[MarinTeams] Here's how to get started in Amateur Radio

[Bill]

Please distribute over Next Door, or print and post to neighborhood bulletin
boards or distribute in any way you deem fit. :-)  Feel free to edit.


Have you heard of Amateur Radio?  It is a hobby, a 'contact sport' of a
special kind.  You can participate from virtually anywhere, from your home,
from a hill top, from an island, boat, or desert.  Pocket sized radios
enable you to meet people world-wide and you are introduced to the latest
technology and communications practices.  And, you might be interested in
community communications which may be needed if regular phones stop working.
Or you might wish to join a radio-based high-speed digital network, similar
to the Internet but totally isolated that has been developed by fellow
Amateurs though the greater part of the Bay Area.  Radios that once filled a
room now fit in the palm of your hand!  Radio technology today can pick up
signals from thousands of mile away that are completely undetectable by the
human ear.

Interested?  To get started, you should acquire a license to transmit a
radio signal using Amateur radio.  While knowledge of Morse code is popular,
code proficiency is no longer a requirement in the three levels of amateur
licensing.  Each of the three levels are obtained by passing a
multiple-choice exam of questions that show you have acquired a basic
understanding of radio technology. The first level is called the Technician
class.  This license is structured to provide you with a good foundation
that will help you to discover many of the varied facets that you can
experience in Amateur radio.

The Hamilton Wireless Association is conducting an examination on Saturday,
November 12 in Novato.  There's plenty of time to obtain free study material
(there is also much information on the Internet) and to prepare for the
exam.  It will take some study and minor memorization but a healthy
percentage pass the exam with flying colors.

If you would like more information, we are eager to assist you.  Please
write to us at info at k6bw.org.  Indicate you are interested in obtaining an
Amateur Radio license and we will give you the details regarding obtaining a
study guide, and how to use it. We'll be happy to answer any questions you
may have with your interest in Amateur Radio.

Best wishes and Good Success!
Bill Smith, AB6MT
Hamilton Wireless Association
Info at k6bw.org
415-485-3815