More About Amateur Radio + Introducing My Mentor, My Father

"Radio Antenna in Venezuela"  by heli1810. Royallty Free | freeimages.com

This has been a fun but challenging week. I've had the Flu since Tuesday so my father has had a captive audience. I met four times with him since my last post to discuss how I should proceed with this project and to find out what I can expect on exam day.

For the record, although he is my mentor, he would technically be called an "Elmer" in the amateur radio world. This term was used to identify someone who helps would-be Hams in getting their licenses and helping them get setup for listening and broadcasting.

Let me go ahead and get this out in the open: I'm not going to call him an Elmer. Well, maybe he'll settle for Elmer Fudd? I am fortunate that my dad is going to be my mentor. Many people who are starting out usually have to search for someone to help them along. I have someone who lives under the same roof as me that is capable of introducing me to a brand new aspect of technology that I've only dabbled in until now.

Before I Introduce my mentor, let me briefly explain some of the key terms and areas of study that one needs to know about if he/she is to dive into amateur radio. All of this my father reviewed with me this week...

What Exactly Is "Amateur" or HAM Radio?

Wiki has a fine statement on this:

"Amateur radio (also called ham radio) is the use of designated radio frequency spectra for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication. The term "amateur" is used to specify persons interested in radio technique solely with a personal aim and without direct monetary or other similar reward, and to differentiate it from commercial broadcasting, public safety (such as police and fire), or professional two-way radio services (such as maritime, aviation, taxis, etc.)."

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_radio)

So, those who are amateur radio operators are non-professionals. They do not work the radio frequencies for money. This is not to indicate that they are less skilled or have equipment that is inferior to professional operators. In fact, many seasoned Hams (amateur radio operators) are on the bleeding edge of communications technology and often have very precise, elaborate setups that can be very expensive. The designation "amateur" exists only to imply that they aren't licensed by the F.C.C. to operate commercially.

One famous HAM (amateur radio operator) is Joe Walsh of the Eagles.

Joe Walsh (of the Eagles) in his Radio Shack*. Image from Pinterest.

Did you know? 

     The term "Radio Shack" is used to describe the location, equipment room  or the rig of a radio operator. An operator's radio shack can be a simple closet, a corner of a desk, a sectioned-off area in a garage, on the top of a mountain or the inside of a vehicle. The retail store of the same name was called Radio Shack as it tailored to customers who needed supplies and components to maintain their own radio equipment. 

What Topics of Study Do I Need To understand?

When trying to understand amateur radio, a beginner must gain a general working knowledge of a broad array of scientific principles.

Among them I will study:

• the principles of electronics & electron theory
• digital and analog radio equipment
• RF safety & radio propagation
• emergency communications procedures & types
• antenna theory & construction
• light and radio wavelengths/frequencies
• electromagnetism
• the behaviors of various radio frequency bands
• telegraphy -- not telepathy
• amateur radio technical experimentation & homebrew options
• the laws and policies that govern proper, legal communications protocols

>> Best of all I get to learn how to make, hack and use homemade equipment.

OK, Now Let Me Introduce My Elmer Mentor 

My father's name is Mitchell. He is a licensed radio operator and his call sign is KK6MOX. He earned his Level 1 - Technician's License at the beginning of last year. He was originally going to take his exam back when he was a senior in high school ('92) but a hurricane swept through the Southern States and he had to postpone it. Time managed to get away from him but he still loved the topics that he studied. 

Elmer Fudd enjoys learning about electricity and electronics so much that he decided to study them in college and chose his career in those fields. His tech hobbies include building high-end computer systems, wired and wireless communication networks and building electronic audio projects from the ground up.  Last month we made our own HI-FI headphone audio amp and a homemade 6,000-lumen L.E.D. flashlight. While we get to work on fun projects often, he keeps safety in mind and is quick to teach me the proper way to work with tools and components.

My father is also a certified computer systems engineer, an experienced communications network administrator, and a Microsoft Certified Professional. He has worked for IBM, Toshiba, HP and General Electric. He is retired from G.E. Industrial, Plastics Division.  He spends many hours each week studying micro electronics, data transmission technologies and designs projects using popular micro-controllers such as the Arduino. 

Why I Feel He Is Qualified To Teach Me...

One of my dad's talents is being able to digest a technical manual more easily than I can a plate of Oreo cookies with a glass of milk. He is funny and an approachable person and loves sharing what he's learning. I am often recruited to serve as a guinea pig or lab assistant in many of his projects. I enjoy learning and he's able to share complex tech in a way that is much easier to understand than if I were to study them alone. I am looking forward to "leveling-up" so that we can continue to work together on even more exciting projects in the future.


Later this weekend, I will list some of the test questions & topics that we discussed this week as a means of introducing me to the testing experience. 

Thanks for reading!