this post was submitted on 17 Jan 2025
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127
No Ham License? Listen Anyway In Your Browser (hackaday.com)
submitted 3 weeks ago by mesamunefire@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[–] Telorand@reddthat.com 14 points 3 weeks ago (18 children)

So, is Ham Radio like the spiritual ancestor of something like Discord Voice Chat? I'm trying to understand why people do it, besides the technical/tinkering aspects.

[–] pc486@sh.itjust.works 31 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Ham radio can be used as voice chat with friends, but that would be a pretty limited view of it. Here's some things that a Discord Voice Chat cannot do that radio can:

  • Chat without internet (e.g. places without cell towers).
  • Chat without voice. (digital communications of all kinds; email/text, keyboard-to-keyboard, pictures, etc).
  • To build an internet (e.g. building WiFi meshes with extra power [AREDN], AX.25 packet, WinLink).
  • Used as a tool during emergencies (see ARES/RACES/CERT).
  • Chat completely randomly (it's just one big discord channel, but you can only hear some people).
  • Chasing the challenge of unusual radio propagation (earth-moon-earth, meteor bounce, tropospheric ducting, aurora).
  • Chasing the challenge of collecting the most point-to-point contacts (contests).
  • Chasing the challenge of difficult radio propagation (microwave links).
  • Constructing and using radios that you cannot buy off the shelf parts with (usually with those funny microwave guys).
  • Higher power versions of things unlicensed folks cannot do (RC toys, Meshtastic/LoraWAN, WiFi, etc).
  • Historical preservation (restoring old radios, keeping ship-shore coastal stations running [e.g. Maritime Radio Historical Society]).
  • Conducting scientific experiments (HamSCI, and I conducted one listening to the ionosphere during the recent total eclipse).
  • Building and controlling satellites (AMSAT).

And there's even more. The way to view ham radio is the government grants you a license to operate on many pieces of radio spectrum so long as you can show your technical ability to not cause harm (interference, safety, and things that will prevent you from blowing up your radio as well as find success in using it). What you do with that spectrum is up to you!

[–] BenDoubleU@lemmy.radio 10 points 3 weeks ago

GREAT answer. It's funny how I got into ham radio because I thought it seemed a cool way to talk to people... and now I almost never use voice and mostly do what you listed above.

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