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Amateur radio operator

Operator of radio waves

Amateur radio operator
Summary

Operator of radio waves

Kenwood]] TM-D700E transceiver.

An amateur radio operator is someone who uses equipment at an amateur radio station to engage in two-way personal communications with other amateur operators on radio frequencies assigned to the amateur radio service. Amateur radio operators have been granted an amateur radio license by a governmental regulatory authority after passing an examination on applicable regulations, electronics, radio theory, and radio operation. As a component of their license, amateur radio operators are assigned a call sign that they use to identify themselves during communication. About three million amateur radio operators are currently active worldwide.

Amateur radio operators are also known as radio amateurs or hams. The term "ham" as a nickname for amateur radio operators originated in a pejorative usage (like "ham actor") by operators in commercial and professional radio communities, and dates to wired telegraphy. The word was subsequently adopted by amateur radio operators.

Demographics

CountryNumber of amateur
radio operators% populationYear of
ReportSource
748,5190.2232024url=http://www.arrl.org/fcc-license-countstitle=FCC License Countswork=arrl.comaccess-date=2024-06-07archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240607141726/http://www.arrl.org/fcc-license-countsarchive-date=2024-06-07url-status=live}}
381,8990.3042021
101,7630.1472018title=MCMC Register Of Apparatus Assignments Searchurl=https://www.mcmc.gov.my/en/legal/registers/register-of-apparatus-assignments-search?type=AARadioaccess-date=2023-12-17archive-date=16 December 2023archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231216172037/https://www.mcmc.gov.my/en/legal/registers/register-of-apparatus-assignments-search?type=AARadiourl-status=dead }}
240,0000.0172024
63,0700.0732019
70,1980.1872018url=http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2019/march/canada-amateur-radio-statistics.htmtitle=News - Canada: Amateur radio statistics 2018work=Southgate Amateur Radio Clublocation=Rayleigh, Essex, Englandaccess-date=20 November 2020archive-date=3 March 2019url-status=deadarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190303141441/http://www.southgatearc.org/news/2019/march/canada-amateur-radio-statistics.htm }}
58,7000.1271999
75,6600.1142018
42,6320.0822012url=http://www.iaru-r3.org/15r3c/docs/019.doctitle=Triennial Report from KARLwork=iaru-r3.orgaccess-date=2012-11-04archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160202022502/http://www.iaru-r3.org/15r3c/docs/019.docarchive-date=2016-02-02url-status=dead }}
38,0000.0261993
32,0530.0161997
32,0000.0372023
30,0000.0491993
27,8150.0111997
13,5000.0192022
17,2650.0372000
16,8890.0421999
15,8050.0412024
15,4480.0602023
15,6790.0012000
12,7900.1132023
12,5820.072018
11,2730.032023
9,0790.1522022
6,5000.3172000
6,9300.0772022url=https://www.fb.gv.at/dam/jcr:78fda5c9-4e40-45b4-a48c-36d14d7b7692/Rufzeichenliste_AT_Stand_010222.pdftitle=Rufzeichenliste österreichischer Amateurfunkstellenaccess-date=2022-02-15archive-date=10 August 2022archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220810204451/https://www.fb.gv.at/dam/jcr:78fda5c9-4e40-45b4-a48c-36d14d7b7692/Rufzeichenliste_AT_Stand_010222.pdfurl-status=dead }}
6,0000.121994
6,0000.0121994
6,8180.1252022
5,3320.052023url=https://www.ctu.cz/vyhledavaci-databaze/databaze-pridelenych-radiovych-kmitoctu-podle-vydanych-pridelu-a-individualnich-opravneni/amaterititle=Individual licenses and call signs of Radio Amateur Service stationswork=ctu.czaccess-date=2023-09-21archive-date=5 October 2023archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231005153657/https://www.ctu.cz/vyhledavaci-databaze/databaze-pridelenych-radiovych-kmitoctu-podle-vydanych-pridelu-a-individualnich-opravneni/amateriurl-status=live }}
5,1160.0512023
5,0000.0902016url=http://www.sral.fi/info/archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040601133035/http://sral.fi/info/url-status=deadarchive-date=2004-06-01title=Mitä radioamatööritoiminta on?website=SRAL.fiaccess-date=2016-03-06}}
3,9620.0562020url=http://callbook.yu1srs.org.rs/list/operatortitle=YU Amateur Radio Call Bookwork=yu1srs.org.rsaccess-date=2020-03-30archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190917051420/http://callbook.yu1srs.org.rs/list/operatorarchive-date=2019-09-17url-status=live}}
3,5270.0182017url=http://www.ancom.org.ro/radioamatori_2899title=ANCOM Callbook Radioamatoriwebsite=ancom.org.roaccess-date=11 January 2018archive-date=11 January 2018archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180111165515/http://www.ancom.org.ro/radioamatori_2899url-status=live }}
3,2340.0332023url=https://nmhh.hu/amator/call_sign_book.xmltitle=call_sign_book.xmlwebsite=nmhh.huaccess-date=28 March 2023archive-date=28 March 2023archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230328114201/https://nmhh.hu/amator/call_sign_book.xmlurl-status=live }}
1,9450.0392020title=COMREG Licensing Databaseurl=https://www.comreg.ie/industry/radio-spectrum/licensing/statistics/url-status=liveaccess-date=2021-04-18website=www.comreg.iedate=7 March 2016archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171024032222/https://www.comreg.ie/industry/radio-spectrum/licensing/statistics/archive-date=24 October 2017 }}
1,7450.0322023url=https://www.teleoff.gov.sk/data/files/204.doctitle=List of Slovakia Radio Amateur call signswork=teleoff.gov.skaccess-date=2023-09-21archive-date=5 October 2023archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231005153656/https://www.teleoff.gov.sk/data/files/204.docurl-status=dead }}
7000.0522020

