More Information About Amateur Radio
A couple of days ago, I mentioned the inductees to the CQ Hall of Fame. For folks who are interested in learning more about ham radio, of perhaps getting involved, here are a few places you should check out first.
Wikipedia. Before you start looking at some of the sites below, check out this entry to get a little background on amateur radio. One of the things that first attracted me to the hobby was the role that ham operators play in emergency situations. (Nevermind your ready.gov kits - one of the first things you need in a crisis situation is stable communications.) Folks get involved in ham radio for a number of reasons. The Wikipedia page will give you some idea of what those reasons are. (Make sure to check out some of the offshoot pages as well.)
The American Radio Relay League (ARRL). Their website has a stockpile of information, for beginning and experienced hams alike, but I found this site particularly useful when I was preparing for my Technician Class exam. Once you’ve passed your first test, if you join the ARRL you’ll receive QST magazine every month, which is definitely worth it (More about QST in another post), but if you *don’t* join, this site still gives you access to some of the best information in the hobby.
The ARRL also publishes a number of books on amateur radio and its associated practices. Be sure to check out “The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual”. It’s the book I used to pass my exam, and it was extremely helpful.
QRZ. The QRZ site is a little rough on the eyes, but contains a lot of news-to-the-minute ham information. Dig around in the forums as well (though of course you can’t post without registering)
If you decide to go ahead and get your license, be sure to drop an email to ubergeeke@dotfiveone.com (aka KE7SLS) and let me know your call sign!
Related posts:
- CQ Inducts Trailblazing Women Into 2008 Amateur Radio Hall of Fame
- WomenInAmateurRadio: FCC’s Laura Smith
- Geek of the Week: S. Khrystyne Keane, K1SFA
- Diana Eng Talks Ham Radio On Makezine
- Still New Ham Preps For Logbook Of The World
June 2nd, 2008 at 4:25 am
[…] More Information About Amateur RadioA couple of days ago, I mentioned the inductees to the CQ Hall of Fame. For folks who are interested in learning more about ham radio, of perhaps getting involved, here are a few places you should check out first. Wikipedia. ….51 - Geekspace for Women - http://dotfiveone.com […]
June 2nd, 2008 at 4:26 am
[…] More Information About Amateur RadioA couple of days ago, I mentioned the inductees to the CQ Hall of Fame. For folks who are interested in learning more about ham radio, of perhaps getting involved, here are a few places you should check out first. Wikipedia. ….51 - Geekspace for Women - http://dotfiveone.com […]