In amateur radio, QRP operation refers to transmitting at reduced power while attempting to maximize one's effective range. QRP operation is a specialized pursuit within the hobby that was first popularized in the early 1920s. QRP operators generally limit their transmitted RF output power to 5 Watts or less regardless of mode be it CW operation or SSB operation.
The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is the largest membership association of amateur radio enthusiasts in the United States. ARRL is a non-profit organization, and was co-founded on April 6, 1914, by Hiram Percy Maxim and Clarence D. Tuska of Hartford, Connecticut. The ARRL represents the interests of amateur radio operators before federal regulatory bodies, provides technical advice and assistance to amateur radio enthusiasts, supports a number of educational programs and sponsors emergency communications service throughout the country. The ARRL has approximately 161,000 members. In addition to members in the US, the organization claims over 7,000 members in other countries. The ARRL publishes many books and a monthly membership journal called QST.
Hiram Percy Maxim was an American radio pioneer and inventor, and co-founder of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL). Hiram Percy Maxim is credited with inventing and selling the first commercially successful firearm silencer, and also with developing mufflers for internal combustion engines.
In the United States and Canada, the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) is a corps of trained amateur radio operator volunteers organized to assist in public service and emergency communications. It is organized and sponsored by the American Radio Relay League and the Radio Amateurs of Canada.
A DX-pedition is an expedition to what is considered an exotic place by amateur radio operators and DX listeners, typically because of its remoteness, access restrictions, or simply because there are very few radio amateurs active from that place. This could be an island, a country, or even a particular spot on a geographical grid. DX is a telegraphic shorthand for "distance" or "distant".
The Maidenhead Locator System is a geocode system used by amateur radio operators to succinctly describe their geographic coordinates, which replaced the deprecated QRA locator, which was limited to European contacts. Its purpose is to be concise, accurate, and robust in the face of interference and other adverse transmission conditions. The Maidenhead Locator System can describe locations anywhere in the world.
Contesting is a competitive activity pursued by amateur radio operators. In a contest, an amateur radio station, which may be operated by an individual or a team, seeks to contact as many other amateur radio stations as possible in a given period of time and exchange information. Rules for each competition define the amateur radio bands, the mode of communication that may be used, and the kind of information that must be exchanged. The contacts made during the contest contribute to a score by which stations are ranked. Contest sponsors publish the results in magazines and on web sites.
Ham radio is a popular term for amateur radio, derived from "ham" as an informal name for an amateur radio operator. The use first appeared in the United States during the opening decade of the 20th century—for example, in 1909, Robert A. Morton reported overhearing an amateur radio transmission which included the comment: "Say, do you know the fellow who is putting up a new station out your way? I think he is a ham." However, the term did not gain widespread usage in the United States until around 1920, after which it slowly spread to other English-speaking countries.
KBUP is a radio station licensed to Olympia, Washington. Owned and operated by Sacred Heart Radio, Inc., it relays the Catholic religious programming originating at KBLE 1050 AM Seattle.
Charles Emory Apgar was an American business executive and amateur radio operator. He is known for making early recordings of radio transmissions at the start of World War I. The recordings that he made of a wireless telegraphy station owned by a German Empire-based company operating from the United States were used to expose an espionage ring. They provided evidence of clandestine messages being sent in violation of a prohibition intended to maintain United States neutrality. This proof of illicit operation led to the government seizing control of the facility to stop the activity. Apgar's efforts received extensive coverage in newspapers and technical science magazines at the time. His contributions were praised by government investigators. Publications continued to remark on his work many years later.
W1AW is both the amateur radio call sign and the primary operating station of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL). This station, which is commonly called the Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Station, is located on the grounds of ARRL Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut. It was inspired by Maxim's 1AW callsign which predated the use of the AA-AL, K, N and W prefixes. The station routinely transmits bulletins and Morse code practice using common amateur radio frequencies. During a communications emergency bulletins are transmitted hourly in order to keep amateur radio operators informed.
