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By: Ikedi Ani-okoye.

Amateur radio calls

Today a Amateur Radio Operator can move from North Carolina where it is a 4 call to Texas where it is a 5 call and keep their 4 call. Call signs (in the United States) consist of one or two letters, a number, and one to three more letters. The first part of the call sign denoted what country they are from, with the US being A, AA - AK K, KA - KK, KM - KW, KX - KZ, N, NA - NK, NM - NW, NM - NW, NX - NZ, WA - WK, WM - WO, WQ - WW, and WX - WZ. Also in the US, AA - AK was issued only to Amateur radio Extras.

Amateur radio tests

Amateur radio has something for everyone, that is one reason there are clubs . The lower levels of testing mainly consists of the rules governing the use of a Amateur Radio. As a person progresses through the different classes of operation, more of the questions are of a technical nature. All of the written tests are multiple choice ( four answers each) and several amateur radio web sites have the questions and answers for each of the level of tests which is patterned after the written portion of the air pilots test (another government test).

Amateur radio benefits

The ARRL (American Radio Relay League is a National Amateur Radio Club with many local chapters) has had field day competition since 1933. Almost all the Hams involved in the field day exercise are also members of ARES, RACES, or SKYWARN which are a few of the emergency organizations made up of Hams and other interested people.

Amateur Radio Operators have been active in every (that I know of) emergency situation in most parts of the world. During hurricanes, tornadoes, snow/ice storms, floods, tsunamis, both natural and some man made emergencies they are there to keep communications with the outside world!

Amateur radio fame

George Sweigert, an amateur radio operator and inventor from Ohio is considered as the father of the cordless phone. Sweigert, a amateur radio operator in World War II stationed at the South Pacific Islands developed the full duplex-concept for untrained personnel, to improve battlefield communications for senior commanders, which was the beginning of a revolution in the field of telecommunication.

CONCLUSION

Amateur radio, often called ham radio, is both a hobby and a service that uses various types of radio communications equipment to communicate with other radio amateurs for public service, recreation and self-training. A participant is called an amateur radio operators, or a ham.

Amateur radio operators enjoy personal wireless communication with each other and are able to support their communities with emergency and disaster communications if necessary, while increasing their personal knowledge of electronics and radio theory. An estimated six million people throughout the world are regularly involved with amateur radio.