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Ham RadioHam Radio
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Subjects > Electronics (Search for Electronics), Amateur Radio (Search for Amateur)
Ham Radio is another name for "Amateur Radio". The origin of the term "Ham" to describe Amateur Radios is still in debate.
One of the earliests definitions is said to be in G. M. Dodge's The Telegraph Instructor guide even before the beginning of radio:
"Ham: a poor operator. A 'plug.'"
The first wireless operators came to wireless from the profession of landline telegraphy, and they brought along the language and tradition of the landline telegraph.
The first radio signals were provided by spark gap transmitters. Spark gap transmitters occupy the whole spectrums with their extremely broad (wide) signal. Think thundercrash, and how they can be heard all across the radio spectrum.
Early spark gap amateur radio operators competed with coastal and ship stations, government stations. Often the winner would be whoever could generate the biggest spart, and many amateur radio stations had very powerful sparks. A couple of hams in one area could effectively monopolize all the communications. It is said that frustrated commercial operators would say "SRI OM THOSE #&$!@ HAMS ARE JAMMING YOU."
Amateurs, perhaps not understand the insult in the term, decided to use the term to describe themselves. The original meaning of the term has completely disappeared.
Today, a ham operator with poor technique would be called Lid (Search). Many hams will volunteer to be an Elmer (Search) to help the new amateur.
Please see Amateur Radio (Search for Radio)
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