Ham radio—also known as amateur radio—is a hobby that became hugely popular during the 1970s through to the early 2000s. You might have seen it most recently on the hit Netflix show Stranger Things. Have you ever considered getting into it yourself?
We’ll let you in on a little secret: while getting set up takes a little while, it is so worth it! Once you have the necessary equipment and have researched which band you want to start on, there’ll be no stopping you!
Here are three reasons why you won’t regret getting into ham radio!
1. Learn a New Skill
Setting up your new ham radio equipment is not always simple, but it is always worth it! Learning any new skill can be fun and incredibly good for your mental health, but not all of them come with the kind of hands-on tech skills you’ll learn with ham radio.
Before you’ve even started transmitting, you’ll gain considerable knowledge about radio. From learning the best transceivers to the must-have features your power supply will need, all the way to the differences between antennas and which one suits you best!
And that’s before even mentioning the hands-on experience you’ll get. Have you ever soldered? You will soon!
2. Be Part of a Fun Community
The ham radio community is famous for being welcoming! It’s a social hobby, and there’s no doubt you’ll meet like-minded friends through it. Even if they might be on the other side of the world to you!
Not that that has ever been an issue. The beauty of ham radio is that you can meet so many people in the community; there’s bound to be a friend or several eager to chat!
It’s not all airwaves, though. It’s not uncommon for the ham radio community to host in-person events, so all those people you’ve been chatting to on a whole other continent? How about meeting them in real life?
When you send out that signal, there’s no knowing where it will bounce down to—Europe? The Middle East? A tiny island in the middle of the Pacific? That’s all part of the fun!
3. Maybe Reach the Moon?
You’ve heard the phrase “the world is your oyster,” but why stop at the world? Believe it or not, it’s possible to bounce your communications off the moon!
Yes, you might need slightly more advanced equipment than you currently have, but do you know who can help with that? Your new friends in the ham radio community!
Start Your Ham Radio Journey Today!
Ultimately, there are no downsides to getting into ham radio. It is fun, social, and skillful. You’ll learn skills that will impress all your friends and family; even better, they might just come in handy at work!
And, beyond that, you’ll make friends you would have never met, and what could be better? There have even been times when ham radio has saved the day in emergencies when other communications are down!
Make the move and get the ball rolling to start your new ham radio hobby today!
