Amateur Radio Overview
Amateur radio is a technical hobby that uses designated radio frequencies for non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communications.
Amateur Radio is governed by international treaty. Regulated in the UK by OFCOM, and managed by the Radio Society of Great Britain
As a radio amateur you are able to transmit radio signals on a number of frequency bands allocated specifically to the radio amateurs.
Radio amateurs make use of their frequencies in a number of ways:
- Contacting people all over the world by radio which often leads to developing international friendships
- Competing in international competitions to test how effective your equipment is, and how good you are as an operator
- Technical experimentation – many of the leaps forward in radio technology have been initiated by radio amateurs
- Communication through amateur space satellites or with the International Space Station (which carries an amateur radio station)
- Providing communications at times of emergencies and undertaking exercises to ensure you keep the capability to do so.
The OARC provides a number of training courses – to find out more click here