History

• The first ham radios appeared around the turn of the century, as electronics hobbyists began experimenting with wireless transmission of telegraphy, or Morse code. It is generally accepted that amateur radio truly began in 1901 when Guglielmo Marconi sent the first wireless message across the Atlantic from St. Johns, Newfoundland to Poldhu, Cornwall. Voice transmissions did not begin until over a decade later.
  
  

Function

• The ham radio of today is called a transceiver. This word is actually a combination of two words, "transmitter" and "receiver," because the modern ham radio performs both functions. Ham radios of the early and mid-20th century only did one thing, which required two radios to receive and transmit via ham radio.
  
  

Types

• Transceivers broadcast on a range of frequencies and some will transmit on more than one range. High frequency (HF) radios transmit on ham radio bands between 1.8 and 30MHz, and are capable of worldwide transmission when conditions are ideal. Very High Frequency (VHF) radios can transmit between 144 and 148 MHz, and Ultra High Frequency (UHF) radios between 432 and 450MHz. The latter two are generally for short range communications.
  
  

Features

• All radios come out of the box with a microphone, which make the radio instantly usable for voice communications when an antenna is attached. Amateurs can add a telegraph key to send Morse code, or hook it up to a computer using special cables and equipment to send and receive digital communications. In many cases, these transceivers can receive other radio transmissions outside of the amateur bands, although they will not transmit on them.
  
  

Considerations

• Ham radio equipment can only be used by those who have a license. If the radios are operated without one, they could be fined, have the equipment confiscated, or risk criminal prosecution.
  
  

Misconceptions

• Ham radios of today should be easy to operate for most, provided the user has read the instructions. Advancements in technology have allowed manufacturers to make their use more simple, as the radio itself will take care of the many fine tuning aspects of transmitting and receiving for the amateur.