I don't think I saw it in the article, but you can't do business over the HAM bands. It's great for community/emergency service during a disaster, but businesses are forbidden to use it, so it's no good for any sort of business continuity plan. For that you'd need a different sort of license.
George D. Nincehelser
K5GDN
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Just a small correction. CB'ers use "handles"...
Just a small correction. CB'ers use "handles". Hams have calls or call letters.
Equipment can be inexpensive
Some may thing it is too expensive to buy ham radios, but look at all the inexpensive, used radio equipment at http://swap.qth.com and other ham swap sites. Don't let the cost stop you -- give it a try!
Nice Article
I have been a ham for 19 years and it is an enjoyable hobby. The ability to get out in an emergency on battery power or my portable generator is a plus. Working in the IT field, I find amateur radio is an excellent complement to the profession. I learned TCP/IP and wireless networking because of it.
nice article
nice article but you should have had a ham proof it... for instance "knows as Continuous Wave in ham parlance"
should have read "known as CW in ham parlance" ... still nice to see good publicity.
'73's
Jerry Palmer
OOT licensed in 1952
Kahana/Venice
Hams are worthless
I live up the street from one and all he goes is chatter away all day. We can hear him through our alarm clock. He continually gripes about our new powerline internet and how it's ruining his radio reception (even put ugly picket signs on his lawn) but he still spends all day chattering just the same. He also has a million huge antennas, it's an eyesore. It's outdated and wasteful of public resources, and should be phased out.
Have you tried to meet this ham?
For one thing, if you have a ham coming through your alarm clock; he needs to be told that his station is causing its own interference. Another is that you judge the hobby and did not take the time to ask this neighbor why he has all of this ugly stuff in the air. It is actually a thing of beauty, if you knew the potential such antenna systems have in emergencies. Hopefully, this ham is also part of an emergency group. If so, you may one day find yourself needing our services. When all else fails, hams can get on the air! Powerline internet is a problem due to one thing - it uses the single wire running down your easement as a radiating antenna, and yes it interferes with communications. Don't be hateful, but approach your neighbor and state what you did here. He is by law required to fix his interference. If he doesn't then you can gripe to the right people, the FCC. To say the hobby is outdated shows your lack of knowledge of the new digital age hams are operating in, often making technology years before the public gets it on a consumer level.
Kent S
KBØRWI
Public Information Officer
Kansas Section
Handles and Callsigns are not the same.
Ye, as a ham this was the most insulting error on in the article. We are ISSUED our call signs by the authorities, handles are what CB'ers use and are made up.
Glitches
Good story, although the author failed to grasp the implications of federally issued station callsigns, supported by operators who must pass technology based examinations, rather than "handles".
Jim Jarvis, BS,MBA, N2EA
Executive Coach
Well, ham operators are in a kind of their own
Communications are just too important to be considered a game or a give-away or a hobby. Amateur radio operators make no sense at all: if what they do is so important then they should be paid for and made accountable in case they didnt show up or failed to deliver, like everybody else in the universe.
Ham Rules of the Road
Communications are vital. Per the F.C.C., Ham Radio Operators are not allowed to be paid for many of their services. I do it because I want to be able to help people. The F.C.C. does police Ham Radio communications for at least things like not identifying yourself with one's call sign, which is licenesed and consequently requires an always up to date address, and probably for more important things. There are accountability checks.