What’s There to Like About Ham Radio?

 

This past weekend, I (Lorilyn, KO4LBS) participated in the Winter Field Day extravaganza, an annual tradition in the U.S. The first event I ever attended was Winter Field Day in the middle of COVID-19. I had just received my tech license and knew nothing about ham radio, except I had passed a test that permitted me to “go on the air.”

I was intrigued by what I had learned, but more than that, I was shocked I had passed the test. Hey, maybe I CAN do this. I was so excited about ham radio that within a few months I had my Extra license and then went on to learn CW (Morse Code). All those dits and dahs—what can be more fun than talking to people around the world using a binary language of dits and dahs?

As time passed, I discovered there was so much to learn, I couldn’t possibly know it all. I needed to focus on just having fun. And that’s where the real “fun” is. What you don’t know, somebody else will help you with, and what you do know, you can share with others. It’s like a big community of eccentric (in a good way) folks who like to do something most other people don’t know how to do—mainly because they don’t know about it.

When I showed up at Winter Field Day during COVID-19, I’d never even seen a ham radio before. Except I had bought one of those hand-held Baofengs off Amazon that my brother-in-law, who is a prepper, said I needed. Then, I discovered I needed a license to operate it. Where did I get one of those? I had no idea. But I was on a journey to learn about a world I never knew existed.

So,  I asked a few folks in the local GARS group (Gainesville Amateur Radio Society) what they liked most about ham radio, and I share their responses below. Imagine yourself embarking on this fantastic journey, connecting with people worldwide. And if you are a woman, you’ll love it.

I confess that I’ve talked to some of the most admirable men on the planet, who are always willing to help me. There aren’t as many women in Ham Radio, so I guarantee that if you need help, there will be a kind gentleman to help you. And my goal is to get more women in it so we can return the favor in kind—get young adults in ham radio, even children. Who knows, if SHTF, we may play an essential role in emergency communications. And, as a prepper, it sure is nice to know I can talk to people anywhere, not just my neighbors, even though they are friendly people. Wouldn’t you want to know what was happening if the internet went down, your phone went down, and satellites went down? Just saying.

Here’s why ham radio operators love ham radio. Enjoy.

 

 

What do you like about Ham Radio?

Barbara Mathews, KO4TWZ

What I like about it is that I’m very curious and don’t know what I will find when I get on the radio— a new person, an interesting person, a new place. It’s like a treasure hunt; you never know where that radio signal will land. I love that.
 

Pete Winters W4GHP

Camaraderie amongst the amateur radio operators.

Tom Gause W4YGT 

I found my spot in ham radio, which is Morse code. I enjoy studying it and using it.

You can talk all over the world with Morse code, and it’s just a lot of fun.

Larry Rovak WB2SVB

Being a ham has been very enjoyable because whenever I meet someone, and they see my call sign, it’s like a brotherhood. It’s like you become friends. I’m also a firefighter. Again, it is like a brotherhood. It’s a closed organization. People that you don’t know suddenly become friends. It’s everyone around the world.
 

Andy Bryson KO4MLY

What I like about amateur radio is all the people out there and the new people I meet.

You can enjoy good conversations.

Reid Tillery KO4RFT

My favorite thing about ham radio is emergency communications.

Glen Johnson KO4ILJ 

My favorite is digital, where you don’t talk. You sit and type. Digital is very low-power, so you can still reach a long distance even if you don’t have a big antenna.

Mike Martell KK4KRZ

I like that you can communicate anywhere in the world without using any infrastructure.

I like that there are so many areas of interest in ham radio, and additions are being made all the time. No one can know all about ham radio.

I like to say to new hams and seasoned hams— never feel bad about not knowing something. Hams are always learning. I’ve never talked with a ham that we both didn’t learn something during the discussion. I like that we keep ham radio clean and respectful. I would like to see more folks involved instead of mostly older men, but we can change that if we remain in contact with the youth and everyone we meet.

Lorilyn Roberts KO4LBS

Ham radio is fun. Women are much better at Morse Code than men, and I want to connect with women about a world they may have never considered. And, as a former homeschooling mom, what better way to teach young folks than with hands-on skills involving communication, math, science, physics, radio, history, outer space, and connectedness that goes to the ends of the earth? Ain’t nothing else like it on the planet! What’s holding you back? Go to ARRL.com to learn more.