Amateur Radio also known as Ham Radio is the practice of two way radio communication between two or more licensed amateur radio operators. Amateur Radio is used by those who have an interest in radio and electronic communication techniques, construction and operation for ensuing friendships with likely minded individuals throughout the world. It is not used as a means of profit or for business purposes.

The Amateur Radio Service is defined as "a radio communication service for the purpose of self-training, intercommunication and technical investigations carried out by amateurs, that is, duly authorized persons interested in radio techniques solely with a personal aim and without pecuniary (monetary) interest."

Amateur Radio is a worldwide service recognized in almost all countries. It helps the transmission and reception of radio signals as an amateur experimental activity. Radio Amateurs also place their services on a voluntary capacity in social service and emergency situations.

Amateur radio, has been around for over one hundred years, and is for people of all ages, including teens. It's a unique way to communicate over the airwaves with other people around the world of various age, professions and cultures.

There are over 3 Million licensed amateur radio operators throughout the world, and Sri Lanka has over 300 license holders. Amateur Radio operators come from various backgrounds, there are Engineers, Doctors, Accountants, Teachers, Farmers, Students and others in many professions who operate amateur radio. There are many who as youngsters started Amateur Radio as a hobby and later converted it to a career in Electronics and Communications. Amateur Radio is an ideal opportunity for those who are studying electronics and communication technologies to practically experiment and experience their subject theory.

There have been many famous people who were licensed amateur radio operators.

Former President of IESL Late Mr. B.D. Rampala was a well known licensed amateur radio operator in Sri Lanka.

Leaders of quite a few countries in the past were also well known amateur radio operators. Former King of Spain Juan Carlos, Late King Bhumiphol Adulayadej of Thailand, Late Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Late King Birendra of Nepal, Late King Hussein of Jordan were all famous amateur radio operators who communicated with fellow radio amateurs throughout the world.

Amateur radio operators use two-way radio stations from their homes, vehicles and outdoors to make contact with hundreds of other amateur radio operators around the world. They communicate with each other using voice, computers, and Morse code. Amateur radio operators use High Frequency (HF) radio signals to bounce their signals off the upper regions of the atmosphere, so they can talk with radio amateurs on the other side of the world. Some use satellites for communications. Many use hand-held portable radios that fit in their pockets for short range communication using VHF (Very High Frequency) and UHF (Ultra High Frequency) radio bands.

Radio Amateurs train and experiment in electronics, telecommunication techniques and radio wave propagation. The practical hands on experience gained by Radio Amateurs can be used in a wide range of disciplines. Some Radio Amateurs like to work on electronic circuits, building their own radios and antennas.

Some really dedicated radio amateurs enjoy taking the hobby to the extreme. This includes using satellites to communicate, bouncing radio signals off the moon, connecting local radio systems around the world though real-time Internet streaming audio, and even amateur television where operators can see each other as they talk. There are amateur radio operators who make contact with astronauts of the International Space Station and are thrilled to take a call from space!

A few pioneers in Amateur Radio have even contributed to advances in technology that we all enjoy today. Dedicated amateur radio experimenters have contributed heavily to the development of electronics technology. Amateur Radio provides opportunities of experimentation in a wide range of communication disciplines. Amateur radio activities have contributed to the development and breakthroughs in areas such as radio wave propagation research, packet radio, GPS based automatic position reporting systems, directional antenna design, improved utilization of the radio-frequency spectrum and satellites.

Amateur radio and new communication technologies

Amateur radio operators are experimenting by combining decades-old radio techniques with modern technology. Amateur digital communication began in earnest in the late 1940s when amateur radio operators worked out techniques of connecting mechanical Teletype keyboard/printers to amateur radio equipment. A variety of modes of communication like voice, text, image, and digital/data communications are used by Radio Amateurs for experimentation and communication. The spread of digital technologies has increased the options available for amateur radio operators.

