MCARG

Monterey County Amateur Radio Group

N6SPD REPEATERS

WELCOME TO AMATEUR RADIO !

HOW TO BE A HAM RADIO OPERATOR

Ham radio provides the broadest and most powerful wireless communications capability available to any private citizen anywhere in the world.

Why are we called Ham Radio Operators ?

The true reason why amateur radio operators came to be called "HAMS" is no longer known.

I prefer my fathers explanation about the term "HAM":  Hugo Gernsback, publisher of a magazine called "Home Amateur Mechanic" which was very, very popular back in the early days of radio. It was so well know, it was a household word, just as the magazines "People", or "Reader’s Digest" are today. Although it was primarily more mechanical in content, it did contain fairly regularly, Amateur Radio construction projects. Thus, when asked what sort of radio a person had, the reply, more often than not, was he: "had one of those "H.A.M." (using just the initials of the well known magazine name.) This theory becomes a bit more believable when you consider the Amateur Radio practice of using just initials or letters for many commonly understood words in order to shorten transmissions and ease sending of messages, especially when using Morse Code. "Home Amateur Mechanic" was simply shortened to H.A.M.

FCC Part 97.1 Amateur Radio Basis and Purpose.

(a) Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications.

(b) Continuation and extension of the amateur's proven ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art.

(c) Encouragement and improvement of the amateur service through rules which provide for advancing skills in both the communications and technical phases of the art.

(d) Expansion of the existing reservoir within the amateur radio service of trained operators, technicians, and electronics experts.

(e) Continuation and extension of the amateur's unique ability to enhance international goodwill.

How to be a HAM Radio Operator