Essex Ham was out-and-about this morning spreading the word about amateur radio.
Pete M0PSX has been asked to talk on the subject of amateur radio to the ladies and gents of the Links Club, a group that meets weekly at Leigh Road Baptist Church, in Leigh-on-Sea. The group is for the active retired and young at heart, and they have a busy social calendar including outings and speakers from all walks of life.
One of the main reasons for forming Essex Ham was to promote the amateur radio hobby in Essex, and this was a great opportunity to give an overview of UK amateur radio, discuss some of the history of radio, and hopefully spread the word that amateur radio is alive and active across Essex.
Today’s talk seemed to be well-received, with some positive comments received, and some good audience questions. The debt we owe to Marconi was raised (from a former Marconi worker), as was RADAR and its importance in World War II. Several attendees picked up leaflets, either for themselves or for family members, and it’s possible that some of the audience may consider taking their first steps into the world of the radio ham.
The talk
Pete put together a talk that is aimed at those unfamiliar with amateur radio, and fits comfortably into the hour normally afforded at such events. The talk uses a mix of Powerpoint slides, audio clips, props and video. There’s also a couple of audience participation moments, with one volunteer picked to do a sample QSO. Material covered includes:
- The history of amateur radio
- Introduction to callsigns
- How amateur radio works
- Q Codes and QSL Cards
- Amateur radio activities in Essex
- Foundation training
What is Amateur Radio? The video
The talk was the perfect opportunity roll out the latest bit of Essex Ham training material, a new 7 minute video explaining the basics of the amateur radio hobby, and touching on how to get started on the Foundation course. Some of the material has been lifted from our “Welcome To Amateur Radio” video, with is primarily aimed that those about to start on a Foundation course, but this hopefully gives a broad idea of the hobby to those not familiar with ham radio:
Looking for a speaker for your club or group?
If you’re looking for speakers in the Southend-on-Sea area to give a one hour talk on amateur radio, please get in touch, as the Essex Ham “What is Amateur Radio” talk could be of interest to the members of your group.
Related links
- See our What is Amateur Radio page.
- Amateur Radio training in Essex
