page_title: Amateur radio
section_title: Fun
hierarchical_section_title: Amateur radio / Fun
caption_attribution_description: QSL card from J. M. Alexander, W4PUY/MM, aboard USNS Sword Knot (T-AGM-13), a U.S. Navy missile tracker vessel at Mombasa, Kenya (1967).
context_page_description: Amateur radio is a hobby for people who like to talk using radio transmitters. Many people enjoy using amateur radio to talk to other amateur radio hobbyists in other countries. Amateur radio hobbyists also use their radio transmitters to get help in emergencies. Amateur radio is often called Ham Radio. Many people use their amateur radios for fun. People who use Amateur radio are often called amateur radio operators, hams or amateurs.
  During a disaster or emergency, amateur radio can be used to get help. When telephones do not work, it may be the only way to communicate. Some radio hobbyists volunteer to listen to emergency band frequencies in case there are distress calls. If the volunteers hear a distress call, they notify the appropriate authorities.
context_section_description: There are many ways to have fun with amateur radio. There are many games and contests. Amateur radio operators try to talk with as many others as possible. They then mail each other postcards called QSL cards to confirm the contact. Contesters may try to see how far they can talk, or to how many different people they can talk.
  Some hide a transmitter which sends out a signal and others try to find it using receivers. This is called Radio direction finding, fox hunting or Radio sport. Sometimes the event is done with cars, or as a foot race.
caption: QSL Card from a ship
exif: {"Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormat": "44", "Thumbnail JPEGInterchangeFormatLength": "6017"}