Communications: the Keystone

Ham Radio is a simple and relatively inexpensive way for people to communicate over great distances (even between continents) and shorter distances (between cities and states). The frequencies that are used will determine the length of distance the ham can communicate.

The commercial radio stations are located in the lower end of the radio spectrum. So when you tune your radio to a local AM station in your area, you are in effect listening to the same type of communication that happens on the ham portions of the radio spectrum. The lower ham frequencies are located just above those local AM stations. The commercial stations (AM) will use considerably more power to extend their transmission distance than a ham operator can by law. Commercial stations may use from 1000 watts power, (like lighting up ten 100 watt light bulbs to the maximum allowed power in the US of 50,000 watts which would be like turning the switch on five thousand 100 watt light bulbs. The maximum power level allowed by US law is 1500 watts for ham stations, but most hams generally use around 100 watts for their stations.

The reason AM is preferred for long range communication especially during the nighttime hours is that the AM radio waves "bounce" off of certain layers of our atmosphere from the ground to the affected layer and back to the ground. This allows the radio waves to travel in a curved path around the earth. As a rule of thumb... the higher the frequency the transmitter is set at, the straighter the line of the radio wave. Generally speaking higher frequencies will not "bend" as readily as the lower wave frequencies because they will not bounce off the atmosphere (Ionosphere) but rather will penetrate out into space.

Ham radio operators cannot use the commercial AM radio band, but can use the frequencies just above that "band" (or group of frequencies). For many years, the AM band was the only frequencies that were used commercially because of the aforementioned quality of lower AM frequencies to "bend" around the curvature of the earth.

FM stations came into being in the 1960's which allowed commercial radio stations to play stereophonic sound or higher quality sound on those frequencies. The quality of FM is that it is "crystal clear" without static, and allows for music (or voice in the ham portion of the band) to be transmitted virtually without the noise or interference that is found on the AM band. Tune off frequency on the AM band of your radio, and you will get tons of "static" or noise. Tune off frequency on FM and you will only get what we call "white noise", not noisy static.

The only problem with FM is that the frequencies that are used can only be broadcast in "line of sight" mode, or in other words you have to be able to electronically “see” the antenna of the station that you are trying to listen to. As the earth curves, the FM radio waves go straight out into space and do not "skip" or "bounce" around the curvature of the earth. Hence the reason for FM station repeaters. When you listen to your favorite (PBS stations especially), they will also include a list of "translator" or repeater stations that they use for greater coverage around your state. You can see these also on the television stations sometimes, because they use FM to broadcast their sound, and AM to broadcast their picture. Now with digital TV, even that technology is old hat. With the band width of the original AM/FM analog station they can now fit in more than one station in the same space by using digital technology.

With this background information one can see that having access to ham radio equipment and knowing how to use it can be invaluable to you unless are hermits living in a cave never talking to anyone, or knowing what is going on around you both near and far. Most of the commercial radio stations will be shut down during an emergency and information will be quite scarce. Because of the government plans for an emergency network, even the information they give will be the same on every station broadcasting because they will all be hooked to the central station. By the way, in Utah, that central and nuclear hardened station is KSL and KBYU FM.

However most ham stations can run on batteries, or small generators and can be up and running in a very short amount of time allowing the operator to communicate with other hams in his area or hundreds of miles away. Usually a group of hams will form a "net" or a group contact time and frequency where they will meet each day and check in on a roll. For example the Beehive Utah Net meets daily at 12:30 just past noon mountain time and during the net passes messages to the other operators around the area in behalf off people who are not hams. There are about 170 men and women who meet daily on that net; it can be heard at 7.272 MHz. During time of emergency, this is usually the only way people will be able communicate locally (no cell phone service/ no other telephones are working) or are jammed with calls. This is really the only way to communicate outside of your community.

The LDS church seems to feel strongly about ham radio. If you drive past the humanitarian center off of I 215, you can see the antennas sitting on top of the buildings. I think that there is even one on the top of the church office building. They can see the need for communication.

Licenses are required to use the radio, and a short class will help you pass the short test to get started. This license is call the Technician Class License and does not require any Morse code. The only drawback to the Technician Class license is that it generally only allows one to use locally available FM frequencies for local conversations. To be able to talk long distance on the AM frequencies (called High Frequency of HF for short)you must pass a technical test and be licensed as a General Class operator. Now,you don't have to pass a 5 word per minute Morse code test. However if you can learn CW, a whole new world will open up to you. With a little study, this can be accomplished quite readily. Using CW or Morse code you will be able to contact people under the worst propagation conditions where voice communcations are not possible.

Not having a license does not preclude your ability to purchase a Ham Radio Transceiver, However, if you are not aware of the frequencies where the "nets" meet, and are not aware of procedures you can become quite quickly a liability rather than an asset.

Radio stores can be found in some localities, usually larger cities. For example SLC has only one small store. It is well stocked, and the owner is very good at getting you set up. Many people use the internet. You can purchase on eBay, or there are other retail stores like www.aesham.com. This is a large store located in Las Vegas and has branches in other areas of the country. They are very competitive price wise, but you need to know what you are buying, otherwise you may be purchasing something that you can't use. Get some help before you venture too far into this hobby, it can get quite expensive.

For further information contact your local ham club...Google it for your area (exp. ham radio club Los Angeles)...etc. you will find most hams will be pleased to help you get licensed and will support you after you get started. Contact the American Radio Relay League or ARRL for short (ARRL.net).