Few governments maintain detailed demographic statistics of their amateur radio operator populations, aside from recording the total number of licensed operators. The majority of amateur radio operators worldwide reside in the United States, Japan, and the nations of East Asia, North America, and Europe. The top five countries by percentage of the population are Slovenia, Japan, the United States, Canada, and Denmark. Only the governments of Yemen and North Korea currently prohibit their citizens from becoming amateur radio operators. Although not officially outlawed, it is effectively impossible to become licensed in Eritrea as well, and there are no licensed operators in Eritrea. There are also very few if any operators in Turkmenistan and Myanmar. In other countries, acquiring an amateur radio license is difficult because of the bureaucratic processes or fees that place access to a license out of reach for most citizens. Most nations permit foreign nationals to earn an amateur radio license, but very few amateur radio operators are licensed in multiple countries.

Gender

In the vast majority of countries, the population of amateur radio operators is predominantly male. In China, 12% of amateur radio operators are women, while approximately 15% of amateur radio operators in the United States are women. The Young Ladies Radio League is an international organization of female amateur radio operators.

A male amateur radio operator can be referred to as an OM, an abbreviation used in Morse code telegraphy for "old man", regardless of the operator's age. A single female amateur radio operator can be referred to as a YL, from the abbreviation used for "young lady", regardless of the operator's age. A licensed married female is sometimes referred to as an XYL. The term "XYL" also often means the wife of a licensed amateur oprator, whether or not she is herself licensed.

Age

Most countries do not have a minimum age requirement in order to earn an amateur radio license and become an amateur radio operator. Although the number of amateur radio operators in many countries increases from year to year, the average age of amateur radio operators is relatively high. In some countries, the average age is 68 years old.

The unfavourable age distribution has led to a slow decrease in amateur operator numbers in most industrialised countries due to attrition, but in countries which do not apply yearly licence fees, the effects are not immediately noticed. It has been estimated from German statistics, which are considered the most reliable, that the net decrease currently is in the order of 1 to 1.5% per year. The average age of most amateur radio operators is approaching 70 in most European countries.