Integration of Internet and amateur radio brought about significant increases in the availability of communication between amateurs wherever they are located. Amateur Radio repeater stations in many countries including Sri Lanka are now connected to Internet and are accessible to licensed amateur radio operators from anywhere in the world.

Since 1961 Radio amateurs have designed, constructed and arranged for the launch of more than 50 satellites which have been used for amateur radio communication. More amateur radio satellites are on the drawing boards in the workshops of amateur radio groups and Universities around the world. An amateur radio satellite is an artificial satellite built and used by amateur radio operators. These satellites use amateur radio frequency allocations to facilitate communication between amateur radio operators.

Most amateur radio satellites are identified as OSCAR satellites, which is an acronym for Orbiting Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio. These satellites can be used for free by licensed amateur radio operators for voice and data communications.

Currently, many fully operational amateur radio satellites that are in orbit act as repeaters, transponders or store and forward digital relays.

Throughout the years, amateur-satellites have helped make breakthroughs in the science of satellite communications. A few advancements include the launch of the first satellite voice transponder and the development of highly advanced digital "store-and-forward" messaging transponder techniques.

Amateur Radio License

An Amateur radio operator is a person who holds a valid amateur radio license to legally operate an amateur radio station. Radio Amateurs in each country are licensed by their government telecom regulatory administrations. Each licensee becomes a registered and identified user of radio communication equipment with an assigned amateur radio callsign. Once licensed, radio amateurs may operate an amateur radio transmitting station on designated radio frequency bands for their license class. License holders are also permitted to operate, design, build, modify and repair their own radio communication equipment.

In Sri Lanka, Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) is the authority that issues amateur radio licenses. To obtain an amateur radio license, one needs to pass an examination in radio communication theory and regulations. The minimum age for sitting the examination is 14 years.

The Radio Society of Sri Lanka (RSSL) which is the national body representing amateur radio operators of Sri Lanka provides help and guidance to newcomers to obtain their amateur radio licenses.

Amateur Radio in Emergency communications

Amateur radio is not only a fun pass time, but also helps out the general public in times of communication needs. This includes public events such as scout jamborees and even extends to natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and floods when conventional communications methods are out of service. Today, many Radio Amateurs are active in public service and emergency communications organizations. Amateur radio operators have played a prominent role in providing communications in the event of natural disaster or in civil emergency situations where existing data and voice networks are either inoperative or insufficient.

When natural or other disasters cause disruption or overloading to normal communication channels Radio Amateurs can swiftly and effectively respond and provide emergency communication services using their own equipment. Radio Amateurs take pride in their ability to provide this unique public service and maintain a state of readiness through regular training and practice of emergency communication drills and field exercises employing equipment powered from independent sources of electricity.

Most communication networks typically tend to fail in the aftermath of a disaster. The causes of failure include power outages exceeding communication network equipment backup battery lifetime, broken or downed communication lines and overloading of networks due to heavy traffic demands.

Most of modern communication services require reliable power supply and are interdependent on the backhaul connectivity to the core communication network. A single point of failure or disruption to any node/point in the interconnected network or the power supply would make these communication services unavailable.

Comparatively Amateur Radio relies on multiple sources of power supplies ranging from car batteries to household power and could provide communication links from point to point or point to multipoint without the need of any intermediate network points. The ability to quickly deploy communication gear to required locations and the availability of trained and licensed amateur radio operators who are willing to volunteer their services to provide emergency communication services makes amateur radio a valuable service in providing disaster relief emergency communication services.

In 1991, The Tampere Declaration on Disaster Communications encouraged the development of the amateur radio service and their application to disaster communications. The 2003 World Radio Communication Conference of the ITU (International Telecommunication Union) modified the Radio Regulations to make relief operations, such as disaster and emergency communications a part of the mandate of amateur radio.

Tsunami Disaster relief Amateur Radio communication network In the immediate aftermath of the Tsunami disaster in 2004 December, a massive relief operation was started to provide relief to those affected. A major hindrance to the relief efforts was the breakdown of the communication facilities to the affected areas. Most of the landline telephone exchanges in the affected areas were damaged due to flooding and mobile phone facilities were also disrupted due to the mobile radio base stations being damaged. The Electricity supply network was also disrupted in affected areas which resulted in the remaining telecommunication infrastructure facilities being inoperative.

