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The rich history of ham radio culture
- masjl 2y ago[dead]
- dbish 2y agoKind of wish they had kept the Morse code requirement for the radio license. Felt like more of a connection to the old ham requirements and history
- pc486 2y agoI feel the opposite. Morse code was a major barrier into HF for many different people. Folks who are musically challenged would fail to copy. People with hand disabilities faced major hurdles. Hearing disabilities made it impractical, even though there are plenty of visual-only modes (sstv, digital tty modes, etc). Removal of morse has allowed far more people to reach more technical levels of ham radio. And, in my anedotcial experience, dropping the requirement hasn't impacted the popularity of morse code. I'd wager its more popular than ever because of how many more hams have HF access compared to limiting access to folks who learned code just to pass a test and to promptly throw away their key.
- dbish 2y agoFair enough. I just loved learning it as a boyscout and applying it to HAM and always think of it as this last ditch backup option
- pc486 2y agoMorse code is fun! It's not just an emergency mode either. Those mountain climbing SOTA hams love code because CW radios are so simple that they can cram several bands into an absolutely tiny QRP rig. Collectors practice on their 80 year old rigs. There's even a club dedicated to making contracts only with straight keys. Fear not. Code will be with us for decades to come.
- hilbert42 2y agoWouldn't it be easy to apportion small sections of the HF bands to those who are so afflicted? Those who've CW wouldn't be so restricted.
- ravenstine 2y agoIt'd also be nice if car mechanics were trained to shoe horses and fix wagon wheels so I can feel some connection to the old West.
- dbish 2y agoAgreed. Good point
- rcurry 2y agoFor the win.
- tonymet 2y agowithout them we wouldn't be here. one day you'll appreciate that
- hilbert42 2y agoAnd making wagon wheels requires considerable skill. When you've mastered that you've almost certainly got a second trade of woodworking under your belt. And perhaps even iron-working skills. As someone who learned woodworking I'd not like to make a wagon wheel without guidance from a master. One of the problems of inexperience is not being able to appreciate the subtleties, and how many seemingly disparate things relate in ways that end up being important.
- uint8_t 2y agoWorth noting that the movement to drop morse code, "No-code International," was spearheaded by none other than K6BP. Bruce Perens, one of our own!
- Aloha 2y agoI do not, I never would have gotten my ticket with it, and I tried and repeatedly failed to learn code. Now I'm an Extra, and have been licensed long enough to join the QCWA.
- swalberg 2y agoMorse code is flourishing even without it being a requirement. People are discovering what a fun mode it is -- the low power portable people love the reach you can get on 5W, others enjoy the mental challenge, and it's prevalent in contesting. You can be as connected to the past as you want in this hobby. It's at the point where we have people getting remote islands on the air by driving a boat onto shore that has a radio and an amplifier, raising an antenna, and then people can operate from either a boat anchored off shore or back home over Starlink. And they're doing it in Morse code, so you have this nice blend of the old and the new.
- howard941 2y agoI made my peace with no code a long time ago. The hobby was shrinking. IME what was lost in connectivity was made up for by bringing in new blood.
- brightball 2y agoI have noticed a correlation where the smartest tech people I know are also Ham operators.
- Dalewyn 2y agoHams are the quintessential "know just enough to be dangerous" people. Don't get me wrong, I've come across a lot of wonderful, truly smart hams; but I've also witnessed many hams who really never should have gotten half-smart. Hams are amateur electricians, hilarity /will/ ensue and it won't all be funny.
- Aloha 2y agoThe smart ones know they just know enough to be dangerous - a foundation of knowledge, not the whole book. Some of the best RF guys I know, have no formal training - because there is important theory around RF - it doesn't always work like projected. In my industry a Ham Ticket has taken the place of a GROL as something employers look upon favorably, because it means you generally should already have a foundation of RF theory.
- eh_why_not 2y ago> employers look out for As in, avoid? Or want?
- Aloha 2y agoWant, sorry it was unclear. Edited the original post to clarify.
- eh_why_not 2y agoWhat's dangerous about ham radio?
