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Ham Radio History

Black and white photo of man seated and is surrounded by radio equipment.

In 1873, James Clerk Maxwell presented his theory of the electromagnetic field. In 1901 Guglielmo Marconi communicated across the Atlantic with a radio device using high power and giant antennas. To curb interference, Congress approved the Radio Act of 1912, which required amateurs to be licensed and restricted to the single wavelength of 200 meters. In 1914 the American Radio Relay League was founded by Hiram Percy Maxim, who found that messages could be sent more reliably over long distances if relay stations were organized. Transatlantic transmitting and receiving tests began in 1921 and by July 1960 the first two-way contact via the Moon took place on 1296 MHz.

Today we’re on CW, phone, SSB, FM, packet, TV, PACTOR, PSK31, RTTY, and other modes, bouncing signals off the ground, ionosphere, and the Moon. Hams are active in nearly every country of the world and from ages less than 10 years to more than 100.  Read More

A man is seated at a computer talking on a hand held microphone indoors. The photo is credited to Bill McEntire KC5ECB.

What is Ham Radio?

Amateur Radio (Ham Radio) is a popular hobby and a service in which licensed participants operate communications equipment. Read More

Historical Terms

  • What is a Ham?-

    Ham: a poor operator; a 'plug' (G. M. Dodge; The Telegraph Instructor)

    The first wireless operators were landline telegraphers who left their offices to go to sea or to man the coastal stations. They brought with them their language and much of the tradition of their older profession. In those early days, every station occupied the whole spectrum with its broad spark signal. Government stations, ships, coastal stations and the increasingly numerous amateur operators all competed for time and signal supremacy in each other's receivers. Many of the amateur stations were very powerful. Two amateurs, working each other across town, could effectively jam all the other operations in the area. Frustrated commercial operators would refer to the ham radio interference by calling them "hams." Amateurs, possibly unfamiliar with the real meaning of the term, picked it up and applied it to themselves. As the years advanced, the original meaning has completely disappeared.

  • The Q Code+

  • CQ+

  • 73+

  • SOS+

  • Mayday+

  • The Prosigns+

  • The Amateur Message Form+

  • The International Code+

  • The Wouff Hong+

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