(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Ham radio is a great hobby. There is an unlimited array of interests in which to be involved. My endeavor here is to share what I’m doing and learning in the hopes that others will discover the joys of “hamming.” My main blogging is over at Musings of Captain Justice.

Also known formally as the Amateur Radio Service, ham radio is the ultimate geek hobby.  From the days of Marconi, Western Union telegraph and other primitive forms of communication, amateur radio now melds radio, computers and space satellites; and in addition to voice and morse code communications, includes digital modes of email over the airwaves and the equivalent of instant messaging.

I was a ham years as (WB5IUT) and had let my license lapse. I am now (thanks to the ‘vanity’ callsign program) KA5GIL.

My present equipment includes a mobile VHF/UHF rig (which is what hams call their radio — a Yaesu FTM-350) and a base/portable/mobile HF/VHF/UHF rig (Icom IC-7000). My antennas at the base station include for HF, a 20/40 meter trap dipole and a G5RV, each suspended at about 35 feet. The base VHF/UHF antenna is a simple J-Pole.

The antennas for the mobile include a 5/8 whip for VHF/UHF and Hustler center-loaded antennas for the HF rig. That setup is under construction at the moment but is just around the corner.

So what do hams actually ‘do’ with the hobby? The answer is too voluminous for a single website and these answers will be forthcoming.

Related articles

• Ham Radio in Hollywood: Amateur Radio Makes Its Debut on Last Man Standing (arrl.org)
• Ham Radio Hits All Time High (foxnews.com)
• Amateur Radio Emergency Services Simulate Tornado Response (ka5gil.captainjustice.net)