AMATEUR (HAM) RADIO

HIGHLIGHTING DIGITAL AND EMERGENCY

COMMUNICATIONS

WHAT IS AMATEUR RADIO?AMATEUR RADIO (ALSO CALLED HAM RADIO) IS THE USE OF DESIGNATED RADIO

FREQUENCY SPECTRA FOR PURPOSES OF PRIVATE RECREATION, NON-COMMERCIAL EXCHANGE

OF MESSAGES, WIRELESS EXPERIMENTATION, SELF-TRAINING, AND EMERGENCY

COMMUNICATION. THE TERM "AMATEUR" IS USED TO SPECIFY PERSONS INTERESTED IN RADIO

TECHNIQUE SOLELY WITH A PERSONAL AIM AND WITHOUT DIRECT PECUNIARY INTEREST, AND TO

DIFFERENTIATE IT FROM COMMERCIAL BROADCASTING, PUBLIC SAFETY (SUCH AS POLICE AND

FIRE), OR PROFESSIONAL TWO-WAY RADIO SERVICES (SUCH AS MARITIME, AVIATION, TAXIS, ETC.).

THE ORIGINS OF AMATEUR RADIO CAN BE TRACED TO THE LATE 19TH CENTURY, BUT AMATEUR

RADIO AS PRACTICED TODAY BEGAN IN THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY.

SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA

EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS

• IN TIMES OF CRISIS AND NATURAL DISASTERS, AMATEUR RADIO IS OFTEN

USED AS A MEANS OF EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION WHEN WIRELINE, CELL

PHONES AND OTHER CONVENTIONAL MEANS OF COMMUNICATIONS FAIL.

• UNLIKE COMMERCIAL SYSTEMS, AMATEUR RADIO IS NOT AS DEPENDENT ON

TERRESTRIAL FACILITIES THAT CAN FAIL. IT IS DISPERSED THROUGHOUT A

COMMUNITY WITHOUT "CHOKE POINTS" SUCH AS CELLULAR TELEPHONE SITES

THAT CAN BE OVERLOADED.

NOTABLE EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS EVENTS

• 9/11

• 2003 BLACKOUT

• HURRICANE KATRINA

• DECEMBER 2004 INDIAN OCEAN TSUNAMI

• HURRICANE SANDY

• 2013 BOSTON MARATHON

• THIS YEAR’S WILDFIRES IN CALIFORNIA

• THIS YEAR’S FLOODING IN COLORADO

WHO DO WE SERVE IN AN EMERGENCY?

• OPERATORS SERVE LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL AGENCIES SUCH AS POLICE,

FIRE, RESCUE, AND FEMA.

• OPERATORS ALSO SERVE ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE RED CROSS AND THE

SALVATION ARMY.

• OUR MAIN PURPOSE IS TO PROVIDE COMMUNICATIONS. WE ARE NOT RESCUE

PERSONNEL!

DIGITAL RADIOA GREAT NUMBER OF EXCITING NEW DIGITAL OPERATING MODES HAVE DEVELOPED, LARGELY BECAUSE

OF THE AVAILABILITY OF PERSONAL COMPUTERS, SOUNDCARDS, AND ADVANCED SOFTWARE.  BUT

AMATEUR DIGITAL COMMUNICATION BEGAN IN EARNEST IN THE LATE 1940'S (IF YOU DON'T COUNT

MORSE AS A DIGITAL MODE!) WHEN HAMS WORKED OUT TECHNIQUES OF CONNECTING MECHANICAL

TELETYPE KEYBOARD/PRINTERS TO AMATEUR GEAR USING FSK AND AFSK MODULATION.

SOURCE: ARRL

• PACKET – TRANSMITS BASICALLY LIKE A COMPUTER AT 300 BPS

• PSK31 OR BPSK31 - PHASE SHIFT KEYING, LOW BAND-WIDTH, RELIABLE AT LOW POWER

• RTTY - BAUDOT CODE, 60 WORDS PER MINUTE

• AND MANY, MANY MORE…..