The hobby of Amateur Radio (or “Ham Radio” from “Harmonised Amateur Radio”) involves people communicating through wireless means using aerials, receivers and transmitters in the same town, district or country or even across the globe. These people who are engaged in the hobby of Amateur Radio are called radio amateurs (or hams)
Today the hobby uses a variety of technological means including computers and mobile phones. The great thing about it however is that communicating is absolutely free.
As its name suggests, Amateur Radio is amateur and therefore much different from the commercial radio broadcasting news, sports and music. Amateur Radio is done only for fun purposes and it can not be used for business (apart from selling equipment).
In order for a radio amateur to be able to transmit he needs to have a local government license giving him a callsign (what will distinguish him on the air). To acquire a license you need to pass the relative examination of your country of which the syllabus covers a very interesting spectrum of electronics.
The most popular activities concerning Amateur Radio include building your own equipment from scratch, making friends across the globe and above all contesting with the rest of the world over who will make the most contacts or who will communicate with the most rare stations over a certain period of time.
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