Ham or Amateur Radio is a hobby taken on by those who enjoy communication, experimentation, community servce and just plain having fun.
Communication
Hams as we are often called enjoy countless hours of communications with friends without faces. After studying fro the appropiate license on can talk clear accross town, accross country and even accross the world and establish friendships with people that they may never meet. Until you have done this, you will never know the excitement of a station (a ham in another location) calling CQ (term used for establishing contacts) from a town, state or country that you have yet to contact. These contacts are generally made on what known as the HF (High Frequency) Bands. These bands except for a portion 10 meters require General, Advanced or Extra Class Licenses for voice comminications. CW or Morse Code falls under the same condition with this exception Novice and Technicians have CW privaliges on portions of the 10, 40, 80 Meter Bands.
Not all communications are done on the HF Bands, there are the VHF/UHF (Very High Freq./Ultra High Freq.). Two Meters is by far the most popular band of drive time communication used by hams just to pass the time as we go to school or work.
Experimentation
Ther are some hams who enjoy and even insist on buildin their own antenna systems as well as there radio equipment. Although there are not as many "kits" for radio building these days, there are some that are fun to sit down on a rainy evening and pass the time away. Not to mention the bragging rights that come along with building it youself. Also in the area of experimentation is the exploration od Ham Radio in the Space Program - Sarex - Shuttle Amater Radio Experiment. This is a chance for Hams to reach out and touch the stars and for the stars to reach back. This program also brings amateur radio into our schools allowing the kids to ask the shuttle crew specific questions about space travel. As technology advances Ham radio has kept up pace and will not be left behind.
Community Service
Many hams participate in public events to provide communications for sponsoring agencies that otherwise would not be able to talk with each other. The Boston Marathon is a prime example of race coordinators being able to get information instantly from all the checkpoints through out the entire course. Major disasters tornados, floods, huricanes you name it and generally hams are ther to do waht they can to help.
I hope that these few words have given you a better understanding of Ham Radio and Hams but if not, heres another explanation from the folks at CQ Magazine.
73
Nathaniel
N8RIT
