What do people love about Ham Radio?
Compiled by Martin Brossman – KI4CFS
Why Ham Radio? Why Amateur Radio? Why do people enjoy Ham Radio / Amateur Radio? I asked this is in some Ham Radio groups and was so moved by the answers I compiled them here. I just used their first name and last initial to protect their confidentiality. Thanks for all the wonderful contributions. – Martin KI4CFS
Some of the places I posted the question:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/12699105116/ , https://www.facebook.com/groups/293204677817745/ and https://www.facebook.com/KI4CFS/
Martin Brossman (me), I like it because:
- you have to “earn” your way into it by passing the test and there is a commitment by many to help anyone that will make a real effort to “pass”.
- on average people are nicer on the radio than they are on Social Media (this group excluded).
- I get to throw out my call sign and meet someone new and know they had to earn their license and provide a call sign to identify themselves.
- it gives a structure and community to learn about basic communication.
- it has some rules of conduct and a commitment to self govern.
- of the quality of the people I meet.
- in an emergency, I would trust another Ham Operator more than the average person on the street.
Tim O – Talking to different people and building kits and antennas. Working local and dx.
Jay P – I enjoy the General goodwill and “friendships” formed over the airwaves. I miss my friends when I don’t have the opportunity to check into my usual nets.
Robert H .- It is a diversified hobby with so many choices to get active on. Also most amateurs are friendly and helpful whether in a QSO or eyeball contacts. I am mostly a CW operator but also get in digital modes. Active 64 years and still enjoy it.
Gerry J – I also like the fact that there is something in the hobby for everyone. We have hams who are blind, deaf, multiplicity handicapped, and even autistic. Kids as young as 5-7 have passed the Technician class license. There are hams who are over 100 years of age. While there are but 3/4 Million American hams, there are approximately 3 million hams worldwide at last count. We can communicate via voice, Morse code, digital communications (with PCs connected), TV (fast and slow scan), bouncing signals off the Moon, meteor trails, and other passive reflectors. We can enhance international goodwill and present a positive example to other hams around the world. I’ve been a ham for 55 years and it’s never gotten boring. I’m helping my 14 YO goddaughter to get her Technician license now, giving me a new challenge! Whoever coined the expression “Different strokes for different folks” was no doubt thinking about this great hobby of ours. 73 DE N2GJ Happy New Year 2020!
Charles M – Friendship!
Don G – Building antennas and seeing the results and the huge difference it makes in having a high gain antenna. also having conversations with people all over the world learning about them and making new friends around the world. Working towards DXCC and working all countries as well has all the new fancy equipment you can buy now days as far as radios and amplifiers. The list is long. Wa6don
DW S – Keeping up with childhood friends that live across the state from you
Mike M -I love meeting new people on air, KM4YRF
Victor R – Experimenting with antennas, working that 50th state, DX calling me, getting 5 QSL cards today.
Richard B – The camaraderie.
Dean P – Learning! making things work/ learning by doing
Meeting folks on the air/ in person
Scott R– Doing a new mode for the first time. Satellite, meteor scatter, ft8..
Matt D – Building antennas first of all but volunteering in my community
William P– Getting a QSL card from ISS orbiting the earth!!
73
Dave H – There are many facets to the hobby and it’s special and unique to all that are involved. I’m a “kick back and make a new contact and visit” kinda guy….get to know a little about the person on the other end. HAM radio makes your world a whole lot bigger and a whole lot smaller at the same time. It’s quite an amazing hobby.
Paul G – Talking to people I know and a few hundred CW contacts a year, weak signal VHF/UHF and local club activities de K3PG
Lou O – Rag chews
Nik L– The Gadgets!
Jerry K -Talking to folks in different parts of the world about their life. The more remote, the more interesting.
Mark P – The friends I’ve made at my local club and on the air.
Bob – The simple fact that I can take an action right here that causes a radio signal to be received 10, 100, 1000 or even 10,000 miles away. It started with talking to a buddy on a CB walkie-talkie a few blocks away from me. It took off from there.
Marc S – Love being a VE and getting others into the hobby!
John S – The fellowship
Scott M – Perfecting repeaters.
Nathan S – The science & design of the equipment as well as its use for emergency.
Chad P – How friendly and helpful every single person I’ve interacted with connected to ham radio.
Kristi K – Making contacts all over the world 🌎 nicer people and valuable knowledge
John G – The people that I have met over the years. Also the way I can take it along with me while enjoying other outdoor hobbies I have.
Ernie M – Building antennas and talking to people all around the world and I have talked with MANY famous people even KINGS !
Michalene S – When people see my hand held, and ask about my cb. Then I get to tell them about Ham Radio and all the wonderful things we can do. Like helping out in emergency situations.
Erik O – Public service
Mike C – The utility aspect. Having an alternate method of communication available when all else fails.
Jim G – As a young kid (around age 8 or so), I got pretty fascinated with how electricity works. Around that same time, I began to develop a love for hearing music. Radios offered music that magically appeared from various locations near and far. As my interest in electronics grew, I found radio the most fascinating thing electronics could do. It wasn’t just the local operation of the circuitry, but also the propagation that brought radio waves from all over. Eventually, I developed a desire to transmit signals as well as receive them. Ham radio was the best way to accomplish that miracle, but it would take some effort to get a license. Was it worth it, I wondered? As I continued to read more and more about Amateur Radio, I became aware that there were more captivating things to learn about ham radio than anyone could master in a lifetime. If I chose to be licensed, I could feel that the magic of learning all my life. Upon that realization, I was hooked.
Martin Brossman (me) – Instant gratification does not give lasting satisfaction but working to solve problems, learn something and get something working in Ham Radio does. – KI4CFS
Lee M – Experimenting with antenna design and construction……..One thing I have learned is to use both vertical and horizontal HF antennas for the same frequencies……switching from one to the other will often sustain or enable communications when the other will not…..this has proved to be particularly significant during severe weather events…….
Gaetan M – Practising daily my knowledge of foreign languages !!! Namely: English, Italian, German and Russian.
Charles B – Since the breakup of my off-road group and my desire to continue off-roading (normally solo) amateur radio started out addressing a major safety issue for me. Over the past roughly 15+ years it has grown and grown lots. I don’t know what it is I like about amateur radio just I’m having one hell of a good time and don’t what to ever stop.
Randy M – I enjoy every contact made on any mode but mostly CW the contact always interests me as to who I am talking to and where they are, it’s a great way to meet people over the air…de aa5oz
Nathan S – The science & design of the equipment as well as its use for emergency.
Sam U – My father and my (maternal) grandfather are Hams, KA9PAY and N9AVK-SK, respectively. I grew up in it, and I love it. It’s one of the few places left in society where dignity, fraternity, helping others, and a feeling of the family still are the cornerstones of and enjoyed by, its members and operators. It’s absolutely awesome. Some of my best friends are hams.
Ernie M – Talking to people from all around the world. You never know WHO you will run into on ham radio bands! I have talked to Arthur Godfrey, Burl Ives, Jimmy Stewart, Andy Devine, and many others They were all VOICES I knew from listening to AM radio.
Brian W. – The coolest conversations on earth!
Here is a video of reading a few of the above.
Why do you love Ham Radio / Amateur Radio?
Please share online what you love about Ham Radio!
- Martin KI4CFS