ham (amateur) radio

Talking Around The World By Wireless Radio by Don Browne, KQ4YM

Welcome to amateur radio from Hendry and Glades county, Florida.

Many people around the world find amateur radio a fascinating hobby. The largest number of amateur radio enthusiasts are in Japan while the U.S. is second in number of licensed ham radio operators.

Ham radio operators are licensed in the United States by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) who enjoy operating their own radio station either mobile or at a fixed radio station in their home or office. Hams can talk to, and meet people all over the world by "wireless" radio, as well as talk with local friends in their own area with handheld radio tranceivers similar to cell phones. You need to pass an FCC amateur radio exam and you are all set to go!

Ham radio operating is similar to cell phone conversations except that hams can talk to many people at the same time simultaneously, and talk independently worldwide to any other ham enthusiast without any charges per minute like cell phones. And

the FCC radio license is free as well. Most states also allow you to obtain a special auto license plate with your FCC call sign. See my plate above in the photo. You may have heard a morse code signal in the movies or on TV.  Morse code is the traditional transmitting method which all hams used learn in order to be government licensed to transmit on short wave frequencies worldwide. The code is no longer a requirement for getting a ham license. "CQ" is a famous code used as an attention signal sent by a ham to call for others to listen or respond. On shortwave ham freqencies you may hear a radio station calling "CQ...CQ" to alert others hams he would like to talk. 

It is fairly easy to obtain the FCC amateur radio license to operate your own radio station by studying a text of basic radio and operating rules and taking a test usually given once a month by local volunteers in just about every area of the country. To find out easy it is to get your F.C.C. Amateur Radio License go to any local bookstore and look for a book about amateur radio or Ham radio examination questions or email me with any questions.

There are many organizations and clubs of ham radio operators including The Knights of the Kilocycle, which is the oldest radio net in the world, begun in 1929. A "net" is a group of hams that regularly meets and talks in a group on a shortwave frequency. The "Knights" have regularly met on the air each Sunday all the way back to Christmas Day, 1929. If you have a shortwave rado receiver, you can hear the members talk to one another at 7:30 AM Eastern time Sundays on the frequency of 3.910 Mhz. Take a look at some past newsletters about them at the links below.

Here's some more places to explore about Ham Radio:

• • Don's QRZ Amateur Radio Info

  • More Ham Radio including Ham Callbook, etc.

  • HD Digital SSTV - HD photos and images sent by ham radio Easypal DRM format

  • Latest HD digital SSTV photo received by KQ4YM's station (click on picture to see full size)

• • Florida 2-meter Repeater Listing

  • Shortwave and Computer Local TV & Radio Programs

  • Knights of the Kilocycle past newsletters

  • The historic Skip/Cyberham (now out of print) MagazineAn Amateur Radio Club

  • LaBelle Ham Stations and Operators

  • LaBelle Area 2-Meter Frequencies

  • Clewiston Ham Stations and Operators

  • Lehigh Ham Stations and Operators

  • Alva Ham Stations and Operators

  • Moore Haven Ham Stations and Operators

  • Felda Ham Stations and Operators

  • Southwest Florida Online™ Page 1

  • Southwest Florida Online™ Index page

  • Sunday Morning News for the Lake Okeechobee region

  • LaBelle, Florida

  • Clewiston, Florida

  • Other neighboring communities in Hendry-Glades county

• Marion Webster's Attic - Old Time Music Show 1890-1920s

Email to webmaster for comments or questions