https://urgentcomm.com/wp-content/themes/ucm_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Multimedia
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Galleries
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • Commentary
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • All Things IWCE
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • IWCE
    • Conference
    • Special Events
    • Exhibitor Listings
    • Premier Partners
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Register for IWCE
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
    • Cookies Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • Mission Critical Technologies
    • Microwave/RF
    • T&D World
    • TU-Auto
  • In the field
    • Back
    • In the field
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Internet of Things
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Call Center/Command
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Network Tech
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Operations
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Regulations
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • Organizations
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
Urgent Communications
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • News
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Video
    • Podcasts
    • Omdia Crit Comms Circle Podcast
    • Galleries
    • IWCE’s Video Showcase
  • Commentary
    • Back
    • All Things IWCE
    • Urgent Matters
    • View From The Top
    • Legal Matters
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Reprints & Reuse
    • UC eZines
    • Sponsored content
  • IWCE
    • Back
    • Conference
    • Why Attend
    • Exhibitor Listing
    • Floor Plan
    • Exhibiting Information
    • Join the Event Mailing List
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Statement
    • Cookies Policy
  • Related Sites
    • Back
    • American City & County
    • IWCE
    • Light Reading
    • IOT World Today
    • TU-Auto
  • newsletter
  • In the field
    • Back
    • Internet of Things
    • Broadband Push-to-X
    • Project 25
    • Public-Safety Broadband/FirstNet
    • Virtual/Augmented Reality
    • Land Mobile Radio
    • Long Term Evolution (LTE)
    • Applications
    • Drones/Robots
    • IoT/Smart X
    • Software
    • Subscriber Devices
    • Video
  • Call Center/Command
    • Back
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • NG911
    • Alerting Systems
    • Analytics
    • Dispatch/Call-taking
    • Incident Command/Situational Awareness
    • Tracking, Monitoring & Control
  • Network Tech
    • Back
    • Cybersecurity
    • Interoperability
    • LMR 100
    • LMR 200
    • Backhaul
    • Deployables
    • Power
    • Tower & Site
    • Wireless Networks
    • Coverage/Interference
    • Security
    • System Design
    • System Installation
    • System Operation
    • Test & Measurement
  • Operations
    • Back
    • Critical Infrastructure
    • Enterprise
    • Federal Government/Military
    • Public Safety
    • State & Local Government
    • Training
  • Regulations
    • Back
    • Narrowbanding
    • T-Band
    • Rebanding
    • TV White Spaces
    • None
    • Funding
    • Policy
    • Regional Coordination
    • Standards
  • Organizations
    • Back
    • AASHTO
    • APCO
    • DHS
    • DMR Association
    • ETA
    • EWA
    • FCC
    • IWCE
    • NASEMSO
    • NATE
    • NXDN Forum
    • NENA
    • NIST/PSCR
    • NPSTC
    • NTIA/FirstNet
    • P25 TIG
    • TETRA + CCA
    • UTC
acc.com

Public Safety


Article

DIY boom helps boost ham numbers

DIY boom helps boost ham numbers

Conventional wisdom says that amateur radio is aging out of existence. So, who needs the amateur-radio bands? You'd be surprised.
  • Written by
  • 19th March 2013

Conventional wisdom says that amateur radio is aging out of existence. Young people these days — and even the not-so-young — are texting, tweeting, posting on Facebook and using Skype to chat with people half a world away. So, who needs the amateur-radio bands?

You'd be surprised. In the U.S. alone, some 710,000 people hold ham radio licenses — the largest number in the hobby's almost-100-year history, said David Sumner, chief executive officer (CEO) of the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) in Newington, Conn.

"Last year there were 13% more new licensees than there were the year before. We went from around 24,000 new licensees in 2011 up to about 27,000 in 2012."

In part, Sumner said, this growth has to do with the "Maker Movement." That term refers to a community of enthusiasts who use three-dimensional printers, open-source hardware and other tools to design and manufacture everything from robots to furniture to fashion accessories.

Amateur-radio operators are well-positioned to form part of the Maker Movement, because they have an innate desire to know how things work, Sumner said.

In the early days, many amateur-radio enthusiasts built their own equipment, either from scratch or from kits, he added. Today, most electronic devices come with warnings indicating that they contain no serviceable parts.

"We can't get our fingers inside and play with them," Sumner said. "But there is a lot that you can do with construction — taking individual components and wiring them together."