Some national radio societies have responded to the aging ham population by developing programs specifically to encourage youth participation in amateur radio, such as the American Radio Relay League's Amateur Radio Education and Technology Program. The World Wide Young Contesters organization promotes youth involvement, particularly among Europeans, in competitive radio contesting. A strong tie also exists between the amateur radio community and the Scouting movement to introduce radio technology to youth. WOSM's annual Jamboree On The Air is Scouting's largest activity, with a half million Scouts and Guides speaking with each other using amateur radio each October.

US amateurs by state

StateTotal%RankClub
AA40.00590
AE1570.02560
AK38470.464580
AL132281.5922244
AP1440.02571
AR89141.0731129
AS250.00583
AZ221662.7812249
CA11578713.9311528
CO203692.4516222
CT81780.9832188
DC5870.075254
DE19300.235038
FL468565.643610
GA206502.4814390
GU3340.045413
HI43860.5343117
IA69930.8435119
ID104041.252885
IL214672.5813367
IN167982.0218303
KS79530.9633143
KY103761.2529147
LA68230.8237166
MA146411.7621272
MD121391.4625184
ME49800.604181
MI228342.759375
MN125201.5123185
MO166992.0119262
MP3530.045318
MS58490.7039131
MT44500.544263
NC235492.838337
ND17290.215153
NE40830.494481
NH60350.7338112
NJ148341.7820295
NM72370.8734131
NV89181.0730112
NY295883.566531
OH301483.635511
OK107011.2927152
OR222422.6810354
PA261323.147437
PR51170.6240108
RI21430.264871
SC108441.3026147
SD21220.264933
TN204162.4615261
TX584157.032737
UT195132.3517116
VA222172.6711298
VI2980.045527
VT23070.284659
WA374944.514515
WI121781.4724215
WV68540.823678
WY22810.274737

NOTE:

AA..US Armed Forces Americas

AE..US Armed Forces Africa/Canada/Europe/Middle East

AP..US Armed Forces Pacific

AS..American Samoa

GU..Guam

MP..Mariana Islands

PR..Puerto Rico

VI..US Virgin Islands

Canadian amateurs by province

ProvinceTotalRank
AB77004
NL147310
ON232701
YT21412
BC188273
NS26475
PE31111
ZZ17747
MB21616
NT9513
QC190392
NB16888
NU2814
SK16249

NOTE:

ZZ..Canadian amateurs outside of Canada

Silent Key

When referring to a person, the phrase Silent Key, and its abbreviation SK, is a euphemism for an amateur radio operator who is deceased. The procedural signal "" (or "") has historically been used in Morse code as the last signal sent from a station before ending operation, usually just before shutting off the transmitter. Since this was the last signal received by other operators, the code was adopted to refer to any amateur radio operator who is deceased, regardless of whether they were known to have used telegraphy in their communications.

