How do I become a Ham?Hams are licensed by governments in all countries and have "callsigns" to identify themselves. In Canada, the amateur radio service is managed by Industry Canada. Canadian callsigns begin with VE, VA, VO or VY and in Alberta it is either VE6 or VA6. You have probably wondered about some car license plates that begin with these letters. They are Hams. Any licensed Ham is entitled to such a plate. To become a Ham, you have to be resident in Canada, demonstrate a knowledge of basic electronics and know how to maintain and operate your station in a safe manner. In order to do this, you will have to pass an examination conducted by Industry Canada. Don't worry! It is not that difficult! There are two levels of theory examination on radio theory, Basic and Advanced. Each consists of 100 multiple-choice questions covering the regulations, basic electronic theory and operating practices. The pass mark in the basic license is 70. This allows you to operate with all the equipment and techniques that Hams use but limits the frequencies you can use to those above 30 MHz. If you pass the basic license with a score of 80 or more you can use any of the frequencies allocated to amateur radio. An advanced license allows you to build your own equipment and to operate with higher power; 1000 watts as opposed to 250 watts with the basic. You can also operate below 30 MHz if you have passed a Morse code exam demonstrating that you can copy the code at 5 words per minute. There are several ways that you can study for this. If you want to do it on your own, you can use the Radio Amateurs of Canada study guide (RAC Study Guide for the Basic Exam), which is available either on line or from Alfa Radio. See the notes at the end for more information on the exams and addresses and contact information. You can take the exam at any Industry Canada office or by contacting one of the volunteer examiners in your neighbourhood. Many people like a little help and the Northern Alberta Radio Club holds periodic classes. We also arrange for the exam to be given at the end of the course. The course covers the theory as well as some “hands on” practice with radios. Practice exam After you pass the examination Industry Canada will issue you a callsign and you will be ready to operate. Once you are on the air you will find yourself in the company of people from 9 to 90 years, in all walks of life, who are only too willing to talk to you on any subject you can think of whether they know anything about it or not! |
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