Since its discovery in 1895, radio has always been on the cutting edge of technology and through the excellent work of both experimenters and hobbyists, our lives have been forever changed. Radio is so tightly woven into the fabric of our everyday life that we don’t know it’s all around us. From your remote car starter to weather radar, to your microwave oven and your smartphone, radio signals are everywhere.
Like many innovations, someone takes an existing concept, tweaks it, and applies it somewhere else. It’s that spirit that brought us from Radio to RADAR to Doppler Radar to being in your car to avoid accidents and keep you centered in your roadway lane.
Let’s now look at another branch of the radio’s family tree.
NASA needed a way to communicate with the MARS rover. Being a relatively tiny device, it could only use low power, so the transmitter and antenna had to be sized accordingly. So, the call went out looking for a solution. What came back was a software program that could “hear” nearly inaudible radio signals, signals that were so weak they were simply buried deep within the noise and static.
Fast forward to today.
Now, imagine that you are blind or deaf. How would you do many of the things the rest of us do so easily? Getting around is difficult, which complicates meeting new people, and that doesn’t include the loneliness, isolation, and occasional need to have to depend on others.
What if there was a way to meet new people, learn new things and get some serious relief from those daily problems?
Voila! There is and it’s called Amateur Radio. If they’ve ever heard of Ham Radio at all, they think it’s an ancient and boring hobby for old men. Not even close.
Today, our radios talk to us, so you don’t need to be sighted, and now, you can have a conversation with stations that you can’t even hear. Additionally, you can compete in contests that match your operating skills with others, or just simply kibbutz.
In essence, you can armchair travel anywhere your signal takes you, earn operating awards, such as working all continents, pass radio messages for people, participate in public service events, play chess over the air or contact new countries, any time of the day or night.
No other hobby or activity, on the planet, levels the playing field more for the disabled. If it’s a problem, smart minds and a supportive team can get past it.
We have Handihams, an organization that creates and provides podcasts, training materials in every format, local clubs that really want your participation, and an army of “Elmers” that will volunteer their time, talents, and resources to get you on the air. It really does take a village and this is it.
Most people don’t know that today’s weathercasters can’t actually identify the altitude where the rotation is. The rotation could be anywhere from the ground to the cloud, so they need “spotters” who know what to look for. For as long as I can remember, Hams have been the eyes and ears of the NWS and the blind and deaf can easily participate in that too.
So, if you’re disabled or know someone who is, let them know that there is an avenue for them to participate, learn, grow and benefit from. It could be in the areas of public service and so much more.
Finally, I’ve been personally involved in this hobby for over 45 years now and say this with absolute certainty; there’s always something new to experience, no two days are ever alike and it never gets boring. It’s like a good friend with infinite possibilities.
Come and join us, you’ll be glad you did.
Photo by Matt Seymour on Unsplash
Like many innovations, someone takes an existing concept, tweaks it, and applies it somewhere else. It’s that spirit that brought us from Radio to RADAR to Doppler Radar to being in your car to avoid accidents and keep you centered in your roadway lane.
Let’s now look at another branch of the radio’s family tree.
NASA needed a way to communicate with the MARS rover. Being a relatively tiny device, it could only use low power, so the transmitter and antenna had to be sized accordingly. So, the call went out looking for a solution. What came back was a software program that could “hear” nearly inaudible radio signals, signals that were so weak they were simply buried deep within the noise and static.
Fast forward to today.
Now, imagine that you are blind or deaf. How would you do many of the things the rest of us do so easily? Getting around is difficult, which complicates meeting new people, and that doesn’t include the loneliness, isolation, and occasional need to have to depend on others.
What if there was a way to meet new people, learn new things and get some serious relief from those daily problems?
Voila! There is and it’s called Amateur Radio. If they’ve ever heard of Ham Radio at all, they think it’s an ancient and boring hobby for old men. Not even close.
Today, our radios talk to us, so you don’t need to be sighted, and now, you can have a conversation with stations that you can’t even hear. Additionally, you can compete in contests that match your operating skills with others, or just simply kibbutz.
In essence, you can armchair travel anywhere your signal takes you, earn operating awards, such as working all continents, pass radio messages for people, participate in public service events, play chess over the air or contact new countries, any time of the day or night.
No other hobby or activity, on the planet, levels the playing field more for the disabled. If it’s a problem, smart minds and a supportive team can get past it.
We have Handihams, an organization that creates and provides podcasts, training materials in every format, local clubs that really want your participation, and an army of “Elmers” that will volunteer their time, talents, and resources to get you on the air. It really does take a village and this is it.
Most people don’t know that today’s weathercasters can’t actually identify the altitude where the rotation is. The rotation could be anywhere from the ground to the cloud, so they need “spotters” who know what to look for. For as long as I can remember, Hams have been the eyes and ears of the NWS and the blind and deaf can easily participate in that too.
So, if you’re disabled or know someone who is, let them know that there is an avenue for them to participate, learn, grow and benefit from. It could be in the areas of public service and so much more.
Finally, I’ve been personally involved in this hobby for over 45 years now and say this with absolute certainty; there’s always something new to experience, no two days are ever alike and it never gets boring. It’s like a good friend with infinite possibilities.
Come and join us, you’ll be glad you did.
Photo by Matt Seymour on Unsplash
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