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Maybe you've seen the movie Independence Day, where they used Morse Code via military and amateur radio operators to coordinate an attack that saved the world from an alien invasion, or Transformers, where they use the old radios in the Hoover Dam command room to call in support. Things sure seemed to work back then, and still do. Many examples exist in the movies where the "old ham radios" are used to save people.
Getting by
Being an Amateur Radio Operator (a.k.a. Ham) requires a valid FCC license to operate a radio legally. There is a multitude of ways to obtain your Ham radio license. You'll have to pass a licensing exam, but learning the material is the vague part. You have a few options to get by:
Find a ham radio class and learn electronics, radio characteristics, and laws about operating a radio and the basics of how they work
Find a study guide or book on amateur radio and self-study the material
Find an online study guide or web-based course
Take practice exams until you learn the correct answers for the questions in the test bank
Read the questions and answers over and over until you remember which answer is associated with a question (the questions and answers are in the public domain)
When I passed my entry-level license exam, I studied the material and took the practice exams online at QRZ.com. After passing the proctored exam and paying the fee, I received my license information and call sign within a few days. This allowed me to operate a ham radio on the frequencies allowed for my license class. Did I know what I was doing? Hardly. Both of my boys passed their technician exam when they were 10 - and they knew hardly anything at the time.
What it did was let me enter a world where I began to learn just how much I didn't know about radios and amateur radio in general. I was licensed as a Technician class operator. This is currently the bottom - or entry-level - to the hobby. Technicians are limited to higher frequency bands, with the bottom being 6-meter (just above the old VHF-Low Band frequencies once used by state law enforcement and civil defense agencies). These frequencies have a limited range - unless atmospheric conditions cause ducting (bouncing in the atmosphere). Next is the General class, where operators can operate in different modes and have access to worldwide bands in the low frequencies. Transmissions in these bands allow people to talk using relatively low power for long distances... when conditions are right. The Amateur Extra is the highest class and gives operators full use of all amateur radio frequencies and modes.
Code work
Morse Code (also known as CW) is not widespread among many operators nowadays. The FCC dropped the morse code required to pass the licensing exams. There are now computer programs that can interpret and send morse code signals for operators if the operator has his computer connected to their radio. Most of the operators I know use voice communication for the most part. Morse Code has its place and can be used to get an intelligible message through with a poor signal or limited power when other methods fail.
Learning
Many people entering into amateur radio can now do so inexpensively. Some handheld radios can now be purchased for less than $100 and allow operators to talk in areas covered by repeaters. In the Tri-Cities area, there are more repeaters than cities - with each club owning its repeater (such as the Bristol Amateur Radio Club) and private individuals also operating repeaters and allowing other users free use. Most clubs post information on where to find and how to access their repeater on their websites.
With interaction among other hams and potentially even join a ham radio club, operators soon learn there is much more to learn than what they know. The hobby builds upon the people's interest and provides tools for experimentation and further learning as clubs offer speakers, and lectures, often even conducting experiments of their own.
The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is an organization of hams with a mission to support and propagate the hobby. The ARRL sponsors contests throughout the year and an annual Field Day contest where groups register and communicate using auxiliary power (not plugged into regular electrical outlets). These exercises are conducted to spur creativity and learning for hams.
Amateur radio operators have their satellites in orbit. There is usually a ham on board the International Space Station (ISS), where people can establish tracking antenna systems to talk to the ISS for brief periods. Each of these activities builds the desire of hams to learn and engage with the hobby.
Learning is fundamental to the expansion and propagation of the hobby. New uses for modern technology are often found in the amateur radio realm. The U.S. Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS) uses ham operators to provide auxiliary communication, as do emergency management officials in state and federal governments.
The hobby appears to be in a lull at times, but people are always experimenting and trying new things. Creativity and hands-on technical experiments have led to many major changes that have helped the public safety sector in the U.S. - and we can only expect things to continue in this route.
If you know someone thinking about ham radio, perhaps you should show them how inexpensive an entry-level radio is today and do a web search for your local amateur radio club.
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