Ham and Shortwave Radio for the Electronics Hobbyist

CHAPTER 1

Hobby Radio: A Technical Overview

Hobby radio encompasses three activities that anyone with a little spare cash and motivation can enjoy: shortwave listening (or SWL), Amateur Radio (also called ham radio), and Citizens Band radio (usually called CB radio). To some extent, they overlap, although ham radio stands above the other two in terms of “fascination potential” (in my opinion). Let’s glance at all three of these hobby radio specialties, and then we’ll review the basics of how radios work. I assume that you already know some electricity and electronics theory, and you’ve picked this book up because you want to take your hobby to new levels. If you need to refresh your memory, I recommend the latest edition of my book Teach Yourself ...