Legion Members,
We have 2 respected members of our Legion who would like to start our own Amateur (Ham) Radio Club. Please email Mike Neal (jmneal3@insight.rr.com) or John Dolske (jhdolske@gmail.com) for more information on starting a local Post 283 club.
Aaron Chamberlain
Adjutant Post 283
What is Ham Radio?
An amateur radio operator is an individual who typically uses equipment at an amateur radio station to engage in two-way personal communications with other similar individuals, on radio frequencies assigned to the amateur radio service by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States and the International Telecommunication Union worldwide.
Amateur radio operators build and operate several types of amateur radio stations, including fixed ground stations, mobile stations, space stations and temporary field stations. A slang term often used for an amateur station's location is the "shack," named after the small enclosures added to the upper works of naval ships to hold early radio equipment and batteries.
Amateur radio operators are also known as radio amateurs or hams. The term "ham" as a pejorative nickname for amateur radio operators was first heard in 1909 by operators in commercial and professional radio communities. The word was subsequently embraced by the operators, and stuck. However, the term did not gain widespread usage in the United States until around 1920, after which it slowly spread to other English-speaking countries.
You’ve heard the news stories. In one disaster after another, communication systems can fail or become overloaded. Sometimes impacted communities are cut off from contact with response agencies. At other times the various responding agencies cannot contact one another or their own units in the field. When multiple jurisdictions and mutual aid are involved, interoperability of communications systems can become a problem. Fortunately, when all else fails, the Amateur Radio Service can often help.
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