cctvyj@sohu.com

美国HAM环境

我的HAM执照是在2002年获得的，也正是那时，我才有资格玩电台。

其实玩无线电台还更早些，记得儿时，每看到《无线电》杂志就有一种冲动，总想试试，其中就有对讲机。平日业余制作个蜂鸣器，练习电码。还记得大学有个同学在少年宫学习过莫尔斯电码，时常向我展示，可惜自己一点不会，只知道SOS（…---…），其他一无所知。

2000年伊始，又想玩玩电台了，考虑到应该办理一个合法手续。2002年先是加入学会，考取四级操作证，表明我有资格玩业余电台；随后就是验机，目前家里的四部电台全部是合法的。就像驾驶证和行驶本一样，驾驶证表明你有资格驾驶车辆，在HAM里称之为“操作证”，行驶本是车辆的合法证件，在HAM里称之为电台执照，表明你的电台可以入网。

我的关于HAM的博客http://blog.sina.com.cn/s/blog_646ae4950100o1h5.html。

2011年底调到美国工作。没想到，这里一位美国同事也是一名老HAM。经常介绍我一些当地HAM信息。隔三差五，拿几本QST杂志给我看，介绍我利用中国的呼号在美国怎样使用。在国内大家都知道或者常进入http://www.rachina.org.cn/，查询相关信息，而在美国也有对应的网站：http://www.arrl.org/。

呼号，英文是Call Sign。我在中国的呼号是BG1CHT，在美国是可以使用的，http://www.arrl.org/foreign-licenses-operating-in-u-s。

Foreign amateurs who wish to operate in the US and are not US licensees or citizens may do so in one of three ways:

·         If the country of which you are a citizen and an amateur licensee has entered into a multilateral operating agreement with the US, CEPT or IARP, no additional permit is required -- simply bring your CEPT or IARP documentation when you visit the US. Identify your station by the US call district identifier, such as W3/G1ABC. Use "W" and the number of the FCC call letter district in which you are operating followed by a slash and your home call sign (plus any other CEPT or IARP requirements). Amateurs must be a citizen of the country in which they are licensed. Check these links for a list of the US call districts shown graphically or for a text listing. And make sure to check the current information with the FCC. This is intended for short visits.

·         Or, if your country of citizenship and amateur license share a bilateralReciprocal Operating Agreement with the US, the FCC allows foreign amateurs to operate with no permit. Simply carry your foreign amateur license and proof of your citizenship in that country. Identify using "W" and the number of the FCC call letter district in which you are operating followed by a slash and your non-US call sign, e.g. W3/G1ABC). Amateurs must be a citizen of the country in which they are licensed. Check these links for a list of the US call districts shown graphically or for a text listing.

·         If your country of citizenship and amateur license is not named in lists of countries that have such agreements with the US, then no operating agreement is in effect between the US and that country--and operation is not possible in the US based on your home license. Should you wish to seek such an agreement between your home country and the US for the future, you may want to contact your national Amateur Radio society to request that they contact the responsible government official to request such an agreement with the US. US citizenship is not required to obtain a US license, but a US mailing address is. Once a person is prepared to take the US license examinations, licensing is possible in as little as a few days to a week. If a US license is held, no other reciprocal operating authority may be used for operation in the US

Check the list of countries which have signed a reciprocal operating agreement with the US. If your country of citizenship and amateur license is not named in the list above, see if it is possible to obtain a CEPT license or an IARP from your home country. If none these are possible, then no reciprocal operating authority is in effect between the US and that country and operation is not possible in the US.

Foreign amateurs may, however, obtain a US license by taking and passing the appropriate license. Find information on obtaining a US license here. A US mailing address is required for application purposes. If a US license of any class is held by the foreign amateur, it supercedes any other operating authority when operating in the US. In that case, the US license MUST be used in place of any other operating authority. If the country holds no reciprocal operating agreement with the US and does not participate in CEPT or IARP, a US license is the only option.

这无疑是个好消息，但是我不能将北京的所有器材运抵花生屯，虽然我的住处非常适合架设各种天线，但是和遗憾，只能隔岸观火，把玩一下理论，无法实战。

当然一些场合不用实战，随着计算机的发展，有一个软件“EchoLink”，利用PC实现HAM愿望，通过这个软件，同样可以通联。其原理很简单，你就想玩ＱＱ一样，但和你通联的时空中朋友，说白了就是一个中转站，将网络的呼叫变成电波，替你发射。

前两个月，闲暇时，搜寻附近的HAM店铺，还真找到一些，时常过去饱饱眼福。