Notable amateur radio operators

  • Achille and Giovanni Battista
  • Alan Moller
  • Albert Gerald Sayre
  • Albert II, Prince of Monaco
  • Alfred J. Gross
  • Allen Fairhall
  • Alvin Devane
  • Alvino Rey
  • Andy Sannella
  • Andy Thomas
  • Anthony W. England
  • Armas Valste
  • Arnie Coro
  • Art Bell
  • Arthur A. Collins
  • Arthur Godfrey
  • Artie Moore
  • Attilio Gatti
  • Augie Hiebert
  • Barbara Morgan
  • Barry Goldwater
  • Bdale Garbee
  • Bhumibol Adulyadej
  • Bob Heil
  • Bob Tanna
  • Bob Tomalski
  • Brian Rix
  • Brice Phillips
  • Bruce Perens
  • Carl Bødtker
  • Carl Sassenrath
  • Carver Mead
  • Catherine Coleman
  • Cathryn Mitchell
  • Charles E. Apgar
  • Charles E. Brady Jr.
  • Charles Simonyi
  • Charles Tart
  • Chaaru Haasan
  • Chet Atkins
  • Chuck Forsberg
  • Clarence C. Moore
  • Clarence D. Tuska
  • Clay T. Whitehead
  • Clifford Stoll
  • Clive Meredith
  • Curtis LeMay
  • Dalton Pritchard
  • Daniel C. Burbank
  • Dave Rowntree
  • David Boggs
  • David L. Mills
  • David M. Brown
  • David Packard (HP) W6YX
  • Dean Spratt
  • Diana Eng
  • Dick Rutan
  • Dick Smith
  • Don Lancaster
  • Donald Howard Menzel
  • Douglas Mackiernan
  • E. W. Bedford
  • Ebbe Hoff
  • Ed Iskenderian
  • Edward K. Beale
  • Edward S. Rogers Sr.
  • Emily Calandrelli
  • Eric Cole
  • Ernest Lehman
  • Ernst Krenkel
  • Florence Violet McKenzie
  • Francesco Cossiga
  • Francis G. Rayer
  • Fred Judd
  • Friedhelm Hillebrand
  • Garry Shandling
  • George Fischbeck
  • George Sassoon
  • George Sweigert
  • Gladys Kathleen Parkin
  • Glen P. Robinson
  • Gordon Eugene Martin
  • Gordon Pettengill
  • Gordon S. Marshall
  • Greg Walden
  • Grote Reber
  • Guglielmo Marconi
  • Haakon Sørbye
  • Hank Magnuski KA6M
  • Hans Peter Anvin
  • Hans Schlegel
  • Harold A. Zahl
  • Harold Dorschug
  • Harold E. Taylor
  • Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper
  • Helen Sharman
  • Henri G. Busignies
  • Henry Bourne Joy
  • Henry Feinberg
  • Herbert Hoover Jr.
  • Hiram Percy Maxim
  • Hiroshi Amano
  • Howard Gerrish
  • Howard Hughes
  • Howard J. Brewington
  • Hugo Gernsback
  • Hussein of Jordan
  • Ian Orr-Ewing
  • Jacob Beser
  • Jack Kilby
  • James Harvey Brown
  • Jamie Dupree
  • Jan Dahm
  • Jason Morrison
  • Jay Maynard
  • Jean Shepherd
  • Jeff Pulver
  • Jenean Hampton
  • Jeri Ellsworth
  • Jerry Lawson
  • Jimmy Treybig
  • Joe Barr
  • Joe Rudi
  • Joe Walsh
  • John Ambrose Fleming
  • John Baldacci
  • John H. DeWitt Jr.
  • John Gilmore
  • John Lees
  • John Quade
  • John Scott Redd
  • Johnny Donovan
  • Johnny Kwango
  • Josaphat Chichkov
  • Joseph Hooton Taylor Jr.
  • Jure Šterk
  • Karl Rothammel
  • Kenneth D. Cameron
  • Kevin Alfred Strom
  • Kevin Mitnick
  • Kurt Carlsen
  • Larry Ferrari
  • Laurel Clark
  • Laurie Margolis
  • Lawrie Brown
  • Lelia Constantza Băjenescu
  • Len Jarrett
  • Leo Beranek
  • Leo C. Young
  • Leo Laporte
  • Leonard Danilewicz
  • Leslie R. Mitchell
  • Lester Dent
  • Lester Picker
  • Linda M. Godwin
  • Loyd Sigmon
  • Ludomir Danilewicz
  • Manuel J. Fernandez
  • Marlon Brando
  • Marshall D. Moran
  • Martin Block
  • Martin F. Jue
  • Martin J. Fettman
  • Matthew Sands
  • Maximilian Kolbe
  • Michael Bloomberg
  • Naomi Uemura
  • Nariman Printer
  • Nevil Maskelyne
  • Nigel Roberts
  • Otakar Batlička
  • Owen Garriott
  • Palden Thondup Namgyal
  • Paul Flaherty
  • Paul Horowitz
  • Paul Tibbets
  • Percy Jones
  • Pertti Kärkkäinen
  • Phil Karn KA9Q
  • Qaboos bin Said al Said
  • Rajiv Gandhi
  • Ray Szmanda
  • Red Blanchard
  • Richard Garriott
  • Richard Lindzen
  • Rik Jaeken
  • Robert C. Michelson
  • Roberto Vittori
  • Rod Holt
  • Ron Przybylinski
  • Ronald Parise
  • Ronnie Milsap
  • Ross Gunn
  • Rudy Van Gelder
  • Rupert Goodwins
  • Sandra Magnus
  • Serena Auñón-Chancellor
  • Sergei Avdeyev
  • Sergei Krikalev
  • Serhii Rebrov
  • Seth Shostak
  • Seymour Kneitel
  • Sidney Wilcox McCuskey
  • Stan Gibilisco
  • Stanley Jungleib
  • Steff Gruber
  • Steve Jobs
  • Steve Wozniak
  • Steven R. Nagel
  • Swami Parijnanashram III
  • Ted David
  • Tim Allen
  • Tim Samaras
  • Titu-Marius Băjenescu
  • Tom Baugh
  • Tom Christian
  • Tony Randel
  • Tsuneyoshi Yamano
  • Tyrteu Rocha Vianna
  • Ulrich L. Rohde
  • Victor Poor
  • W. A. S. Butement
  • Wacław Łukaszewicz
  • Walter Cronkite
  • Ward Cunningham
  • Warren B. Offutt
  • Wasil Ahmad
  • Wau Holland
  • Wayne Green
  • William B. Bridges
  • William Elvin Jackson
  • William Campbell James Meredith
  • William I. Orr
  • Yoritake Matsudaira
  • Yuri Gagarin
  • Yvette Pierpaoli
  • Fritz Maytag K6FLM

