Amateur radio
From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Amateur radio is a hobby for people who like to talk using the radio. Amateur radio has been used to talk to family and friends. It also used to get help in emergencies. Amateur radio is often called Ham Radio. Many people use their amateur radios for fun. People who use Amateur radio are often called amateur radio operators, hams or amateurs.
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[edit] License
You must have a license to use Amateur radio. In most countries you must pass a test to get a license. In some countries there are more than one license grade. In some countries you can use Amateur radio if you have a license from your home country.
There are many clubs for Amateur radio in many countries. These clubs do many things as a group and help people get their Amateur radio license.
[edit] Talking
Amateur radio operators talk to each other in many ways. Some people talk with their voice, others use computers, television, or Morse code. They use many ways to get their signals to others. They can bounce their signals off of the sky, the moon or a satellite. Amateur radio operators have many ways to talk using the radio.
[edit] Emergencies
During a disaster or emergency, Amateur radio can be used to get help. When telephones break, it may be the only way to talk to people.
[edit] Fun
There are many ways to have fun with amateur radio. There are many games and contests. Amateur radio operators try to talk with as many others as possible. They then mail each other postcards called QSL cards to confirm the contact. Contesters may try to see how far they can talk, or to how many different people they can talk.
Some hide a transmitter which sends out a signal and others try to find it using receivers. This is called Radio direction finding, fox hunting or Radio sport. Sometimes the event is done with cars. Sometimes it is run as a foot race.