Last updated 2026-10-06
In development
For an excellent “general overview” Media Guide to Amateur Radio, see:
A Media Guide to Amateur Radio
by Dan Romanchik KB6NU
I will be developing this Media Guide to Amateur Radio from the perspective of Zero Retries to provide more emphasis on digital modes and data communications. For now, here are a few points from top-of-mind:
One of the fastest-growing aspects of Amateur Radio is Software Defined Radio where the characteristics of a radio (type of transmission, choice of spectrum, etc.) can be altered in software rather than changing the hardware of a radio.
Amateur Radio has its own satellites for use by Amateur Radio Operators. The most prominent organizations for Amateur Radio satellites are AMSAT (US) and AMSAT-DL (Germany). There are two Amateur Radio stations on the International Space Station, supported by ARISS.
There are many data networks in operation on Amateur Radio spectrum, all over the world, with little or no dependence on other telecom infrastructure.
Unlike other radio services, Amateur Radio Operators can create their own unique radio systems and use them on Amateur Radio spectrum. Other radio services require an onerous approval process for creating new radio systems.
Winlink is an email system used within Amateur Radio which (optionally) interoperates with Internet email.
(To be continued.)