Page 30 - EngineerIT October 2022

AMATEUR RADIO

Busting five myths about

amateur radio

By Hans van de Groenendaal ZS6AKV

n many walks of life, we come across misconceptions, and Myth number three: amateur radio is expensive
amateur radio is not immune to this. In this article, I will This is a very open-ended myth. Comparing the cost of amateur
Iattempt to allay five myths about amateur radio and put the radio equipment with the latest smartphone, one gets a new
record straight. perspective about cost, which is all relative. Radio amateurs
can start small and build up as their interest develops. There
Myth number one: amateur radio is dying are so many different aspects to engage in. Take satellite
On the contrary, amateur radio is alive and well and growing at a communication: a small hand-held beam antenna and a dual
steady pace. band 5 W hand-held transceiver opens a totally new world for
When the internet came about, and mobile phones became the cost of less than a modest smartphone.
commonplace in society, there were many prophets of doom
who said: “This is the end of amateur radio”. How wrong they Myth number four: amateur radio is no longer
were! In fact, the internet and smartphones provided many new relevant
opportunities for building on the original concept of amateur If ever there was a myth that crowns them all, then it is this
radio. one. Amateur radio is as relevant today as it was in the days of
The idea that amateur radio is dying stems from people Marconi, more relevant in fact. It is one hobby, better known
who do not recognise that amateur radio is not just about two in today’s terminology as a technology pastime, that has
people talking to each other. Quite rightly, one could do that on withstood the test of time and moved along and often ahead of
a mobile phone! Many involved in the development of wireless
communication in the early experimental days developed a
passion for the ether waves and continued their quest, exploring
their newfound interest. They ultimately became known as radio
amateurs as commercial interest focused on turning radio into
a revenue-generating business. The early day radio amateurs
continued their explorations and were the first group to identify
that shortwaves would conquer the world. A good example of
this is Cape Town radio amateur John Streeter, who was the first
South African to establish a radio connection between South
Africa and the USA. That was in 1925, but technology has moved
on and so have the radio amateurs.

Myth number two: amateur radio is for old
people!
That myth was created in earlier days when a radio amateur
was depicted as an old person in a dark, dusty room with lots
of equipment with glowing radio valves and cables running
everywhere. It is true that amateur radio provides many
opportunities for older people to engage in technology, as they
have more free time to experiment. But it is for younger people
that amateur radio provides a pathway for experiential learning
to give more meaning to their academic studies at school,
college, and university. For many young people, amateur radio is
a stepping stone to a career in technology. AMSAT OSCAR-1, Launched in December 1961

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