- simonw 2y agoIf you're broadcasting at higher powers (to send over longer distances) there are risks from high RF exposure and electrical hazards. The HAM radio license exams focus on these safety issues quite a bit.
- CalRobert 2y agoAs the internet gets more balkanized, censored, and controlled by a few giant companies, it makes me think that it's time for a different hobby. Something that can be used to subvert censorship (remember the whole "interprets it as damage and routes around it" conceit?) and is more hobbyists and less corporate sounds appealing. Is Ham that hobby? I am genuinely asking. A few days ago a thread here had lots of people agreeing it was mostly old dudes being boring. But I like the idea that maybe I (in Europe) can talk to my friend (in the US) by bouncing radio waves off the moon, or some such, and not relying on intermediaries.
- swalberg 2y agoWhat I like about the hobby is that it can be a lot of things to a lot of different people. So the emcomm/prepper crowd is very interested in practicing communications for when existing networks go down. That said, everything you do in amateur radio is in the open. So if you want to talk to your European friend, only the Sun can prevent you, but anyone can listen.
- ianburrell 2y agoAmateur radio is not that hobby. There are significant restrictions on what it can be used for. And providing uncensored communication for others is not allowed. Amateur radio is not for public use like public park. It is like a public golf course, where have to pay for membership and can only use it for certain things. Also, amateur radio does not have that much spectrum for the bandwidths we expect for internet. That is what has kept the spectrum from being taken away. Much of the high frequenecy spectrum does have is shared with ISM bands.
- simonw 2y agoI agree that understanding the restrictions on HAM usage - including the ban on encryption, and strict rules on what kind of material can be broadcast (since anyone can hear it) - is really important. You don't have to pay ongoing fees: the initial outlay in the USA is $35 for the license (you have to pass the exam) plus the cost for your equipment (~$70 for the cheaper HAM radios on Amazon), but after that there are no ongoing charges.
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- Aloha 2y agoAlso, if you want to read the book, you'll find it going for a cool $245 a copy (as its very out of print), however a quick google search located a PDF (which is often the case for out of print technical books).
- stolenmerch 2y agoI got my Technicians license about a year ago but have struggled to find much to do with it. I check into my local nets every once and a while, but the repeaters are nearly silent otherwise. The CW privileges are ok but hard to use. Seems you need a General to do all the cool stuff. Any other technicians here who have found a great use for the license?
- bmitch2112 2y agoNot from US so I'm not sure but I think you can access the 10 metre band with technician? If so, doing Parks on the Air or Summits on the Air could possibly be something you might like. Even with Technician you may be able to do POTA or SOTA successfully on VHF.
- sjoerger 2y agoDon’t discount 10m voice or digital modes. You can absolutely work the world with minimal equipment and power on 10m, especially when the sunspots are active.
- tonymet 2y agomy first few contacts were POTA contacts before that was a formal game. Just take your radio with you wherever you go and try to dial up repeaters or VHF/UHF simplex call frequency. for POTA formally you have to contact via simplex but you can coordinate on a repeater. DMR has a lot of traffic and you can get a decent DMR handy-talky for about $150 so it's worthwhile.
- crims0n 2y agoIf you have a decent view of the horizon, definitely look at satellite work. Bouncing an APRS packet off of the ISS would be a great place to start.
- wkat4242 2y agoYeah activity is really really low compared to the 80s especially on VHF and above. I don't do anything below that for lack of antenna space. So it can be boring. Digital is a bit better because it links repeaters in large groups. But the heydays are over. During the 80s/early 90s it was really hard to break into the chat when I was driving to work. So busy. Back then there were no legal issues with speaking into a microphone while driving either. So it made the morning traffic much more fun. But then the internet came and the whole "speak to people all over the world for free!" thing really lost its shine. The home computer before that did a lot already too (until they came on the scene pretty much all geeks were hams)
- AlbertCory 2y agoPersonal story: on my block growing up there was a blind guy who had an enormous antenna tower in his yard. He was SO nice to me, a teen-aged boy! His equipment all had braille labels on the controls. I'm sure he's long gone now so I don't mind giving his name: Julian Gannon. His call was K9BCJ which he claimed stood for Better Call Julian. Thanks, Mr. Gannon! I hope you're working the whole galaxy now. (Actually, though, ham conversations were excruciatingly boring: how are you receiving me? You're coming through loud & clear here. What equipment are you using?)
