amateur (ham) radio
DESCRIPTION
Amateur RadioTRANSCRIPT
AMATEUR (HAM) RADIO
HIGHLIGHTING DIGITAL AND EMERGENCY
COMMUNICATIONS
WHAT IS AMATEUR RADIO?AMATEUR RADIO (ALSO CALLED HAM RADIO) IS THE USE OF DESIGNATED RADIO
FREQUENCY SPECTRA FOR PURPOSES OF PRIVATE RECREATION, NON-COMMERCIAL EXCHANGE
OF MESSAGES, WIRELESS EXPERIMENTATION, SELF-TRAINING, AND EMERGENCY
COMMUNICATION. THE TERM "AMATEUR" IS USED TO SPECIFY PERSONS INTERESTED IN RADIO
TECHNIQUE SOLELY WITH A PERSONAL AIM AND WITHOUT DIRECT PECUNIARY INTEREST, AND TO
DIFFERENTIATE IT FROM COMMERCIAL BROADCASTING, PUBLIC SAFETY (SUCH AS POLICE AND
FIRE), OR PROFESSIONAL TWO-WAY RADIO SERVICES (SUCH AS MARITIME, AVIATION, TAXIS, ETC.).
THE ORIGINS OF AMATEUR RADIO CAN BE TRACED TO THE LATE 19TH CENTURY, BUT AMATEUR
RADIO AS PRACTICED TODAY BEGAN IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY.
SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA
EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS
• IN TIMES OF CRISIS AND NATURAL DISASTERS, AMATEUR RADIO IS OFTEN
USED AS A MEANS OF EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION WHEN WIRELINE, CELL
PHONES AND OTHER CONVENTIONAL MEANS OF COMMUNICATIONS FAIL.
• UNLIKE COMMERCIAL SYSTEMS, AMATEUR RADIO IS NOT AS DEPENDENT ON
TERRESTRIAL FACILITIES THAT CAN FAIL. IT IS DISPERSED THROUGHOUT A
COMMUNITY WITHOUT "CHOKE POINTS" SUCH AS CELLULAR TELEPHONE SITES
THAT CAN BE OVERLOADED.
NOTABLE EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS EVENTS
• 9/11
• 2003 BLACKOUT
• HURRICANE KATRINA
• DECEMBER 2004 INDIAN OCEAN TSUNAMI
• HURRICANE SANDY
• 2013 BOSTON MARATHON
• THIS YEAR’S WILDFIRES IN CALIFORNIA
• THIS YEAR’S FLOODING IN COLORADO
WHO DO WE SERVE IN AN EMERGENCY?
• OPERATORS SERVE LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL AGENCIES SUCH AS POLICE,
FIRE, RESCUE, AND FEMA.
• OPERATORS ALSO SERVE ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE RED CROSS AND THE
SALVATION ARMY.
• OUR MAIN PURPOSE IS TO PROVIDE COMMUNICATIONS. WE ARE NOT RESCUE
PERSONNEL!
DIGITAL RADIOA GREAT NUMBER OF EXCITING NEW DIGITAL OPERATING MODES HAVE DEVELOPED, LARGELY BECAUSE
OF THE AVAILABILITY OF PERSONAL COMPUTERS, SOUNDCARDS, AND ADVANCED SOFTWARE. BUT
AMATEUR DIGITAL COMMUNICATION BEGAN IN EARNEST IN THE LATE 1940'S (IF YOU DON'T COUNT
MORSE AS A DIGITAL MODE!) WHEN HAMS WORKED OUT TECHNIQUES OF CONNECTING MECHANICAL
TELETYPE KEYBOARD/PRINTERS TO AMATEUR GEAR USING FSK AND AFSK MODULATION.
SOURCE: ARRL
• PACKET – TRANSMITS BASICALLY LIKE A COMPUTER AT 300 BPS
• PSK31 OR BPSK31 - PHASE SHIFT KEYING, LOW BAND-WIDTH, RELIABLE AT LOW POWER
• RTTY - BAUDOT CODE, 60 WORDS PER MINUTE
• AND MANY, MANY MORE…..