What is a ham radio?

Question

What is a ham radio?

Answer 1

Ham radio, also known as amateur radio, is a way of communicating using a radio to communicate with other ham operators around the world. It's been used since the late 1800s and over 6 million people use ham radios.

Before there was an internet, this WAS the internet. You could talk directly (with a delay, but not horrible) with people across the globe. You have to be trained and usually get a license to officially operate a ham radio, but they're considered to be a fun and geeky hobby that tons of people enjoy.

Answer 2

Ham Radio is the nick name of Amateur Radio.

Amateur (HAM) Radio is a technical hobby for the Radio hobbyist.  At present  there are many Ham Radio Operators are available all over world.

Ham Radio operator having spot frequencies or particular frequency slots on all bands as per allowed by the respective Governments of that country from where they operating.

I am also a Amateur (HAM) Radio Operator with callsign VU3ORN from India.  I can listen and transmit my voice or Morse Code (CW) on air all over 24 hrs. on allotted frequencies by our Ministry of Communication, Govt. of India.

By listening the callsign we can understand from where the particular Ham operating.  For my case “VU” stands for India, “3” stands for gradation of my licence and “ORN” is my Radio name by the Govt. authority.

For example you can watch every aircraft (civil/military) having a callsign, which is printed on the body of the aircraft.  By seeing that others can understand the nationality of the aircraft.

It is a non-profitable hobby.  There are many restrictions on us when we do contacts with other Hams on air.  We Hams all over world do not use our hobby for commercial purpose or pass any third party messages.

But at the time of natural calamities we normally help the local Government authorites by providing a parallel radio communication till the normal communication system restored.  All these we do as a moral duty to the society and non profit basis.

For much more information you can search on internet as “Amateur Ham Radio”.

Hope to listen all your voices as Amateur (HAM) Radio Operator at my Receiver in future.

73 for the time being,

Ray (VU3ORN)

New Delhi, India.

Answer 3

Instead of a long answer, this might be better

http://hello-radio.org/

Answer 4

its a radio carved out of ham and uses rye bread to turn the dials and you speak into the cheese.