- rectangleboy 2y agoJust looking up his callsign, I found this: https://www.cardcow.com/215722/k9bcj-ill-seeing-you-farther-down-road-qsl-ham-radio/ https://www.cardcow.com/215722/k9bcj-ill-seeing-you-farther-...
- AlbertCory 2y agoThanks. That's our neighborhood all right.
- Aloha 2y agohttps://www.findagrave.com/memorial/183024470/julian-gannon https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/183024470/julian-gannon Looks like he passed in 1979, at the ripe old age of 90, we should all be so lucky!
- shoggouth 2y agoYoung Ellie: Dad, do you think there's people on other planets? Ted Arroway: I don't know, Sparks. But I guess I'd say if it is just us... seems like an awful waste of space.
- hilbert42 2y agoIt's very true ham radio has a very rich almost unique culture. I obtained my license many years ago whilst I was still at school and I've developed many friendships with those within the Amateur community, and despite me not having been on air for many years, many of those friendships forged in the days when I frequented the airwaves have endured to this day. In fact many have turned out to be more rock-solid and stable than just about every other friendship I've had. I'm not alone, when questioned many amateur radio operators will express exactly the same view. Why this is so is perhaps up for debate, but I'd put it down to a number of reasons: Amateur Radio is unique amongst hobbies in that it operates in a very different way to most other hobbies perhaps the most significant of which is that it requires a government-issued license before one can operate on air—and to obtain that one has to demonstrate both technical and operational proficiency in radiocommunications by way of passing examination. There's no shortcut or other way around to obtain an Amateur license, as passing the examination is a mandatory requirement. Of itself, that requirement alone binds amateurs together. Thus not everyone can become a member of this unique club, as it's only through the involved procedure of passing the Amateur examination that one is able to be initiated into the Amateur fraternity. One's solidarity with the the Amateur movement becomes even more solid after one learns the rules, procedures and etiquette of Amateur Radio culture. In a sense once one becomes an Amateur one then becomes indoctrinated into this long and esteemed culture that owes many of its origins to government-necessitated rules and procedures—rules that have still deeper origins in that they derive from ITU—International Telecommunications Union regulations. Having to conform to ITU regulations is perceived by Amateurs more as an necessity rather than an imposition, as by the time one becomes an amateur radio operator, one knows that he or she—along with others—has the privileged responsibility of ensuring that the electromagnetic spectrum is properly managed. Not only is that responsibly not seen an imposition by Amateurs but rather it's seen by them as a necessity, as proper management of the spectrum is vital for all radiocommunications services to operate in an optimal way. Mismanagement of the spectrum would result in interference between services and from external sources, radio regulations and procedures ensure that interference is kept to a minimum. Being part of the worldwide fraternity that sees itself as having such an important responsibly—a responsibility that doesn't flow from being paid but out of the love of it and of one's hobby—further strengthens bonds between Amateurs. Even though I've not operated on air for many years I still consider myself to be a member of this tightknit community. Once an Amateur radio operator it's forever.
- password4321 2y agoRelated recent discussion yesterday: Taking a Radio Camping https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41084061 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41084061 And not as recently (4 months ago): UV-K5 is the most hackable handheld ham radio yet (including via WebUSB) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39850972 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39850972 $30 https://amzn.com/dp/B0C9TVSYYM https://amzn.com/dp/B0C9TVSYYM + $10 cable https://amzn.com/dp/B0B9S7N2LQ https://amzn.com/dp/B0B9S7N2LQ
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- bitfilped 2y agoThe UV-K5 radio is kinda crap and sprays spurious emissions everywhere, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone intending to transmit.
- h00dinberry 2y ago[dead]
- ronsor 2y agoYou don't need a license to listen to anything.
