Sunday marks World Amateur Radio Day

World Amateur Radio Day is Sunday, April 18, the anniversary of the day in 1925 when the International Amateur Radio Union was formed in Paris.

World Amateur Radio Day celebrates the pioneering achievements and ongoing service of radio amateurs, also known as ham radio operators. The theme for 2021 WARD is “Amateur Radio: Home but Never Alone,” acknowledging the variety of activities and opportunities in ham radio that help overcome the feeling of social isolation experienced by many of us during the current pandemic.

ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio in the U.S., reports that there are more than 3 million radio amateurs throughout the world. In the United States, there are more than 778,000 licensed amateur radio operations and nearly 8,500 in Nevada.

ARRL includes 2,400 affiliated radio clubs nationwide. While physical distancing has limited many in-person activities to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus, many members of local radio clubs such as Las Vegas Amateur Radio Club, Henderson Amateur Radio Club, Nellis Amateur Radio Club, Amargosa Amateur Radio Club, Tahoe Amateur Radio Club and Sierra Nevada Amateur Radio Society, Inc. and many more in Clark, Nye, Elko, Douglas, and Washoe counties are using their home radio stations to continue to practice their personal radio communications capability.

Their use of radio signals, which reach beyond borders, brings people together culturally while providing essential communication in the service of communities.

In today’s electronic do-it-yourself environment, ham radio remains one of the best ways for people to learn about electronics, physics, meteorology and other scientific disciplines. Some hams, including members of the Clark County and Southern Nye County Amateur Radio Emergency Services, train throughout the year to serve their communities during emergencies and disasters, such as earthquakes and wildfires, if the standard communication infrastructure goes down.

There are hams of all ages, from 9 to 100. Many radio clubs provide support and training to help newcomers pass an Amateur Radio License examination.

A self-study license guide is available from ARRL at www.arrl.org/shop/Ham-Radio-License-Manual and for Kindle at www.amazon.com/dp/B07DFSW94G/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_63WmEbTX76KAB

For more information about World Amateur Radio Day and ham radio, contact John Bigley (N7UR), ARRL Nevada section manager, at n7ur@yahoo.com and visit www.arrl.org/what-is-ham-radio. Look for #WorldAmateurRadioDay posts on social media.