Amateur Radio, also know as Ham Radio, is a popular hobby that brings electronics and people together with one common goal.  That goal is communication.

If you asked 10 different operators “why radio?” you will likely get 10 different answers because the hobby has so many outlets.

Emergency Communication:

One of the most important reason for learning to operate a radio is for the safety of your family and yourself.  Radio does not require an infrastructure like cell phones and the internet do to operate.  When those devices fail to operate because of disaster, ham radio will be there to pickup the slack.  Learning how to properly operate a radio will be difficult during chaos.

Amateur  radio was a vital form of communication for government agencies and rescue operation during crisis events like 9/11 and hurricane Katrina.

Social Aspects:

I’ve personally met many intelligent, caring and funny people during my time as an operator.  There are frequent events all around the world dedicated to celebrating and sharing the power of radio.  During these meetings, both in person and on the radio, you will likely find someone with similar interest radio or in life.

Contests:

Many hams enjoy seeing how far their transmissions will carry.  Most take pride in being able to make contacts with others across state and country boundaries, logging the communications along the way.

Technology:

There are technology enthusiast that enjoy learning everything electronic, including radio.  The average person may not realize how many things in our everyday life use radio.  Even the wireless router you’re using to connect to the internet uses radio to send and receive signals.  You can also connect your radio to your phone or computer in order to share data, send text message, images and even Morse Code.  Most of the higher end drone equipment requires a ham radio license to operate.

Space Exploration:

Did you know it is possible to contact the space station using a radio?  You can even bounce your signals off the moon.

We could probably go on for days listing all of the uses for radio.  If you’re interested and ready to participate, it may be a good time to reach out and join your local club.  Please take into consideration that anyone can buy a radio but you can only transmit legally after getting a license.