Vintage amateur radio is a subset of amateur radio hobby where enthusiasts collect, restore, preserve, build, and operate amateur radio equipment from bygone years, such as those using vacuum tube technology. Popular modes of operation include speaking over amplitude modulation (AM), and communicating using Morse code through continuous wave (CW) radiotelegraphy. Some enthusiasts have interest in owning, restoring and operating vintage military and commercial radio equipment such as those from 1940s to 1960s. Some undertake to construct their own gear, known in ham slang as homebrewing, using vintage parts and designs. A number of amateur radio clubs and organizations sponsor contests, events, and swap meets that cater to this specialized aspect of the hobby.
Logbook of the World (LoTW) is a web-accessed database provided by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) to implement a contact verification service among amateur radio operators. Using LoTW, radio amateurs (hams) can claim and verify contacts (QSOs) made with other amateurs, generally for claiming credit for operating awards, such as DXCC. This kind of verification formerly required exchange of paper QSL cards and submission to ARRL, a slow and somewhat expensive process. LoTW began operation in 2003.
QEX is a bimonthly magazine published by the American Radio Relay League. The magazine covers topics related to amateur radio and radiocommunication experimentation. The magazine features advanced technical articles on the theory, design, and construction of radio antennas and equipment. The magazine is published in English and has a worldwide subscription base.
The Chinese Radio Sports And Orienteering Association (CRSAOA) is a national non-profit organization for amateur radio enthusiasts in the People's Republic of China. The CRSA's primary mission is to popularize and promote amateur radio in China. Early activities of the organization focused on radiosport, and the CRSA was active in promoting Amateur Radio Direction Finding and High Speed Telegraphy competitions throughout the country. Although the CRSA has broadened its scope and now supports many kinds of radio activities, the organization's name continues to reflect this early heritage. Key membership benefits of the organization include QSL bureau services, a quarterly membership magazine called Ham's CQ. CRSA was also responsible for the administration of the amateur radio license certification program in the People's Republic of China until 2010.Former Chinese Radio Sports Association.
Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, is the use of the radio frequency spectrum for purposes of non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, private recreation, radiosport, contesting, and emergency communications. The term "amateur" is used to specify "a duly authorized person interested in radioelectric practice with a purely personal aim and without pecuniary interest;" and to differentiate it from commercial broadcasting, public safety, or professional two-way radio services.
The 630-meter amateur radio band is a frequency band allocated by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to amateur radio operators, and it ranges from 472–479 kHz, or equivalently 625.9–635.1 meters wavelength. It was formally allocated to amateurs at the 2012 World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-12). The band is available on a secondary basis in all ITU regions with the limitation that amateur stations have maximum radiated power of 1 watt effective isotropic radiated power (EIRP); however, stations more than 800 km from certain countries may be permitted to use 5 watts EIRP.
The QN Signals are Morse code operating signals that were introduced for Amateur radio net operation in 1939 on the Michigan QMN Net to lighten the burdens of net control operators. Originally created by a committee of the Detroit Amateur Radio Association led by Ralph Thetreat, W8FX. Ev Battey W1UE (W4IA-SK), then ARRL assistant communications manager, later printed them in QST.
WQB was a radio station, located in Hartford, Connecticut, that was licensed to the C. D. Tuska Company from August 22, 1921 to June 24, 1922. Although it was never formally classified as being a broadcasting station by the United States government, it was one of the first stations in the U.S. to make regular broadcasts intended for the general public, and many contemporary publications included it in their broadcasting station reviews.
Clarence Denton "C. D." Tuska was an early radio experimenter and amateur operator, who also became one of the first radio receiver manufacturers. He is best known as the co-founder, along with Hiram Percy Maxim, of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL). He was also the original editor and owner of the amateur radio publication QST, which he subsequently sold to the ARRL in 1919, as part of his reorientation toward professional activities within the radio industry.
