Ham Radio Operators Have Been Design Engineering Innovators

Readers of Design News come from many areas of expertise and we all have one thing in common –- we all love innovation. We are made to create and as we see on Design News, that creativity takes many different forms.

For instance, ham radio was at the start of radio communications right alongside broadcasting and wireless telegraphy (think Morse code). While no one knows where the term “ham” originated, it refers to amateur radio operators and has a long history with the first licenses granted in 1912.

Amateur radio has come a long way from the original and dangerous “spark” method of generating radio waves, using a strong electrical arc. If you follow the history of amateur radio enthusiasts, they have continually sought more efficient designs and improved communications that incorporate the latest technology. Just like any design engineer, hams are constantly striving to use their technical skills and the parts and equipment available to them to improve and innovate, in their case ways to communicate through radio waves.

(Source: The American Radio Relay League, Inc., The National Association for Amateur Radio, Website www.arrl.org)

Reasons to consider joining the ranks of ham radio operators:

(Source: The American Radio Relay League, Inc., The National Association for Amateur Radio, Website www.arrl.org)

Each decade of technological advancement has found hams at the forefront. In the 1970’s an extensive network of relay repeater stations built by hams provided a way for regional low-power communications, the 1980’s saw hams utilizing microprocessors in a new age of digital communications, and today hams are continually searching for ways to utilize the potential of computer technology and the internet in their constant quest to improve radio communication.

Amateur radio encompasses many different hobbies under one umbrella. To name just a few, hams today can be found creating new computer applications, bouncing signals off of meteor trails and earth-moon-earth reflections, and conducting research like Nobel Prize winner in Physics Joe Taylor, who studies weak signal detection to facilitate low power communication. Public service activities that include emergency response and assisting any organized effort where communications is essential makes ham radio a valuable asset to the community. It is also a great way to make new friends and is just plain fun!

[Learn more electronics trends and developments at Pacific Design & Manufacturing, Feb. 9-11, at the Anaheim Convention Center.]

Anybody can join -- all walks of life are represented on the airwaves and you are on a first-name basis with everyone else regardless of your profession. But unlike my CB radio days, becoming a ham does require getting a ham radio license. By getting the first license that is available for newcomers, called the technicians license, you will be able to begin communicating on the airwaves. I am currently studying to pass the 35-question exam that covers rules, operating procedures, and basic electronics so that I can join the ranks of ham radio operators. If you would like to get more information or learn how you too can start down the road of being a ham radio operator, visit www.arrl.org/ for lots of great information.

Nancy Golden started her electronics career at Dallas Semiconductor and moved to Optek Technology where she was a test engineer for several years, eventually moving up to test engineering manager. Nancy became especially experienced in hall effect characterization and test and also gained experience with photologics, LEDs, VCSELs, and fiber optic transmission. She was also the first person to become a Certified TestPoint Application Specialist (CTAS) by Capital Equipment Corporation and has done contract work for Hitachi and Andrews Corporation and control room software for NBC in Testpoint. While employed at Optek Technology she also authored articles for Test and Measurement World on test system development. Nancy owns a small business called Golden Technical Creations, a service oriented company that provides consulting, teaching, PIC programming, course development and web design to its customers. She also has a M.A.R. with a focus on intercultural studies and is an adjunct faculty member at Dallas Christian College.

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