The Bridge - Issue 2, 2019 - 5

Amateur Radio for Electrical
and Computer Engineers
Amateur radio refers to the use of radio frequency technology for non-commercial purposes. Amateur
radio operators are allocated specific portions of the radio spectrum separate from those allocated for other
purposes, such as commercial broadcasting and communications for marine and aviation industries. Operators
must demonstrate knowledge of foundational principles, communications technology, and operational rules
to become licensed and to be issued a unique callsign. Ham radio permits a wide variety of communication
techniques and modes to be used for both short-range and long-range communication. For those with an
ECE background, the practical applications of ECE topics and opportunities for experimentation are notable. In
the U.S. and Canada, activities are supported by the ARRL, The National Association for Amateur Radio (www.
arrl.org) and Radio Operators of Canada (wp.rac.ca). More information can be found at the Engineering and
Technology History Wiki, see https://ethw.org/Amateur_Radio.

Perspectives on Amateur Radio

Howard Michel
(WB2ITX)
CEO, ARRL
IEEE President, 2015
IEEE Vice President,
Member & Geographic
Activities, 2011-12
HKN Gamma Kappa Chapter
"My story starts as a young
teenager. I wanted to
understand how radios
worked. I got my novice ham
ticket at 16 and upgraded to
General and Advanced within
a year. Ham radio started me
down a path in engineering
- in the Air Force, as a
Professor, founding CTO of a
tech startup in China, 2015
IEEE President, and currently
as CEO of ARRL. In the fifty
or so years since, I have
not lost the kick I get from
using technology that I have
mastered. To me, this
is the essence of my
ham radio hobby and my
professional career."

Thomas M. Coughlin
(KC6HOQ)
Coughlin Assoc. (Consultant)
IEEE-USA President, 2019
IEEE R6 Director, 2016-17
HKN Eta Chapter
"My first exposure to amateur
radio was in high school in
Sioux Falls, South Dakota. This
exposure to building antennas
and electronics, accessing
satellite images, etc., had
a big influence on me and
broadened my interest in
electronics. As I pursued
my career, amateur radio
has taught me the value of
thinking through how a device
works, in particular, learning
how to debug an electronic
circuit to get it to do what you
want it to do. It also taught
me some good lessons on
working on technical projects
with other people."

Witold M. Kinsner
(VE4WK)
Professor of ECE,
University of Manitoba, Canada
IEEE Vice President,
Educational Activities, 2018-19
IEEE Canada President /
R7 Director, 2016-17
HKN Eta Chapter
"Amateur radio is a
unique and unparalleled
experience in building your
own radios, antennas and
other equipment to connect
wirelessly with friends or
strangers. I have been
teaching ham radio to many
university, college, and highschool students so that they
would enhance their technical
knowledge and skills. Ham
radio does not distinguish
between the very young and
very seasoned individuals, but
becomes a friend of those
who are eager to discover
new insights in many areas of
engineering and technology.
Also, ham operators constitute
a community of explorers
dedicated to serving those in
need. Hams communicate
when all else fails."

Francis B. Grosz, Jr.
(K5FBG)
IEEE Vice President, Member &
Geographic Activities, 2019
IEEE R5 Director, 2016-17
HKN Alpha Chapter
"Amateur radio is a great
way to make friends and
learn about cultures all over
the world. Some hams have
made friends with whom
they talk daily or weekly for
decades. It is also a great
technical adjunct to an
electrical engineering career.
And, I can tell you from
experience that when disaster
strikes, amateur radio is the
one thing that still works."

HKN.ORG

http://www.arrl.org/ https://wp.rac.ca/ http://www.arrl.org https://ethw.org/Amateur_Radio http://www.hamsci.org/seqp http://www.arrl.org/ares https://wp.rac.ca/ares/ https://hkn.ieee.org/ https://hkn.ieee.org/

The Bridge - Issue 2, 2019

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