References

References

  1. Silver, H Ward. (23 April 2004). "Ham Radio for Dummies". Wiley Publishing.
  2. Hall, L. C.. (January 1902). "Telegraph Talk and Talkers".
  3. "Word Origins - Ham".
  4. "FCC License Counts". arrl.com.
  5. "Hamlife.jp Database Ministry of Communication".
  6. "MCMC Register Of Apparatus Assignments Search".
  7. [[Chinese Radio Amateurs Club. (2024-06-30). "C类业余无线电台操作技术能力验证考核首次在济南举行".
  8. (2019). "Amateurfunk". Bundesnetzagentur.
  9. "News - Canada: Amateur radio statistics 2018". Southgate Amateur Radio Club.
  10. "How many UK radio amateurs are there?".
  11. "Triennial Report from KARL". iaru-r3.org.
  12. (14 March 2023). "Deprem sonrası amatör telsizci başvuruları arttı".
  13. REF preliminary callsign statistics
  14. "UKE Radioamator".
  15. "ACMA Radiocomms license data".
  16. SSA callsign statistics published in QTC 11/2023
  17. "Staat van de Ether 2018".
  18. "Energistyrelsen Frekvensregister".
  19. "Rufzeichenliste österreichischer Amateurfunkstellen".
  20. Nkom callsign statistics
  21. "Individual licenses and call signs of Radio Amateur Service stations". ctu.cz.
  22. "Mitä radioamatööritoiminta on?".
  23. "YU Amateur Radio Call Book". yu1srs.org.rs.
  24. "ANCOM Callbook Radioamatori".
  25. "call_sign_book.xml".
  26. (7 March 2016). "COMREG Licensing Database".
  27. (20 August 2020). "Population and Migration Estimates April 2020 - CSO - Central Statistics Office".
  28. "List of Slovakia Radio Amateur call signs". teleoff.gov.sk.
  29. Chinese Radio Sports Association. (2004). "The Current Status of Amateur Radio in the Mainland of China".
  30. Harker, Kenneth E. (15 March 2005). "A Study of Amateur Radio Gender Demographics". ARRL.org.
  31. "The ARRL Amateur Radio Education & Technology Program". ARRL.org.
  32. (September 2006). "All about JOTA". Scout.org.
  33. [http://hamdata.com/states.html Amateurs by State] generates a SSL_ERROR_UNSUPPORTED_VERSION error message
  34. "Reporting a Silent Key". Amateur Radio Relay League.
  35. "CW Operating Aids". AC6V.
  36. "David Packard and Amateur Radio". Stanford University.
  37. "List".
  38. "ULS License - Vanity License - K6FLM - Maytag, Frederick L".
Wikipedia Source

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