Amateur radio station LA9IHA

Talking to the truckers of the world? not really. Walkie talkie? sorry, no cigar. And for the records, nor is it PMR.

As a licensed radio amateur I have free and unrestricted access to chunks of the radio spectre from DC to daylight. The benefits are in legio:

• Experiment on VLF - very low frequency band about 136 kHz. Try out communication with sub-sea locations, inside caves and grottos, study the ground wave.
• Play on the short wave. Challenge the skills at the morse key, try out new algorithms for digital communications on the difficult channels or just have a good long chat.
• Experiment with digital communications on VHF/UHF
• Try out cutting edge technology on SHF
• Make your own stuff and run it live! No governement interference whatsoever.

Your ambitions are determined by yourself only. The people you meet come from all walks of life with all sorts of skills, including social. You are however in circles who are prepared to challenge you and give due credit on your achievements.

If you are technically interested and enjoy the freedoms mentioned, you should certainly consider taking the test. Amateur radio is told to be grand-dad's hobby. Don't be fooled. Grand-dad is kicking - hard.

Notes

• Hellshreiber Digital communication from WW II.
• Rigs the stuff we love
• log2ps Making QSL cards from log output
• WANCA Norwegian diploma for contacts from all over Norway
• Postscript or Acrobat PDF logo for NRRL

Links

• LA8D My local club where the radio nerds of Sandnes and J�en hangs out.
• LA3F The club I joined while living near Oslo
• WACRAL A christian radio society, no they don't use radio as prayer blasters
• NRRL The norwegian amateur radio society
• RSGB The UK amateur radio society
• ARRL The US amateur radio society
• IARU The international amateur radio union. All national societies are members.

Get your license

To get you lisence you could follow the path

1. Who's supporting you. Contact your national amateur radio society and ask what you need to know and how to take the test. Societies world wide are listed at http://www.iaru.org/iaru-soc.html
2. Check if there is a morse code requirement in your country. My bet is no.
3. Start reading. With an engineering degree it's a breeze, but if you lack higher education the three important tasks are work, work and work. Do however remember: YOU CAN DO IT
4. Sign on to a test
5. Pass the test
6. Get on the air immediately!