Radio Stuff
By which I mean Amateur Radio, aka Ham Radio.
Although the proliferation of cellphones and internet have made amateur radio seem less important, even today there are times when modern communications are cut off and the only thing that still works is a good old-fashioned radio, run by a trained operator.
Not to mention, Amateur Radio itself is such a widely varied and diverse hobby that it covers so many different levels of interest and involvement, there’s bound to be something for everyone.
I am an amateur radio enthusiast. Amateur radio, or ‘ham’ radio, has been around as long as radio itself. The hobby has dozens of different facets, from simple chit-chatting on the air, to DX (long distance), to Foxhunting (direction finding), to ARES (emergency service), to Sattelites, to Microwaves, to SSTV (slow scan television), to experimentation. There are so many different aspects to the hobby that it’d take a lifetime to be involved in all of them. In Canada, amateur radio is regulated by Industry Canada, who issue the licenses. My station license (call-sign) is VA3UXB. I also have VA3GRR, which is my automatic radio beacon, and VA3XXX which I plan to use for experimentation and possibly building a 900 MHz repeater in the future.
My QSL Card
I have been a ‘ham’ since the autumn of 1996, when I joined the Peel Amateur Radio Club. Through PARC, I have gotten my Basic and Advanced qualifications, and my 12 words per minute Morse Code endorsement. I have been a member since I became a ham, and have also served two years on the club’s board of directors.
My interests in amateur radio have included three distinct areas: Community Service through the ARES group; technical aspects such as homebrewing and kit-building; and Foxhunting, as described on the related sub-pages of this site.