The Radio Society of Sri Lanka (RSSL) spearheaded an operation to provide emergency communication links to facilitate disaster relief efforts by mobilising the RSSL members who were Licensed Amateur Radio operators. The RSSL together with the Government Information Communication and Technology Agency (ICTA) and the Prime Minister’s office coordinated the setting up of the emergency communication network.

Within hours of the Tsunami disaster at the request of the Prime Minister’s office, the first communication link was to be set up from Hambantota in Southern Sri Lanka to Colombo. A room in the official residence of the Prime Minister- “Temple Trees”, was converted to house the main communications centre. The Hambantota communications centre was set up at the Hambantota District Secretariat building.

The High Frequency radio communication link between Hambantota and Colombo that was set up by radio amateurs was used to pass disaster relief operational messages between Hambantota and Colombo. This was the only communication link to the outside world from Hambantota at that time until normal communication facilities were restored. In addition communication centres manned by amateur radio operators provided disaster relief communication facilities from Matara and Galle. A mobile team with communication facilities was mobilised to provide information on the amount of destruction along the coast from Colombo to Dickwella.

Since 1982 the town of Bad Bentheim in Germany presents the 'Golden Antenna' award to a radio amateur or an amateur radio group that utilises technology in connection with humanitarian work and to appreciate an outstanding humanitarian achievement on the field of amateur radio. The Golden Antenna 2005 was awarded to The Radio Society of Sri Lanka to honour the amateur radio operators in Sri Lanka for their work in emergency amateur radio communication operations after the tsunami catastrophe in December 2004.

2017 Floods

The RSSL and Sri Lanka Air Force collaborated to provide disaster relief communication facilities and the aftermath of the floods in May 2017. Two teams of amateur radio operators with their emergency communication equipment were airlifted to Ratnapura and Kalawana by Air Force helicopters to set up communication centres since regular communication facilities have been disrupted. The teams operated their radio stations for three days passing urgent medical messages and coordinating movement of food and relief material with local distribution network and Sri Lanka Air Force.

The Radio Society of Sri Lanka (RSSL)

The Radio Society of Sri Lanka (RSSL) is the national body representing licensed Amateur (Ham) Radio Operators in Sri Lanka and is a non profit organization. It was established over 60 years ago.

The Radio society of Sri Lanka is a member society of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU), which has the sector membership of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and is the recognized representative of the Amateur Radio and Amateur-Satellite Services at the ITU.

Becoming a member of RSSL entitles newcomers to have the guidance, experience and backing of licensed Radio Amateurs for obtaining an Amateur Radio license. RSSL looks after the interests of Radio Amateurs in Sri Lanka and represents them in matters affecting them to TRC, Ministry of Defense and other Authorities. RSSL also conducts monthly General Meetings, classes for members who intend to sit Radio Amateur exam, outings, contests and field trips to enhance the knowledge of Amateur Radio and to promote fellowship among members.

The RSSL operates VHF amateur radio repeaters in Yatiyantota, Piduruthalagala and Deniyaya to extend the range of radio communication for amateur radio operators. The RSSL also hosts and operates a High Frequency Radio Beacon in Sri Lanka which is one of the worldwide network of 18 radio beacons. These radio beacons help amateur and commercial high frequency radio users to assess the current radio propagation conditions of the ionosphere.

Any person who is interested in Electronics and/or Amateur Radio and desire to obtain and amateur radio license can obtain further details by visiting the RSSL Website at www.rssl.lk

Kusal Epa
MSc(Loughborough), CEng(UK), MIET, MIEEE, AMIESL

The writes is a licensed amateur radio operator and is employed as a Radio Communications Engineer in a Public Security and Law Enforcement Agency in the Australian Government. He can be reached via email - kusal@ieee.org