Ham Radio fosters the art and craft of radio communications. Topics of discussion pretty much covers what you observe on AAC.

General chit-chat usually begins with personal introductions, location, weather, interests, hobbies, and most of all the rig you are running.

 

Hello,

Anyway whom will I talk to? Other hams? How about those who are not hams?

Thanks

 

Well, if they are not hams, they are operating illegally. Hams are registered and licensed radio operators.

 

Well, if they are not hams, they are operating illegally. Hams are registered and licensed radio operators.

What are the consequences of operating illegally?

 

Hello,

Anyway whom will I talk to? Other hams? How about those who are not hams?

Thanks

You would talk mainly to other amateurs. Only licensed operators are allowed to transmit, although in most countries, other people are allowed to listen. Some very strict governments (China? Myanmar?) may not allow the public to listen to foreign radio transmissions. I do not know what the law may say in the Philippines.

Perhaps you might like to try to listen to amateurs to help you decide whether you really want to become a radio ham. To do that though, you would need a suitable radio receiver equipped for short-wave reception, or for receiving higher frequency VHF or UHF transmissions at frequencies above the normal FM broadcasts.

Unfortunately, most short-wave amateur transmissions are made using a system called Single Side Band (SSB), which can't normally be received on a normal broadcast short-wave set. There are hacks involving adding an oscillator to an ordinary set, but you may not be quite ready for that sort of thing yet.

 

Hello,

I would like to have a commercial radio station.

Here, in PH, commercial radio station often have programs which a person call to the station and they talk with the disk jockey with different topics or the topic/s assigned by the DJ. (The talked on air where people can hear it publicly)

I do not know what are the differences between amateur and commercial. At least, in commercial you may accept advertising.

Any help?

Lightfire

 

What are the consequences of operating illegally?

Confiscated equipment. Fines. Possibly prison. It will depend on where you live: this UK website talks of up to a year in jail.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/36/section/35

Edit: Perhaps in some countries with very severe penal codes (Iran?) the death penalty might not be out of the question. Some might think that mad, but it is surprising what can get you killed in certain areas, especially where there is conflict. Illegal radio operators might be treated as spies.

 

Hello,

I would like to have a commercial radio station.

Here, in PH, commercial radio station often have programs which a person call to the station and they talk with the disk jockey with different topics or the topic/s assigned by the DJ. (The talked on air where people can hear it publicly)

I do not know what are the differences between amateur and commercial. At least, in commercial you may accept advertising.

Any help?

Lightfire

You might start by looking up these words in a dictionary.

An amateur is someone who does something because he or she likes doing it, rather than as a job, or for profit. Thus we have professional sportsmen who are paid for what they do, and amateur sportsmen, who at least in principle are not paid. The word "amateur" comes to English from a French word that means someone who likes (or loves).

That gives us a noun (naming word) amateur, and the related adjective (describing word), which tells us that somebody or something has this quality of doing things for pleasure rather than business.

Commercial is a describing word meaning that something is done for business, for profit, as a matter of trade. The term commercial radio is used to set it apart from amateur radio, and also sometimes from government radio organisations like the BBC in my country, and some other "public service" broadcasting. Commercial radio often carries advertising, which other services may not. Amateurs certainly are not allowed to!

 

I was thinking that the punishment and/or enforcement of illegal broadcasting would pretty lax, based on the fact that I have never heard of anybody being accused or convicted of it. sort of "who really even does that?" . Well, the more I think of it, radio would be an excellent tool for spam. Imagine you're driving down the road listening to your favorite radio station and you pass by a spot where you music is bombarded with advertisements for "natural male enhancement" and "loose local singles". That never happens, so either its more expensive & trouble than its worth, or the lawmen are more apt to enforce it than I once thought.

 

Hello,

In Holland we have a special task force for tracing and confiscating illagal radio stations:

Radio Controle Dienst (RCD)

In the Netherlands, Agentschap Telecom (AT), is responsible for tracing and confiscating clandestine radio stations and monitoring the frequency spectrum in general. In the past, this organization has been known under different names and was at one time part of the Dutch Post Office (PTT). The organisation is based in Groningen and Amersfoort (Netherlands).

This quote is from this site:
http://www.cryptomuseum.com/df/rcd/index.htm

Bertus

 

HAMs exist because they are considered a national resource. If a disaster strikes many times HAMs are the only life link with the rest of the world. This is why most governments encourage the hobby.

In the USA you can use some bands as you would cell phones (before cell phones were common many people got a ticket to fill the same niche). The only rule was absolutely no business whatsoever.

No cell phones are common and relatively cheap that niche is gone, probably forever.

There is another provision made for amateur small power broadcast station. Some are pirate (and could be prosecuted) but others have a license. It is a bit more expensive, and is generally not the same hobby. DIY transmitters are not allowed I believe (but am not sure of this).

Another aspect of amateur radio is the hardware R&D, it allows people to build equipment themselves and learn. In some cases HAM hardware has been allowed extra space on satellite launches for free, an the hardware has been boosted into orbit. This is not cheap however, and I don't have any real details other than it has been done.

