Amateur radio facts for kids
Amateur radio is a fun hobby where people use radio transmitters to talk to others. It's often called Ham Radio. People who do this hobby are known as amateur radio operators, hams, or amateurs. Many hams enjoy talking to people in other countries. They also use their radios to help out in emergencies.
When a disaster happens and regular telephones don't work, amateur radio can be the only way to communicate. Some hams volunteer to listen for distress calls on special frequencies. If they hear someone needing help, they tell the right authorities, like the police or Coast Guard.
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Getting Started: Do You Need a License?
To use amateur radio, you usually need a special license. In most countries, you have to pass a test to get one. Some countries have different levels of licenses. If you have a license from your home country, you might be able to use amateur radio in other countries too.
There are many clubs for amateur radio around the world. These clubs help people learn about radio and get their licenses. They also do fun group activities.
How Do Hams Talk?
Amateur radio operators talk to each other in many ways.
- Some use their voice.
- Others use computers to send messages.
- Some even use television to send pictures.
- A classic way is using Morse code, which is a series of beeps.
They use different methods to send their signals far away. Most use shortwave radio signals that can bounce off the sky. Some signals even bounce off the moon or a satellite! Amateur radio satellites are called OSCARs, which stands for Orbital Satellites Carrying Amateur Radio. Hams can also talk to astronauts and cosmonauts on the International Space Station (ISS).
Fun Things to Do with Ham Radio
There are many exciting ways to have fun with amateur radio.
- Many hams enjoy contests. They try to talk to as many other hams as possible.
- After making contact, they often send each other special postcards called QSL cards to confirm they talked.
- Some hams try to talk to people as far away as possible. Others try to talk to the most different people.
Another fun activity is called Radio direction finding, fox hunting, or Radio sport. In this game, someone hides a small transmitter that sends out a signal. Other hams then use their receivers to try and find it. This can be done while driving cars or even as a foot race.
Amateur Radio in India
In India, over 15,000 people have licenses for amateur radio. The first ham radio operator in India got their license in 1921. By the mid-1930s, there were about 20 hams. Amateur radio operators played an important part in India's journey to independence by setting up special radio stations in the 1940s.
Images for kids
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An amateur radio station in Wales. It has many radios for different types of communication. Computers help control things and send data.
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A young Polish woman with radio antennas in Åland.
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NASA astronaut Col. Doug Wheelock using the ham radio on the International Space Station.
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The top of a tower with a Yagi–Uda antenna and other wire antennas.
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A small, handheld radio for VHF/UHF frequencies.
See also
In Spanish: Radioafición para niños
