What is Amateur Radio?

The Federal Communications Commission defines the Amateur Radio Service
as a radiocommunication service for the purpose of self-training,
intercommunication and technical investigations carried out by amateurs,
that is, duly authorized persons interested in radio technique solely with
a personal aim and without pecuniary interest.  The Amateur Satellite Service
is a radiocommunication service using space stations on earth satellites
for the same purposes as those of the amateur service.

In the United States, amateur radio operators are licensed by the Federal
Communications Commission.  There are at present three classes of operator
licenses in the United States: Technician, General, and Extra Class.
An operator license authorizes the holder to be the control operator
of a station with the privileges of the operator class specified on
the license.  A Technician Class license or higher is required to
communicate on frequencies used by amateur satellites.

An Amateur Radio License may be obtained after successfully passing
a multiple choice written exam covering FCC rules and regulations,
communication electronics theory, and radio operating practices.  All
classes of license except Technician also require successful passing
a Morse Code Proficiency exam.

Study material to help those interested in gaining the knowledge necessary
for becoming a licensed Amateur Radio Operator is available in written
(book) form, as computer software, and on videotape.  Study guides are
also available at Radio Shack stores.

Practice exams for any class of Amateur Radio License are available on the
World Wide Web at: http://www.biochem.mcw.edu/Postdocs/Simon/radio/exam.html.
A list of examination schedules and locations are also available on the
World Wide Web at: http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/examsearch.phtml.

Further information on the fascinating world of Amateur satellite
communications, and the Amateur Satellite Program as a whole, is
available through AMSAT-NA, the Amateur Satellite Corporation of
North America, at: http://www.amsat.org/.

