Amateur Radio

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Amateur Radio

• Ham Radio

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What Is Radio?

• AM and FM Radio Broadcasting
• Television (Moving Pictures transmitted by Radio)
• Cell Phones
• Many other applications

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What Is Ham Radio?

• Ham Radio is people who are interested in radio
  and electronic technology, and who make it their
  hobby.
• A ham has to have a license, issued by the U.S.
  government
• Most radio amateurs are not technical
  professionals
• There is no minimum age
• Amateur radio licenses have been issued to kids
  as young as 5
• Many amateurs get their first license while in
  middle school or high school
• You dont have to learn the Morse code, but its
  more fun if you do)

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What Do Hams Do?

• Amateur Radio would not exist if it werent fun
• Some radio amateurs just enjoy talking to each
  other
• Some enjoy talking to hams in other countries
• DXing.
• Internet Repeater Linking Project
• Some enjoy experimenting with the technology
• Building radio equipment, such as
  software-defined radios
• Developing software
• Some hams enjoy exotic forms of radio.
• Moonbounce (Earth-Moon-Earth)
• Amateur Satellite Communications
• Amateur Radio on the International Space Station
  (ARISS)
• Meteor Scatter

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DXing

• Long-distance radio communication with no
  infrastructure.
• No internet
• No Satellite
• No Repeater
• Only the earths ionosphere is used
• Low power (5 Watts or less) is often enough
• Up to 1500 Watts is legal!

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Radio Waves Bounce Off The Ionosphere
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Bouncing off the Ionosphere

• DXing means shortwave radio, also called HF
  radio (for High Frequency).
• The ionospheres ability to reflect radio signals
  back to earth depends on the weather in space (no
  kidding).
• Sunspots Good!
• Sunspots increase UV radiation
• UV radiation thickens the ionosphere
• Solar Flares and Coronal Mass Ejections Bad!!!
• These disrupt the ionosphere
• Geomagnetic Storms

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Talking to Hams in Other Countries

• Most hams speak English
• Most overseas hams appreciate U.S. hams who will
  talk to them in their own language
• A great way to practice a foreign language.
• Voice (SSB, or Single Sideband)
• Morse Code (CW) is fun.
• CW radios are simple to build yourself!
• CW is the best mode for long distance comm. with
  low power
• PSK31 (PSK stands for Phase Shift Keying
• Chat without the internet!
• Almost as good as CW for low-power

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Internet Repeater Linking Project

• IRLP
• Many cities around the world have Amateur Radio
  repeaters
• VHF or UHF
• line-of-sight range
• Extend range of handheld or mobile
• Many are now linked via the internet.
• You can dial a repeater in another city from a
  handheld or mobile transceiver, and join the
  conversation.
• If you dont have a VHF transceiver, you can
  connect to any IRLP repeater from your computer!
• www.echolink.org

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Other Activities

• Radio Orienteering (Radiosport)
• International competition
• http//members.aol.com/homingin/
• Amateur Radio Satellites
• http//www.amsat.org
• Meteor Scatter
• EME (Earth-Moon-Earth)
• http//www.af9y.com

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Other Activities

• Disaster/Public Service
• Hurricane Relief
• Homeland Security
• Skywarn
• Many others
• http//www.amsat.org

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Club Activities

• IPFW Club Station
• Capable of worldwide communications
• Will be available for any club member to operate
• Unlicensed club members may only operate if a
  licensed control operator is present.
• May be operated remotely from any computer on
  campus
• Off-campus operation will be possible in the near
  future.

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Club Activities

• Training for License Exam
• Public Service?
• Radio orienteering?
• Technical Projects?
• Low cost software defined radio?
• Wide area Wi-Fi?
• Contests?
• Others?

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Now the Demos

• For more information, visit www.ecet.ipfw.edu/good
  manp and follow links

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For More Information
www.arrl.org, the organization of hams in the
U.S. www.fortwayneradioclub.org www.midnightscienc
e.com/project.html