Many would be more than happy to speak with you for a while in their native tongue and help you learn more about their language. On the go Maybe you were thinking of taking that old CB radio out of the closet because you seem to be spending so much time on the road, but keep thinking twice because of the way the CB band has deteriorated over the years. A VHF band amateur radio is the answer. Thanks to a large network of repeater systems around the country, you can be almost anywhere and still have a crystal clear signal to dozens of other operators up to hundreds of miles away. Because amateurs are so dedicated to new technology, the FCC created a license class without any morse code requirement in order to attract computer operators.
Ham operators attach radios to their computers and operate from just about anywhere.
Ham operators with HP palmtops and portable radios operate from their cars, bicycles, and homes all without wires and without any cellular charges. Many of the first private computers to hit the Internet were named after the ham calls of their owners because of the pioneering nature of these hams. Amateur radio operators are the lifeblood of this system and have proven in the past to be invaluable in time of disaster or national emergency. Contest circuit Amateur operators often participate in nationwide contests to see who can communicate with the greatest number of other operators within a specified time period. These contests bring a huge amount of people onto the airwaves and at times can be highly fast paced and exciting.