Amateur radio
From the Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can change
Amateur radio is a hobby for people who like to talk using radio transmitters. Many people enjoy using amateur radio to talk to other amateur radio hobbyists in other countries. Amateur radio hobbyists also use their radio transmitters to get help in emergencies. Amateur radio is often called Ham Radio. Many people use their amateur radios for fun. People who use Amateur radio are often called amateur radio operators, hams or amateurs.
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[change] Emergency and distress use
During a disaster or emergency, Amateur radio can be used to get help. When telephones break, it may be the only way to communicate with people. Amateur radio hobbyists also use their radio transmitters to get help in emergencies. Some amateur radio hobbyists volunteer to monitor the emergency band frequencies in case there are distress calls. If the volunteers hear a distress call, they notify the appropriate authorities (for example the police or the Coast Guard).
[change] License
People must have a license to use Amateur radio. In most countries users must pass a test to get a license. In some countries there are more than one license grade. In some countries, people can use Amateur radio if they have a license from their home country.
There are many clubs for Amateur radio in many countries. These clubs do many things as a group and help people get their Amateur radio license.
[change] Talking
Amateur radio operators talk to each other in many ways. Some people talk with their voice, others use computers, television, or Morse code. They use many ways to get their signals to others. They can bounce their signals off of the sky, the moon or a satellite. Amateur radio operators have many ways to talk using the radio.
[change] Fun
There are many ways to have fun with amateur radio. There are many games and contests. Amateur radio operators try to talk with as many others as possible. They then mail each other postcards called QSL cards to confirm the contact. Contesters may try to see how far they can talk, or to how many different people they can talk.
Some hide a transmitter which sends out a signal and others try to find it using receivers. This is called Radio direction finding, fox hunting or Radio sport. Sometimes the event is done with cars, or as a foot race.
