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Before the development of the Internet and cellular telephones, Amateur Radio (or Ham) Operators conducted trans-Atlantic communication using voice and Morse code (or Continuous Wave Communication, or CW) from basements and garages throughout America. By bouncing radio signals off of the ionosphere, some forms of ham radio is not limited to line of sight, or local, transmissions like a CB radio. However, not all ham radio relies on this extreme bounce. Some, like the 2-meter band (144-148k) are FM bands that are mostly local and rely on repeaters (or high powered relay machines that receives a signal .400k below what it transmits). These low-powered radios also provide a great service to communities in times of distress and disaster when telephone lines and inoperable. If this all sounds too complicated, don't worryif the information runs together at first it will over time become much clearer.

Because of the great power and potential of the ham radio bands, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has limited their use to citizens who have been licensed by the FCC. They have not, however, limited the instruments by which these operators may communicate to professionally designed units. Many radio operators spend much of their time building radios on their own. Thankfully, many companies make great radios that can be easily purchased through online catalogue (see Icon, Kenwood, Yaesu, and MFJ). To become an operator and receive a federally issued call sign, these citizens must take an examination evaluating their understanding of technical matters, key ham radio lingo, and responsibilities that accompany their license, etc. Not all ham radio licenses are the same: they move from Technician to General to Extra. Just as they taught us in Spiderman, "with great power comes great responsibility." Each successive grade, acquired by yet another testing session grants more privileges and responsibilities to the operator.

Becoming a ham radio operator can take as little time as a few weeks to several months. The following steps should be followed:

PURCHASE A BOOK TO HELP WITH YOUR STUDY
The Amateur Radio Relay League (AARL) provides books and study materials for purchase on their website http://www.aarl.org/catalog. Many websites offer study downloads free of charge. However helpful these resources may be, they should be treated merely as minor resources and studied accordingly. The most helpful resources you will receive will be from this catalogue. Though you may

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