Foundations of Amateur Radio

What does Amateur Radio mean to you?

Over the years I’ve been asked what the hobby of amateur radio is all about. My response has evolved over time, but it started with the lure of simple point-to-point communications. The antidote against such an example is that a mobile phone does that and more. Of course if you’re already in the hobby you know that there is a massive difference between the two, but if you’re an onlooker that is not nearly as obvious.

There are other problems with an answer like that. It doesn’t cover the spirit of the hobby, the intent, the reach, or any of the other aspects of our pursuits that keep us all coming back for more.

I was asked recently to provide a credit to a fellow amateur for providing inspiration for an episode. Since then I’ve reflected long and hard about the nature of inspiration and what causes me to contribute and participate.

The reality is that my inspiration comes from all manner of nooks and crannies, from articles I read, videos I watch, discussions I have, activities I participate in, builds I make and emails I exchange. Not to mention friendships, random comments, shower thoughts and flights of fancy.

My understanding of our community of this hobby continues to evolve as I participate and contribute.

I think that underlying all of this is the expansion of my mind, my interests, my exposure to new things is what makes amateur radio such a massively interesting activity.

When I started I had no inkling that between learning how to solder and what a Fourier transform is lies this immense field of individual and community activity. What other hobby has the ability to link astronomy, moon, camping, community, planning, building, drilling, sound, language, antennas, internet, computing, valves, maths, propagation, mapping, transport, emergencies, physics, competition, camaraderie, satellite, soil, ionosphere, sun, batteries, old, new, invention and exploration?

In addition to the technical aspects there’s the whole library of human interaction, teaching, learning, giving and receiving, socialising, friendship, discussion and debate to scratch the surface.

In amateur terms I’m still a babe in the woods and the more I learn the more I realise that this is likely to continue for the rest of my life.

For me, amateur radio is the binding force between interests. It’s about wonder, curiosity and inspiration. It’s about trying and failing, about testing and learning, about thinking and doing.

The magic for me is that you can do this at any level. As a 10-year old with a freshly minted license, or as a 90-year old with a twinkle in your eye. You can approach this as a scientist, or as an educator, as a submariner, or an accountant, as a truck-driver or a boiler maker, from young to old and anywhere at all, amateur radio is just plain interesting.

As for giving credit. I’d like to credit you for your contribution, for your participation and for your excitement.

Keep up the wonder and continue to make this community your own. In the end amateur radio means different things to different people.

What does amateur radio mean to you?

I’m Onno VK6FLAB

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• This article is the transcript of the weekly ‘Foundations of Amateur Radio’ podcast, produced by Onno Benschop, VK6FLAB who was licensed as radio amateur in Perth, Western Australia in 2010. For other episodes, visit http://vk6flab.com/. Feel free to get in touch directly via email: cq@vk6flab.com

• If you’d like to join a weekly radio net for new and returning amateurs, check out the details at http://ftroop.vk6flab.com/, the net runs every week on Saturday, from 00:00 to 01:00 UTC on Echolink, IRLP, AllStar Link, Brandmeister and 2m FM via various repeaters, all are welcome.