CQ, CQ. CQ. Become a Radio Ham – for when the Sierra Hotel India Tango really hits the fan

A few years back I took the classes and sat the exam for my Level 1, Technician License through the American Radio Relay League (AARL) which schooled me in the basic use of ham radio. I am now entitled to operate a radio on shortwave, VHF+ and some HF frequencies. I could have gone further, but the Boy Scouts who coached me had probably had enough of me by then!

I was scratching in the depths of my memory for the physics classes I’d half-heartedly attended in my youth to recall Ohm’s Law when all I wanted to do was know how to use the clouds to bounce a radio signal in the event of a really bad emergency. And thank goodness they have dumped the Morse proficiency requirement for Technicians!

But it was worth it. I can now legally use an amateur radio with my unique callsign, K3LEG. Amateur Radio (ham radio) is a popular hobby and service that brings people, electronics and communication together. People use ham radio to talk across town, around the world, or even into space, all without the internet or cell phones.

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