 

In the U.S., the FCC routinely issues a Notice of Apparent Liability to illegal operators, ham or not. These involve fines of up to $10,000, which the FCC routinely collects, and can lead to jail time for some. You don't usually read about this in the news media because it doesn't fit their requirement for hype-hype-and-more-hype, unless it somehow interferes with a police department or other significant legal user. Hams and others routinely report violators to the FCC in order to protect legal operators from illegal interference.

 

Hello,

I would like to have a commercial radio station.

Here, in PH, commercial radio station often have programs which a person call to the station and they talk with the disk jockey with different topics or the topic/s assigned by the DJ. (The talked on air where people can hear it publicly)

I do not know what are the differences between amateur and commercial. At least, in commercial you may accept advertising.

Any help?

Lightfire

If thats your goal I would start slow by starting a online / shoutcast radio station. Once you've built up enough listeners you would then be a lot more experienced to go for a AM license near your house. Then if that went good you could then consider trying to get an FM station or even talk to some of the satallite radio services. HDFM is also gonna allow for many more channels on the radio so it may get cheaper if all the new bandwidth isn't taken up. Otherwise you go pirate radio which is usually made or bought for cheap and broadcast a range from 2 blocks too a couple miles. They can find you and give you heavy fines though. The main issue is that you don't conflict with any other frequencies. I'm not condoning this or anything but its pretty common for college campuses to have em.

 

hello,

In Holland the commercial stations have to bid on the free frequencies.
Here is an overview of the 2003 action:
http://radio-tv-nederland.nl/nieuws/veiling.html

I have translated it using google:
http://translate.google.com/transla...o-tv-nederland.nl/nieuws/veiling.html&act=url

Bertus

 

I'm not condoning this or anything but its pretty common for college campuses to have em.

College campuses have licensed transmitters. They are covered under 47 CFR 73.506, Classes of noncommercial educational FM stations and channels.

Colleges who go the pirate radio route deserve the same punishment as pirate radio.

 

If thats your goal I would start slow by starting a online / shoutcast radio station. Once you've built up enough listeners you would then be a lot more experienced to go for a AM license near your house. Then if that went good you could then consider trying to get an FM station or even talk to some of the satallite radio services.

That would be a good idea. I already visited an online radio and I saw that there are about 100 visitors there.

However, I don't have enough Disc Jockeys.

I agree at JoeJester, University of the Philippines Los Baños here in our country have their own transmitter and they are licensed. Actually they won KBP award.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DZLB

Guys, why the sound effects of most tv stations, yes TV stations, are exactly the same? Are sound effects are standard and given to each TV stations exactly????

Thanks

 

In the olden days, each radio station had to have its own sound effects man. At the time, there was no other way. Over the years, the professional sound effects makers have published several recordings of their works, which they now license to TV and radio stations. The TV stations you watch may very well be using the same recorded sound effects. It is a lot cheaper than having your own sound effects expert on the set.

 

That would be a good idea. I already visited an online radio and I saw that there are about 100 visitors there.

However, I don't have enough Disc Jockeys.

I agree at JoeJester, University of the Philippines Los Baños here in our country have their own transmitter and they are licensed. Actually they won KBP award.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DZLB

Guys, why the sound effects of most tv stations, yes TV stations, are exactly the same? Are sound effects are standard and given to each TV stations exactly????

Thanks

You don't need a bunch of disc jockeys. Set up your promo's and commercials, then make a playlist of your music library for the day or a 6 hour period, then you could loop it. Many online radio stations only use about 4 hours of content a day and loop it. Also its not uncommon for good stations to have 1500+ listeners 24/7. Its gonna be affording the bandwidth thats gonna be the issue. Yes you can buy royaly free music. There is tons out their for purchase. Usually you'll buy a disc with 14 tracks or so. The each track has 5 different versions. a 15 second one, a 30 second one, a 1 minute one, and the full song at around 3 minutes. You can also buy discs of nothing but sound effects, lead ins, etc... I used to produce DVD's commercially so I had to learn all the music licensing stuff. The real replicators verify your music is licensed.

 

In the olden days, each radio station had to have its own sound effects man. At the time, there was no other way. Over the years, the professional sound effects makers have published several recordings of their works, which they now license to TV and radio stations. The TV stations you watch may very well be using the same recorded sound effects. It is a lot cheaper than having your own sound effects expert on the set.

That and most graphic and sound effects for network television are made by the network. So its not uncommon for Fox 14 in Houston, and Fox 13 in memphis to have the same lead ins, break in, etc... Fox is willing to pay real pro's to make their graphics and sound so they then give that out to all their stations to use and fill with their content. But the template is the same.

Sorry but this thread made me think of this from back in the day.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fASxVq3zlnI

 

Hello maxpower097,

Do you mean that so long as I buy I licensed music from a licensed dealer, I can already broadcast it on air? I thought I need a separate license from the one who made the song

Um, do you know of some tools that allow you broadcast on line?