People also are doing a great deal with software, according to Sumner. Meanwhile, some hams are building their own equipment — if not from scratch, then at least from small components.

"You can build a radio transmitter and receiver that will make contact over distances of hundreds of miles from components that will sit in an Altoids box," Sumner said. "There's quite a healthy group within amateur radio who tend to focus on that side of things. Instead of seeing how complicated we can make something, they'll see how simple you can make something that still does the job."

  • Read the main story, "Ready and willing," to learn how when a disaster hits that knocks out traditional communications, amateur-radio operators repeatedly step up to fill the void.
Tags: Citizen Engagement Disaster Response Public Safety State & Local Government Article

Most Recent


  • FirstNet Authority provides update on CEO search
    Without a permanent CEO for three months, the FirstNet Authority has hired a recruitment firm that will conduct the search for a new CEO to succeed Ed Parkinson, according to a statement made yesterday during the FirstNet Authority Board meeting FirstNet Authority Acting CEO Lisa Casias made the announcement, which was the first public update […]
  • FirstNet Authority board approves FY 2023 budget of $358 million
    FirstNet Authority board members yesterday approved a $358 million budget for fiscal year 2023, with more than half of the money being allocated to investments that would be designed to enhance the nationwide public-safety broadband network (NPSBN) being built by AT&T. As in past years, the FirstNet Authority budget for fiscal year 2023—beginning on Oct. […]
  • DIY boom helps boost ham numbers
    Newscan: DHS tests new tech that could bring emergency alerts to vehicle screens
    Web Roundup Items from other news organizations DHS tests new tech that could bring emergency alerts to vehicle screens Oracle begins auditing TikTok’s algorithms Strong solar storm could impact U.S. communications this week VA systems vulnerable to cyber intrusions due to lack of effective oversight, report says Former city employee shut down police website over […]
  • Black Hat 2022: Adapting to the growing cyberthreat landscape
    The nation’s first cybersecurity chief is warning that the growing threat landscape will get worse as society and businesses become more digitized. At the Black Hat USA 2022 conference, Chris Krebs, the first director of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, said he spent the last 18 months gathering information. He spoke to people […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

To leave a comment login with your Urgent Comms account:

Log in with your Urgent Comms account

Or alternatively provide your name, email address below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • DIY boom helps boost ham numbers
  • DIY boom helps boost ham numbers
  • DIY boom helps boost ham numbers
  • DIY boom helps boost ham numbers

Commentary


LTE and liability: Why the fire service must move forward with digital incident command

  • 2
6th May 2022

Partnership and collaboration must be the foundation for emergency communications

18th April 2022

FirstNet success means no hypothetical ‘shots’ need to be fired, Swenson says

22nd February 2022
view all

Events


UC Ezines


IWCE 2019 Wrap Up

13th May 2019
view all

Twitter


UrgentComm

FirstNet Authority provides update on CEO search dlvr.it/SWrRqg

18th August 2022
UrgentComm

FirstNet Authority board approves FY 2023 budget of $358 million dlvr.it/SWq9DW

18th August 2022
UrgentComm

Newscan: DHS tests new tech that could bring emergency alerts to vehicle screens dlvr.it/SWpYTv

17th August 2022
UrgentComm

Connectivity Made Simple for Emergency Response dlvr.it/SWpMJF

17th August 2022
UrgentComm

Intelsat, OneWeb team on in-flight connectivity dlvr.it/SWgYb2

15th August 2022
UrgentComm

Black Hat 2022: Adapting to the growing cyberthreat landscape dlvr.it/SWgF3Y

15th August 2022
UrgentComm

Diffusing the connected car’s ticking data-privacy timebomb dlvr.it/SWdCw2

14th August 2022
UrgentComm

Patch madness: Vendor bug advisories are broken, so broken dlvr.it/SWcvFR

14th August 2022

Newsletter

Sign up for UrgentComm’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about Communications and Technology.

Expert Commentary

Learn from experts about the latest technology in automation, machine-learning, big data and cybersecurity.

Business Media

Find the latest videos and media from the market leaders.

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital and print audiences? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • American City & County
  • IWCE
  • Light Reading
  • IOT World Today
  • Mission Critical Technologies
  • TU-Auto

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Events
  • Careers

FOLLOW Urgent Comms ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookies Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2022 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X