Quangsheng UV-K6 (V2???) Problems

Another hobby and another blog - I wonder how long this one will last.

This time the subject is Amateur Radio also known as Ham Radio.

A lot of people I know don't know what Amateur Radio is, so I'm going to try and explain it a bit here, but there are a lot of places on the web that will probably do a better job than me, especially since I am new to the hobby, so you might want to have a look at those if you are interested - I'll post some links below. 

So what is amateur radio?

Amateur radio, also knowns as "ham radio" is an international radio "service" that is mainly used by hobbyist radio operators and engineers. 

To the average person Amateur Radio probably looks a bit like the more widely known CB radio.

There are some similarities between CB and Amateur Radio, but the similarities are pretty superficial - both services use radios, and some Amateur Radios look like CB radios but that's about where the similarity ends.

CB radio is really about providing a simple and inexpensive (comparitively) radio communications service between unlicensed users.

Amateur radio can provide a communication service between users, but accoriding to the international radio regulations amateur radios is a

 "radiocommunication service for the purpose of self-training, intercommunication and technical investigations carried out by amateurs, that is, by duly authorized persons interested in radio technique solely with a personal aim and without pecuniary interest."

If you want a simple analogy to explain the difference between CB and Amateur Radio we could use computers.

CB radio operators are normal computer users, people who view YouTube, read blogs, send email, write word documents, build slide decks.

Amateur radio operators are the people who write the code, build the network, write the operating system and occaissionally come up with complete new technologies.

For a lot of Ham operators the actual act of communicating is not the end goal. In many cases the conversations on Ham radio are short - the operators exchange callsigns, locations, signal reports and maybe describe their kit. The conversation - the actual communication  for a lot us is not what the hobby is about. The conversation we have on the radio just validates everything else in the hobby.

So Amateur Radio is as much about learning about, understanding, engineering, experimienting with  and innovating in the fields of radio frequency and  the many associated technologies.

The other main difference between CB radio and Amateur radio is that Amateur Radio requires a license and to get the license you need to take an exam.

Because of that license there is a difference in the sort of people you find in the CB and Amateur radio communities. Because there is a licensing requirement for Amateur Radio I think the people who become Hams are more invested and therefore less likely to misbehave or be disruptive, because they place enough of a value on their hobby to go out and spend some time learning, and taking the exam.

This is not the case for CB and because of that despite the fact that most CB people are well behaved, I think you get a higher level of misbehaviour and in some cases down right illegal and intentionally disruptive behaviour on CB.

Some of the things that a Ham might do that most other radio users would not do are:

• build their own radios
• build their own antennas
• build their own test equipment
• send video over radio - i.e. TV
• connect a computer to the radio and send/receive data
• develop new techniques or uses for radio
• provide  radio communications for  large events e.g. car rallies, cross country running events etc
• train for and provide communications assistance to public emergency organisations such as fire departments, the red cross and the like for disasters and other emergencies
• build an launch a sattelite into space (not joking - amateur radio operators have been building and launching satellites since the early 1960s)
• talk to space craft - in fact there are Ham radio operators who are part of the official NASA communications networks (e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t811YfLrhuY) . I'm not 100% sure but I think all US astronauts are licensed hams.

My brother asked why would you want to operate an amateur radio station to talk to someone when you can just pick up the phone?
The irony here is my brother collects vinyl records, DJs with vinyl records and produces music using analog/old school digital technologies (8 bit kit that hasn't been produced in decades) as well as modern software, DSPs etc.

Why doesn't he just buy his music as MP3s, and make his music with audio software like everyone else?

The same with people who buy old cars and restore them, customise them, serice them in their spare time etc.

Or people who keep horses and hitch them to wagons for a ride on the weekend.

Why not just buy a Honda Civic or even just catch a bus.
Those are more efficient and far easier forms of transport - and you don't need to shovel up poop.

It's kinda the same thing, just in different areas of interest.

All of these people are not engaging in their hobby because they want the latest music or the easiest and most efficient and convenient form of transport.

All of them are interested in the underlying techniquies and technologies, they are interested in doing it themselves instead of just buying something someone else designed and built.
They are interested in the how it works, why it works.
They are interested in the journey from no knowledge to becoming expert in their field.

They are interested in conceiving and building something new.

It's not the end result  (getting from A to B, hearing a song, talking to someone in another country) that satisifes them - it's the achievement and satifisfaction of the journey taken to achieve the end result.

Same with Ham radio. Most of us aren't looking for an easy and convenient form of communications so we can have a conversation with someone.

Amateur Radio is not about the act of communicating per se.

It's about learning and applying the art and science behind radio and the sense of achievement and fulfilment you get from taking that journey from novice to journeyman to master.

Anyway that's kinda what Amateur or Ham Radio is about.

If you got questions feel free to reach out and I'll try and answer them to the best of my new Ham ability.