Hackers Underworld 2: Forbidden Knowledge/Hackers Underworld 2: Forbidden Knowledge.iso/HAM/LICENS.DOC

Text File | 1991-03-27 | 34KB | 727 lines

Everything You Need to Know to Get a License

By Frederick O. Maia, W5YI-VEC

   Ham radio is probably more popular than you realize. Nearly
half-a-million people in the United States from all walks of life
call amateur radio their hobby. And the number is growing. Some
of the world's most famous people are licensed amateur radio
operators. Ex-Senator Barry Goldwater is K7UGA, Jordan's King
Hussein is JY1, ex-pro baseball player Joe Rudi is NK7U,
guitarist Chet Atkins is WA4CZD and Country-and-Western superstar
Ronnie Milsap is WB4KCG. The list goes on and on! In fact, you
never know who is behind the microphone at the other end. It
could be just about anyone from any walk of life. In amateur
radio, there are no race, age, creed, color, sex or class
distinctions. There is bound to be a ham right in your
neighborhood, maybe even on your street.
   Amateur radio survives as a result of international treaties
and government regulations. Ham radio operators in the United
States are licensed and regulated by the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC). Internationally allocated, amateur radio exists
in nearly every country in the world on the same frequencies as
in the U.S. There are currently nearly two million amateur radio
operators worldwide. Japan has the most with about one million,
but doesn't have a code requirement for their entry-level
license.
   There is a very big difference between ham radio and CB
communication. For one thing, amateur radio communications
requires that you must be licensed and issued a call sign by the
government. What's more, you must use that call sign when you
operate on-the-air. Instead of one band of 40 channels, you get
literally thousands of frequencies scattered throughout many
bands-=each with different propagation characteristics. You can
legally run power levels up to 1,500 watts with worldwide
capability instead of just a mere few watts for local operation.
   It is really very easy to become a ham radio operator. There
are five different amateur radio license levels: Novice,
Technician, General, Advanced and the top-level Amateur Extra
Class. Each one requires demonstrating more knowledge and skill
in exchange for additional operating and frequency privileges.
You will be tested for Morse code proficiency and knowledge of
radio theory and regulations.
   You should be able to qualify for the Novice license with as
little as a couple of weeks of study. Upgrading to any higher-
class licenses can be attempted any time. Enthusiastic Novices
with little or no background in the area have mastered the
necessary skills to upgrade all the way to the Extra class
license in six months or less. How quickly you move up depends on
how much effort and time you wish to devote to preparation
activities. Many amateur radio clubs and adult education programs
offer license courses at little or no expense.
Morse Code
   It is an International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
requirement that to transmit long-distance amateur shortwave
radio, you must learn the Morse code. The shortwaves are defined
as those below 30 MHz. (The ITU is the worldwide United Nations
telecommunications governing body headquartered in Geneva,
Switzerland.) More and more countries are, however, allowing
their amateurs to operate on the VHF and higher frequencies
(those above 50 MHz) without telegraphy knowledge. Unfortunately,
the United States is not presently planning to be one of them.
Canada, however, is in the process of adopting a code-free
beginning amateur class.
   There are all sorts of reasons cited on why the code is
needed-=or not needed. Without getting mired in this argument,
let's look at the positive aspects of the code since it is the
law that you show CW proficiency, even though fewer amateurs
today own a telegraph key than a computer.
   Telegraphy can be an interesting way to communicate. It allows
more amateurs to utilize the bands at one time since it takes
less spectrum space. Under marginal band conditions, it is easier
to get through with CW than with voice since you can filter out
interference more readily. For some of us, CW is simply a lot of
fun. I enjoy the code and have many awards for international
two-way CW contacts. Amateurs who can't communicate well in each
other's language can use standard abbreviations and prosigns to
carry on fairly detailed code conversations.
   To many, Morse-code proficiency is a stumbling block. It need
not be. It merely requires the discipline to practice code for a
couple of weeks to be able to learn enough Morse to pass the 5
word-per-minute (WPM) Novice code exam. There is no additional
code requirement for the Technician class license, which gives
you access to all the VHF frequencies and privileges. This
includes the popular 2-meter FM band that so many hams use to
make phone calls from their cars or small portable units. You
must pass a 13-WPM exam to advance from the Technician to General
Class and a 20-WPM one to obtain the Amateur Extra Class license.
These licenses provide increasingly more frequencies and
privileges on the HF bands.
   Besides listening to on-the-air conversations and code-
practice transmissions, you can use numerous tapes, computer
programs and electronic devices that provide you with code
practice. In large part, they are all effective learning tools.
You may find that certain features of one program are more
attractive than those of another. It is a matter of personal
preference.
   One factor that is not a matter of preference, though, is how
you learn the characters. Morse code is an aural code, and that
is how you should learn it. Attempting to learn the code by
staring at dots and dashes on the printed page is the worst
course of action possible. If you adopt this approach, you are
almost certainly undermining your ability to learn Morse code
and, later, to increase your speed in order to upgrade.
   All modern code-teaching courses and programs teach you the
sound of each character. When you learn code the right way, you
will find that its reputation as a difficult skill to master is
grossly overstated. Do it right, and the code is easy.
   When you sit for the exam, the examiners will send you five
minutes of a simulated on-the-air conversation. You will then be
given a test of 10 questions relating to the transmission. A
score of 70% on this code test is passing. Should you pass the
code and fail the theory (or vice versa) when taking the
Technician or higher exam, you will be given a certificate of
successful completion for the portion that you passed. You will
then have a year to pass the remaining element of the exam
without retesting on what you already passed.
Theory and Regulations
   The written examinations cover amateur radio regulations,
operating procedures and electronic principles. You do not have
to be technically oriented to pass the examinations. All of the
questions and answers that make up the various question pools are
widely published. Each of the five examinations draws from
questions on nine topics. Each topic is designated by a letter.
There are from 25 to 50 questions in each of examination element
that are taken from a pool of hundreds of possibilities.
Licensing requirements are cumulative. That is, if you want to
start with the Technician class as your first license, you must
first pass the Novice-theory exam element. You could take all the
examination elements at one testing session and walk out with an
Amateur Extra Class license. See Table I.
   The purpose of the exams is to demonstrate that you can
operate a transmitter safely and legally-=not design one. Anyway,
real knowledge comes with practical experience, which usually
comes after you have your license, not before. So there's nothing
wrong with using mnemonic devices to recall answers to questions.
   Novice Exam: The Novice examination is made up of the 5- WPM
code test (Element 1A) and a 30-question (Element 2)
multiple-choice written examination. The questions are selected
from the Novice level question bank. To pass