Beam Intermediate club teaches students how to use amateur radio

A new club at W.B. Intermediate School in Cherryville connects its members to people across the globe using technology that is more than 100 years old. Mark Reep, a longtime counselor at the school, picked up an interest in amateur radio back in 2006 when he earned his radio operator license. He recalls getting his license because he enjoyed communicating with people in far-away countries and…

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The Uncertain Future of Ham Radio

Software-defined radio and cheap hardware are shaking up a hobby long associated with engineering By Julianne Pepitone Will the amateur airwaves fall silent? Since the dawn of radio, amateur operators—hams—have transmitted on tenaciously guarded slices of spectrum. Electronic engineering has benefited tremendously from their activity, from the level of the individual engineer to the entire field.…

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