This post is if for all of you who do not know what ham radio is or what it is used for. While many people have a general idea of what it is, they generally associate it with shortwave radio. Yes, there are the HF bands that allow users to talk all over the globe, that is only a small fraction of what the hobby has to offer.

Did you know that you can bounce your signal off satellites and even talk to the International Space Station? Yet, that is still just another aspect of the hobby. There are people who spend a large amount of time doing (or trying to do) space related communications and they enjoy it very much.

Another misconception is that it is or has something to do with CB radios. While ham radio is not the same as a CB (there are hams that get very defensive if you say it is) there can be some similarities. To the untrained eye, a mobile radio may look like a CB, and both require an antenna to work.

Ham radio is not CB. When talking on a CB radio, when is the last time that you talked 10, 20, or 50 miles? Factor in the use of repeaters and the distance you can talk with a little hand-held radio is unlimited.

There are also many digital modes that people spend time experimenting with. Some of these include sending pictures over the airwaves and interfacing a GPS with a radio to transmit location and other related information.

Whether you want to talk across town, across the country, or do something completely different, there is some aspect of ham radio that you will likely find interesting.