Amateur radio: A hobby, social service Telangana Today reports every year, April 18 becomes a rallying point for amateur radio operators worldwide, and even a few from India, who take to the airwaves to celebrate World Amateur Radio Day
The newspaper says:
It was on this day in 1925 when amateur radio experimenters, also known as ham radio operators, met in Paris to form International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) to further the cause of amateur radio.
Since then, amateur radio has become one of the most exciting and popular hobbies across the world with over 3 million hams worldwide. The United States and Japan have more than a third of the total ham population in the world while in India there are just 25,000 hams out of which around 2,000 are active, which does not augur well, when we consider our achievements in developing space technology.
Every country has an apex body of hams which is recognised by the Telecom authority of that country. Unfortunately the apex body of amateur radio in India is still not recognised. In the US, the ham exams are conducted by ARRL, a body of radio hams who volunteer as examiners and the licences are given by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
India still has to go a long way to have that kind of framework to issue ham operating licences. One of the greatest allures of amateur radio is that when the traditional modes of communication fail, the hams come to the rescue. Radio amateurs have played a crucial role in providing communication during earthquakes, floods and other calamities.
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https://telanganatoday.com/amateur-radio-a-hobby-social-service