A Fresh (Vegetarian) Ham Mark Newell I did It! And it wasn't even that hard. After several weeks of worrying and a lot less time studying I walked in and a half an hour later I had with a note for mother saying I had passed my Code-Free Technicians exam. What is a HAM? Having a ham license means that I can operate radio bands (frequencies) set aside for amateur use. Now I am a part of the most powerful free communications network in the history of the world. There are several license levels which, as you move up, allow wider and wider use of frequencies. Recently the FCC (Federal Communication Commission ) introduced a new level which doesn't require knowledge of Morse code. This makes the process much easier. The code-free part of my Technician's license means that I don't have to take the five word-per- minute Morse code test. With the licence comes a call sign that is my identity on the air waves. The call is made up of letters and numbers. The numbers signify the origin if the caller and the letters, the level of the caller. [The letters also tell the location: the US uses N,J,W,M,X] The lowest level, Novice, has five letters and the highest level, Amature Extra, has three. Why become a Ham? Having a means of radio communication really fits in with remote living. Whether amateur radio is your primary or alternate means of communication, it will provide contact with the outside world. In fact, I think it would be dangerous to be in a remote location without a channel of communication. The situations when our radio phone goes out, as it often does during blizzards, are just the time that I would need to use the radio. The stories abound around here of times when the radio network has helped to save lives and this part of the hams duties enticed me get my license. Times when normal channels of communication are cut is just the times when people are in need of help. Providing for others in need is a major part of being ham. Never before have I had so many friends willing to lend me a hand. Being practical doesn't mean ham radio is all serious. None of the hams that I've met are doomsdayers and certainly I didn't get the license just in case of The-End-of-the-World. In fact, the most typical use for radio communication around here is chatting with the neighbors and reminding the people who have gone to town not to forget the cat food. There are times though when the radio is indispensable, especially when the town crew gives us the five minutes-before-arrival-with-cold-pizza- warning so that we can pre-heat the oven. No, I have the license because it is another tool that is useful in remote living and gives me a sense of being a bit more self-sufficient. Basically, it's about communications. We are a verbal species. Talking to one another is a part of life. Talking to someone on the other side of the world is one of the spices of life. The world of electronics So what's the process? Well there is a book that gives you all the possible questions and answers to the test. It's called Now You're Talking! I got mine at Radio Shack for about 17 bucks. Reading this book has been incredibly educating. In the world of electronics, there are many mysterious things. Being up here at Home Power can be an overwhelming experience at times. Many of the conversations around here begin with resistors and end with thyristors. As I read through Now You're Talking!, my level of understanding definately increased. This book gives great, simple explanations of all the basic components of conventional electronics. The clear diagrams show what most of the common parts look like. The most notable aspect of this book is the clear explanations of things like capacitors, resistors, and inductors. All these little pieces that make electricity behave differently are not that hard to understand if good explanations of their inner workings are given. It seems that all electronic circuits are big game boards for electrons to play on. The trick is to get them to play to our advantage. It has certainly made electronics a lot more fun for me. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to better understand how basic electronics work, regardless of whether or not you want become a ham. If you are studying for the license, the big thing is not to get frustrated because it seems so overwhelming. There is a lot of information covered pretty quickly, but most of it is not on the test. If you study the text and answer the questions at the end of each section, you will be more than prepared. It's really not that bad.