Amateur radio

Years ago, getting a ham license was much harder than it is today. Even so, most folks think that it is too hard to even try. The fact is, now that radio building is a thing of the past, the tests are more about making sure the prospective ham has taken the time to learn the basic regulations, and a few simple things about antennas and some very basic theory. When I was first licensed, it was quite different. The idea back then was to provide a pool of trained radio technicians who could serve if needed in the military without a whole lot of training. But, after the electronics explosion in the mid 70's where solid state componets took over for the old fashioned tubes, and printed circuit boards took over the hand wired chassis, it has become much les practical to build your own receiver and transmitter. Yes, some still do it, but 99.99% of the current hams use modern solid state equipment. Also gone is the requirement to learn MORSE CODE. In years past, testing was done by the FCC. Today, it is done by volunteer examiners. Many amateur radio clubs offer special assistance to disabled folks wanting to get their ham ticket. chuck