- EvanAnderson 2y agoBut there are things that are illegal to listen to, depending on your locality. I knew somebody who demonstrated a POCSAG decoder using an SDR in a classroom instructor setting. A law enforcement agent taking the class pulled him aside after the class and let him know that it was illegal to decide POCSAG in the that locality.
- dghlsakjg 2y agoHam radio is not pirate radio. Ham radio refers to government licensed amateurs (amateur simply meaning not paid) communicating on frequencies they are explicitly allowed to use. Hams very much don’t tolerate pirate radio. Pirate radio is unlicensed use of radio frequencies, sometimes commercial, sometimes political, sometimes amateur.
- giraffe_lady 2y agoI have an amateur extra license and think pirate radio is awesome. It is a rich, important, culturally & politically influential tradition in its own right.
- dghlsakjg 2y agoMe too (well my ham ticket is expired), but my point is that ham and pirate radio are very different things. And even if you think its cool, I really doubt if your would tolerate a pirate stepping on your local repeater frequency.
- mindslight 2y agoIf amateur radio is 'ham' radio, then doesn't that mean commercial radio is spam radio?
- pbj1968 2y ago[flagged]
- fortran77 2y agoNumbers stations are government run, transmitting one-time-pad encoded messages to assests located in other, hostile, countries. WHy on earth would the government shut down their own stations?
- assimpleaspossi 2y agoIt's interesting how I read so often of people calling this HAM. Such as, "Is Ham that hobby?" below. I first got started in amateur radio with my novice license in 1966. We always called it "ham radio" or "amateur radio" or said I was a ham radio operator but no one ever called it HAM or spelled it in all caps. On HN, at least, I see it every time the subject is brought up. And it seems to be a fairly recent event.
- floren 2y agoThere's a persistent belief among non-hams that it is an acronym or something. I don't get it either.
- fortran77 2y agoIt infuriates me to see people spell it as "HAM". (Extra since 1977, also First Class Radiotelephone with Radar Endorsement, and First Class Radiotelegraph.)
- pbj1968 2y ago[flagged]
- dang 2y agoCan you please stop breaking the site guidelines? You've unfortunately been doing it a great deal lately. We have to ban such accounts, and I don't want to ban you, so if you'd please review https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html and stick to the rules when posting here, we'd appreciate it. Edit: on a closer look, your account has been breaking the site guidelines so consistently that I think we have to ban it and I've done so. If you don't want to be banned, you're welcome to email hn@ycombinator.com and give us reason to believe that you'll follow the rules in the future. They're here: https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html.
- vitaflo 2y ago
- fortran77 2y agoI had a great time on ham (not HAM) radio today, talking to people participating in a "Summit on the Air" event from Mount Umunhum. Then I spent some time building a "Class D" PWM AM radio transmitter using a circuit a guy from Bulgaria posted to a forum a few months ago. I take a little portable "truSDX" with me in my travels, and enjoy making contacts on FT8 and CW with it using a wire I hang out of my hotel window. In the past year, I've done this from Tokyo to Tel Aviv.
- jamiek88 2y ago> and enjoy making contacts on FT8 and CW with it using a wire I hang out of my hotel window. In the past year, I've done this from Tokyo to Tel Aviv. Ever worry about being of interest to foreign intelligence I ask only half joking! Ever done it in Moscow?!
- fortran77 2y agoI've only done it in countries that permit this! Russia is not on the list: https://www.arrl.org/bilateral-reciprocal-agreements https://www.arrl.org/bilateral-reciprocal-agreements (It's also not a good idea for U.S. Citizens to go there right now.)
- teresasovinski 2y ago[dead]
- vogt 2y agoMy grandfather, Dick, was a Korea war veteran who founded a manufacturing company. He was a grizzly, old school guy with a bit of a drinking problem. As the legend goes HAM was the only thing that brought him joy. He had an entire room of the house with equipment that nobody was allowed in, until I was born (first grandchild privileges). I always think of him when I see ham crop up online. The dish in their back yard was enormous. But yeah, in my head, ham is basically populated with guys like this, cranky old men who start ball slide part companies and smoke 2 packs a day