Here is just one of many places on the net where you can find out about Amateur Radio and its fulfilment.  Each ham has a distinct call sign allocated to them when they pass their exam, be it the new foundation course, which you should be able to pass in one weekend, or a class B licence which, allows you to go on most other bands above 30 mhz, or the A licence which allows you full band width. The most popular today is the foundation licence to start with, but as you get more experienced you soon like the benefits that a class B or A licensee has, although as a start its the most convenient and quickest way to get on the air. One thing to think about is, once you have your set-up, your fine, just as long as you stay within the band limit and power limit youre allotted, otherwise it can be an expensive hobby.

 Besides the fun you can have using voice, or even computers and nodes to gain chat worldwide, we have a team called RAYNET, they are used quite a lot for things like rescues, crowd control at gigs such as concerts and that, and many more things, so as you can see the list of things you can do is almost endless. This is without naming anything like circuit building, or even building your own TX/rx, or making your own antennas.

   The fun in Ham radio is like computing, you make friends anywhere you can reach. We use them in our cars, some people use them on their boats, and holidaying in general, as whenever you go anywhere, if you have your trusty RIG, and its got a good SWR, then you can usually make several contacts during the day/night, depending when your on the air. Some Hams are not just your everyday person, but are Kings, Queens, Princess/Princes, in fact a radio ham operator is just an ordinary person when it comes to using a rig, as almost everyone of us believe that a call-sign is a friend. There is no higher or lower status in Ham radio, we are all- equal and morally will help each other out in almost anyway we can.

     Once you have a set-up & call sign, which is an antenna, rig, preferably an swr meter, and a second radio to check for 2^nd and 3^rd harmonics, so you know that you are not bleeding over other stations or out of your allotted bandwidth, you are all up and running, although the 2^nd radio is not a legal requirement it is a good way of making sure your neighbours have no way of saying your interfering with their TV or radio or anything else, as the radio will pick up harmonics, the way this works is, if you are on a band, double the number for your 2^nd harmonic, triple it for third and so on, which ever band your on, for instance, 144 mhz x 2 = 288mhz, and so on, you can do this easy maths in your head usually, but if your like me, you may need a calculator.

    Should you require any further information you can get it from your local radio group, ours is RSGB, which I will put their emblem and a link from it to them a little further down, but basically each and every radio society is based the same, we all have the same code of conduct, NO SWEARING, selling unwanted items over the air, political talk & a few other rules we abide by, but this is so that everyone, no matter their colour, creed, or sex and status, everyone is of an equal to everyone else.

      Do you know a radio ham? Possibly, without knowing, you could work with one, we dont stand out from the rest, we are as everyday as anyone who uses a computer, a library, even shop, so as far a it goes when some people say, I know you, just think for a second, are they a ham operator? Maybe, maybe not, but when the thought is there, and then we might have chance of another friend on the air.

       At the moment we only pay 15 pounds per year for as much time on the air as we wish so long as we have someone to chat with, and there are many worldwide, The cost doesnt need to be a great amount for your set-up, you can go to rallies, and things like that, where you can pick up a used rig, and usually a fairly good gutter mount for your motor, or a mag-mount, instead of the gutter mount for those who have a gutter less car.

       One thing is usually true, a ham friend is a good friend, always willing to help, and there when needed or willing to get help as best they can, so we are a special sort of community type group which rely on our selves, and each other, both for contacts, world wide contests, from one country to another, and just about anything else. We all try our best; this is what makes a radio ham operator a good friend.                                                                           Click the emblem below for a direct link to our radio society.

    The radio society of Great Britain

Below is our own Brish rsgb emblem with a direct link if you click on it. you learn about our great hobby..