How to Use a Ham Radio – A Detailed Guide

Introduction

Imagine being able to talk to your friends and family living miles away without having to pay phone bills? Sounds like Utopia, right?

However, it certainly is possible. Radio technology, or specifically Ham radios, has proved to be a more effective form of communication than smartphones in some ways.

Did you notice that police officers use walkie-talkies instead of modern technology to create a vast web of communication networks? That is one of the best examples of ham radio.

Why Possess a Ham Radio?

Ham Radios have unnumbered benefits. With ham radios, you can easily broadcast a wide-scale message that would be troublesome on cell phones.

For example, if you want to invite your friend circle to a dinner party, you would have to dial a number as many times as there are people, but in the case of ham radio, you have to enunciate the message once, and it will be sent to people on that frequency.

Not to mention the money you will save due to a cut in your expenditure on phone bills. Furthermore, ham radios are significantly more reliable than cell phones in times of natural calamity or emergency.

The alert and alarm feature of Ham radio warns you about the approaching catastrophe but can also aid you in times of dire need to contact rescue authorities.

This is apart from AM and FM's entertainment features, weather updates, National and International news. Thus, we can safely say radio beats cell phones when the substantial utility is considered.

But how do we use Ham Radio? How can we communicate via it, and how do we reap entertainment benefits? Are there any conditions to be fulfilled before using it? Let's understand it in this article.

How to use a Ham Radio?

License:

The first thing you need before exposing yourself to Ham radio is that you need to become a licensed Ham. Possessing a license means that you are a recognized Ham by Federal Communications Commission and that you are an authorized Ham Radio user.

Getting the license is infernally easy, all you have to do is clear a test, and voila, you are eligible to own and operate a Ham Radio. There are varying kinds of licenses, and each kind grants you a special set of rights and privileges. These are as follows

Technician:

This type allows you to transmit signals up to 100 watts on limited frequencies

General:

This type allows you to transmit signals up to 1500 watts on limited frequencies but on a broader spectrum.

Extra: 

This type allows you to transmit signals up to 1500 Watts on all frequencies

For each type, the clearance criterion depends on who you are and why you want to own a Ham Radio. Once you have obtained a license, the FCC allots you specific frequencies.

You are permitted to operate only on these frequencies. The spectrum of frequencies that you are permitted to use is called a frequency band. Going beyond the allotted frequency band would be considered an infringement of the law, and you will be tried accordingly.

Apparatus:

Ham Radio's framework is composed of the transceiver, antenna, tuner, microphone, wires, and power supply.

The arrangement of these pieces of equipment gives you a radio that can be used to exchange messages from anywhere, given that you operate on reserved frequencies.

Transceiver:

Transceiver is an amalgamation of receiver and transmitter as it performs the functions of both. There are Ham radios that require you to purchase separate receiver and transmitter but most handheld ham radio comes with the amalgamation of both.

Using transceiver is much easier and inexpensive than using an apparatus of separate entities. Transceiver comes in handy while operating on VHF (very high frequency).

Antenna:

An antenna is a pointy stick which you may find in various radio devices, including ham radio.

The antenna is responsible for capturing the electromagnetic, a combination of electricity and magnetism, waves that carry the message or signal you want to transmit from the transceiver. This process is known as modulation, and the network that is spiraled is known as the carrier.

It is the chief principle that governs the overall functionality, sending and receiving signals, of the radio. Ham Radio comes with a built-in antenna, and if necessary, an external antenna can also be purchased.

Microphone or Key:

This is where you will record the message, ergo, communicate. There are two modes of sending messages, one is Morse code, and the other is voice.

In devices sustaining Morse code, there are keys wherein you can encode your message and set it ready for departure. In the voice mode, you simply blurt out the message in the microphone.

Note, there are several kinds of keys for Morse code, such as straight and bug. The simplest to comprehend and use as a beginner is straight key.

Power supply: 

Power supply is what renders power to your transceiver. The power supply needs to be compatible with your transceiver if you want it to function well and not spiral out of control, as the consequences of doing otherwise may prove to be hazardous.

Underpowered radio may prove to be futile as it would not function. Meanwhile, overpowered radio will put too many volts, blow the transceiver's fuse, and cause irreparable damage.

Thus, compatibility is a must and should be kept in mind while using the transceiver.

Conclusion

These are the components that constitute a basic Ham Radio that will allow you to communicate with anyone around you. You may face a little problem while trying to get accustomed to using the ham radio. To avoid this issue, get the best ham radio available in the market.