VE6GDL
Hi,
For those interested in learning the basics of radio communications, how antennas work, and how to listen to or transmit communications over the air it can be a little complex getting started at first.
By far the best “free” resource available that I’ve come to find is the following: http://www.clares.ca/va6hal%20training.html
Up in Canada, ham radio is governed by Industry Canada, this includes antenna installations, regulated rules around radio broadcasting . For example you’re only allowed on public frequencies to begin with, but with a ham license you can tap into additional amateur frequencies.
Also, before you buy your first radio, be sure that it matches the radio frequency that you intend to use:
- VLF (Very Low Frequency) – 3kHz to 30 kHz
- LF (Low Frequency) – 30 kHz to 300 kHz
- MF (Medium Frequency) – 300 kHz to 3 MHz
- HF (High Frequency) – 3 MHz to 30 MHz
- VHF (Very High Frequency) – 30 MHz to 300 MHz
- UHF (Ultra High Frequency) – 300 MHz to 3 GHz
- Others (Digital mobile radio (DMR), Fusion, )
For example, I mostly use VHF and UHF which are line-of-sight radio communications which can usually reach distance across a major metro-city. For air traffic towers with higher transmission power and better antenna, distances on VHF can reach distances of up to 100-160km to communicate with nearby aircraft! The amateur bands commonly utilized on VHF are the 2m band (144 to 148 MHz) and for UHF its the 0.7m band (420-450 MHz). So having a radio that can receive and transmit on bands you intend to use is critical. Most modern radios will be capable of hitting multiple frequency bands, and radios can be either Portable (handheld, generally lower power output), Mobile (vehicle mounted, medium power output), or Base Station Transceiver (fixed location, usually highest functionality and power output). Depending on your use case and maybe the distance to your local repeater, you’d want to ensure you get a transceiver that meets your application needs. My base station is a Yaesu FT-991A All Mode Transceiver that can do HF/VHF/UHF. Also note you’re antenna size will likely match your power output of your transceiver.
For those interested in extremely long distance communications, then HF radio is going to be for you! Just look at all of these HF bands listed below and how far they can reach! The distances are much more dependent on weather, solar radiation, and the Ionosphere where radio waves essentially can “skip” between ground surface and multiple layers within the Ionosphere approximately 50-600km above the earth’s surface.
- 10 m (28.000 – 29.700 MHz)
- Best long distance (e.g., across oceans) activity is during solar maximum; during periods of moderate solar activity the best activity is found at low latitudes. The band offers useful short to medium range groundwave propagation, day or night.
- 12 m (24.890 – 24.990 MHz)
- Mostly useful during daytime, but opens up for DX activity at night, during solar maximum. 12 meters is one of the WARC bands. Propagates via sporadic E and by F2 propagation.
- 15 m (21.000 – 21.450 MHz)
- Most useful during solar maximum, and generally a daytime band. Daytime sporadic E propagation (1,500 km / 1,000 miles) occasionally occurs on this band.
- 17 m (18.068 -18.168 MHz)
- Similar to 20 meters, but more sensitive to solar propagation minima and maxima. 17 meters is a WARC band.
- 20 m (14.100 – 14.350 MHz)
- 30 m (10.100 – 10.150 MHz)
- A very narrow band, which is shared with non-amateur services. It is recommended that only Morse code and data transmissions be used here, and in some countries amateur voice transmission is actually prohibited. For example, in the US, data, RTTY, and CW are the only modes allowed at a maximum 200 W peak envelope power (PEP) output. Not released for amateur use in a small number of countries. Due to its location in the center of the shortwave spectrum, this band provides significant opportunities for long-distance communication at all points of the solar cycle. 30 meters is a WARC band. “WARC” bands are so called due to the 1979 special World Administrative Radio Conference allocation of these newer bands to amateur radio use. Amateur radio contests are not run on the WARC bands.
- 40 m (7.000 – 7.200 MHz)
- Considered the most reliable all-season long distance (DX) band. Popular for DX at night, 40 meters is also reliable for medium distance (1,500 km / 1,000 miles) contacts during the day. Much of this band was shared with broadcasters, and in most countries the bottom 100 kHz or 200 kHz are available to amateurs. However, due to the high cost of running high-power commercial broadcasting facilities, decreased listenership, and increasing competition from Internet-based international broadcast services, many shortwave broadcasting services are being shut down, leaving the 40 meter band free of other users for amateur radio use.
- 80 m (3.500 – 3.800 MHz)
- Best at night, with significant daytime signal absorption. Works best in winter, due to atmospheric noise from hemispheric thunder storms during summer. Only countries in the Americas and few others have access to all of this band; in other parts of the world amateurs are limited to the bottom 300 kHz (or less) (85.65–83.28 m).In the US and Canada the portion of the band from 3.600–4.000 MHz, regulation permits use of single-sideband voice as well as AM voice; this sub-band is often referred to as “the 75 meter band”, in part to distinguish it from the internationally available frequencies below it.
- 160 m (1.810 – 2.000 MHz)
- Just above the commercial AM broadcast band. Allocations in this band vary widely from country to country; it was formerly shared with the largely defunct Loran-A radio navigation system. This band is often taken up as a technical challenge, since long distance (DX) propagation tends to be more difficult due to higher D layer ionospheric absorption. Long-distance propagation tends to occur only at night, and the band can be notoriously noisy particularly in the summer months.160 meters is also known as the “top band”. For many years it was the longest-wavelength amateur band; although often included among the shortwaves, it is located near the top end of the medium frequency band.
My favorite online store for buying in Canada is Radio World: https://www.radioworld.ca/
Other helpful links:
Calgary Radio Club: https://caraham.org/
RAQI РQu̩bec online course (only online accredited course offered in Canada I could find, this is what I signed up for!) https://raqi.ca/node/359
Radio Amateurs of Canada: just browse the site, it’s got a lot of information. Probably my favorite go-to resource. https://www.rac.ca/
Amazon book, it follows Canadian regulations.
Hamstudy Basic 2021/2022: Everything you need to know for your Canadian Amateur Radio Basic Qualification Exam Paperback – July 22 2021
Welcome to the Wonderful World of Amateur Radio!
Do you?
- enjoy the thought of communicating with people around the world without the use of phones or the Internet?
- like experimenting with electronics?
- like interfacing radio transmitters with your computer?
- want to serve your community at social events or during serious emergency situations?
- want to talk to astronauts in the International Space Station?
- look forward to developing new relationships and learning what is going on around world through the airwaves?
If you answered maybe or yes to any one or a few of these questions, then Amateur Radio may be for you and we are here to help you get started!
Amazon
Each region has their own rules and regulations when it comes to amateur radio so be sure to check your local jurisdiction.
76 to you all,
Greg
VE6GDL