The Rich History of Ham Radio Culture

As the internet gets more balkanized, censored, and controlled by a few giant companies, it makes me think that it's time for a different hobby. Something that can be used to subvert censorship (remember the whole "interprets it as damage and routes around it" conceit?) and is more hobbyists and less corporate sounds appealing.

Is Ham that hobby? I am genuinely asking. A few days ago a thread here had lots of people agreeing it was mostly old dudes being boring. But I like the idea that maybe I (in Europe) can talk to my friend (in the US) by bouncing radio waves off the moon, or some such, and not relying on intermediaries.

Personal story: on my block growing up there was a blind guy who had an enormous antenna tower in his yard. He was SO nice to me, a teen-aged boy! His equipment all had braille labels on the controls.

I'm sure he's long gone now so I don't mind giving his name: Julian Gannon. His call was K9BCJ which he claimed stood for Better Call Julian.

Thanks, Mr. Gannon! I hope you're working the whole galaxy now.

(Actually, though, ham conversations were excruciatingly boring: how are you receiving me? You're coming through loud & clear here. What equipment are you using?)

My grandfather, Dick, was a Korea war veteran who founded a manufacturing company. He was a grizzly, old school guy with a bit of a drinking problem. As the legend goes HAM was the only thing that brought him joy. He had an entire room of the house with equipment that nobody was allowed in, until I was born (first grandchild privileges).

I always think of him when I see ham crop up online. The dish in their back yard was enormous. But yeah, in my head, ham is basically populated with guys like this, cranky old men who start ball slide part companies and smoke 2 packs a day

I have noticed a correlation where the smartest tech people I know are also Ham operators.

I got my Technicians license about a year ago but have struggled to find much to do with it. I check into my local nets every once and a while, but the repeaters are nearly silent otherwise. The CW privileges are ok but hard to use. Seems you need a General to do all the cool stuff. Any other technicians here who have found a great use for the license?

If amateur radio is 'ham' radio, then doesn't that mean commercial radio is spam radio?

Young Ellie: Dad, do you think there's people on other planets?

Ted Arroway: I don't know, Sparks. But I guess I'd say if it is just us... seems like an awful waste of space.

It's interesting how I read so often of people calling this HAM. Such as, "Is Ham that hobby?" below.

I first got started in amateur radio with my novice license in 1966. We always called it "ham radio" or "amateur radio" or said I was a ham radio operator but no one ever called it HAM or spelled it in all caps. On HN, at least, I see it every time the subject is brought up. And it seems to be a fairly recent event.

Related recent discussion yesterday:

Taking a Radio Camping

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41084061

And not as recently (4 months ago):

UV-K5 is the most hackable handheld ham radio yet (including via WebUSB)

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39850972

$30 https://amzn.com/dp/B0C9TVSYYM + $10 cable https://amzn.com/dp/B0B9S7N2LQ

Also, if you want to read the book, you'll find it going for a cool $245 a copy (as its very out of print), however a quick google search located a PDF (which is often the case for out of print technical books).

I had a great time on ham (not HAM) radio today, talking to people participating in a "Summit on the Air" event from Mount Umunhum. Then I spent some time building a "Class D" PWM AM radio transmitter using a circuit a guy from Bulgaria posted to a forum a few months ago.

I take a little portable "truSDX" with me in my travels, and enjoy making contacts on FT8 and CW with it using a wire I hang out of my hotel window. In the past year, I've done this from Tokyo to Tel Aviv.

Kind of wish they had kept the Morse code requirement for the radio license. Felt like more of a connection to the old ham requirements and history

It's very true ham radio has a very rich almost unique culture.

I obtained my license many years ago whilst I was still at school and I've developed many friendships with those within the Amateur community, and despite me not having been on air for many years, many of those friendships forged in the days when I frequented the airwaves have endured to this day. In fact many have turned out to be more rock-solid and stable than just about every other friendship I've had.

I'm not alone, when questioned many amateur radio operators will express exactly the same view.

Why this is so is perhaps up for debate, but I'd put it down to a number of reasons: Amateur Radio is unique amongst hobbies in that it operates in a very different way to most other hobbies perhaps the most significant of which is that it requires a government-issued license before one can operate on air—and to obtain that one has to demonstrate both technical and operational proficiency in radiocommunications by way of passing examination. There's no shortcut or other way around to obtain an Amateur license, as passing the examination is a mandatory requirement.

Of itself, that requirement alone binds amateurs together. Thus not everyone can become a member of this unique club, as it's only through the involved procedure of passing the Amateur examination that one is able to be initiated into the Amateur fraternity.

One's solidarity with the the Amateur movement becomes even more solid after one learns the rules, procedures and etiquette of Amateur Radio culture. In a sense once one becomes an Amateur one then becomes indoctrinated into this long and esteemed culture that owes many of its origins to government-necessitated rules and procedures—rules that have still deeper origins in that they derive from ITU—International Telecommunications Union regulations.

Having to conform to ITU regulations is perceived by Amateurs more as an necessity rather than an imposition, as by the time one becomes an amateur radio operator, one knows that he or she—along with others—has the privileged responsibility of ensuring that the electromagnetic spectrum is properly managed. Not only is that responsibly not seen an imposition by Amateurs but rather it's seen by them as a necessity, as proper management of the spectrum is vital for all radiocommunications services to operate in an optimal way. Mismanagement of the spectrum would result in interference between services and from external sources, radio regulations and procedures ensure that interference is kept to a minimum.

Being part of the worldwide fraternity that sees itself as having such an important responsibly—a responsibility that doesn't flow from being paid but out of the love of it and of one's hobby—further strengthens bonds between Amateurs.

Even though I've not operated on air for many years I still consider myself to be a member of this tightknit community. Once an Amateur radio operator it's forever.