50 Fun Facts About Ham Radio

The word 'ham' was originally an insult aimed at whom?

'Ham-fisted' operators were mocked in 19th-century wired telegraphy; radio amateurs later reclaimed the word with pride.

Which body establishes the amateur radio service through its Radio Regulations?

National governments then set their own technical rules and issue call signs.

How often, at minimum, must a call sign be used during a transmission?

It must also be given at the end of the conversation.

What 1927 definition distinguished a radio amateur from commercial operators?

That is, no monetary or similar reward.

What is the worldwide umbrella body for national ham societies?

It has three regions: the Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe/Middle East/CIS/Africa.

In 2011, about how many people worldwide were estimated to be active in amateur radio?

The American Radio Relay League counted about 830,000 stations in the Americas alone.

Radio amateurs are credited with discovering which propagation phenomenon?

Signals bouncing off the ionosphere are what make worldwide shortwave contacts possible.

How many amateur stations did the 1909 Wireless Blue Book list in the US and Canada?

It was the first annual callbook of the Wireless Association of America.

Amateur experiments from 1924 to about 1934 with what component helped found new industries?

Quartz crystals became the timing standard for radios, clocks and computers.

What are scheduled on-air meetings of operators called?

A net control station coordinates them; some are emergency drills, others just conversation.

Which of these is an amateur radio operating award?

Summits on the Air and Jamboree on the Air are others.

Which voice mode is described as efficient for long-distance use?

FM gives high audio quality; AM survives among vintage-equipment fans.

Morse code transmission is also known by which two-letter abbreviation?

It stands for continuous wave and still thrives on shortwave because it works under weak-signal conditions.

Until what year did international rules require Morse proficiency for frequencies below 30 MHz?

The United States dropped its own Morse requirement in 2007.

Which internationally understood shorthand system is used in Morse contacts?

QSL, QTH and QRZ are familiar examples.

Which digital mode, popular since 2017, allows efficient weak-signal shortwave contacts?

It came from the WSJT software suite, which also supports meteor scatter and moonbounce.

Packet radio, developed in the 1970s, uses which protocol?

It also uses TCP/IP; radioteletype, once mechanical, is now handled in software.

EchoLink and the Internet Radio Linking Project are examples of what?

They link repeaters and operators worldwide using Internet telephony techniques.

On which band does fast-scan amateur television typically operate?

That is 420-450 MHz; the wide bandwidth limits range to roughly 30-100 km.

Which natural object do amateurs use as a reflector for 'moonbounce' contacts?

The aurora borealis and meteor trails are used the same way.

Through which programme do astronauts make amateur contacts from the International Space Station?

Some operators reach satellites with nothing more than a hand-held transceiver.

What must most countries' candidates pass to receive an amateur licence?

Exams cover electronics, propagation, operating practice and regulations.

What is the entry-level UK and Australian licence, which includes a practical test, called?

It is the first of three licensing stages.

Which US agency issues amateur radio licences?

Its three classes are Technician, General and Amateur Extra.

What is the highest US ham licence class?

Higher classes unlock more bands and more transmitter power; Morse is no longer tested.

How long is a US amateur radio licence valid?

The national question pools are published in advance and refreshed every four years.

Which two countries do not issue amateur radio licences to their citizens?

Iran licenses amateurs but demands difficult security approval.

In North America, what are experienced hams who mentor newcomers called?

The term was coined by Rodney Newkirk, W9BRD.

Which is the oldest national amateur radio society, formed in 1910?

The others are among the most prominent national societies today.

What is a self-chosen call sign called?

The FCC dropped its fee for them in 2015, then reinstated it at $35 in 2022.

In a UK call sign, what do the prefixes GM and MM indicate?

GW/MW is Wales, GI/MI is Northern Ireland, GD/MD is the Isle of Man.

In a standard US call sign, what does the numeral indicate?

Before 1978, hams who moved districts had to get a new call sign.

Canadian call signs beginning CY indicate operation from what?

CY0 is Sable Island and CY9 is St. Paul Island, both needing special permission to visit.

Which Canadian prefixes are used for Ontario?

VE8 is the Northwest Territories and VY0 is Nunavut.

QRZ.com is an example of what?

Callbooks let you look up who holds a specific call sign.

What is the power limit for the UK's lowest licence class?

Tradition and regulation both push hams to use as little power as the contact requires.

What is the peak power limit for the highest US licence class?

Canada allows 2.25 kW; Italy 500 W; Oman just 150 W.

Some UK hams may run 2 kW for which experiment using the Moon as a reflector?

Known as EME, it needs a Notice of Variation to exceed normal power limits.

Which bands are best suited for worldwide communication?

VHF and UHF handle local and regional contacts; microwaves carry amateur TV and data networks.

In Trinidad and Tobago, hams may use a repeater belonging to which body?

It sits at 148.800 MHz, outside the usual amateur allocation.

US amateurs can register with which system to operate on military frequencies?

The Military Auxiliary Radio System provides contingency communications and morale messages for the armed services.

Which practice is generally not permitted in amateur radio?

The one exception is control uplinks to satellites.

What does SSTV stand for?

Radiofax and fast-scan ATV are the other image modes.

Which IARU region number covers the Americas?

Region 1 covers Europe, the Middle East, the CIS and Africa; Region 3 is South and East Asia and the Pacific.

Unlike other spectrum users, hams may usually do what with their transmitters?

They must still meet national standards on spurious emissions.

What kind of equipment keeps hams on the air when commercial services fail in disasters?

Emergency communications is one of the service's core purposes.

Which personal radio services need no licence, unlike amateur radio?

A licence buys more spectrum, more modes and higher power than those services allow.

Where does the United Kingdom measure transmitter output power?

The US and Germany measure at the amplifier output, so long feed lines cost them radiated power.

In Australia, SSB may use 400 W but FM is limited to how much?

Output limits can depend on the mode as well as the licence class.

Which protocol's abbreviation, ALE, keeps HF networks linked automatically?

It maintains networks on high-frequency bands without manual tuning.