The Club
The Hobby

The Georgian Bay Amateur Radio Club

We are an amateur radio group based in central Ontario Canada catering to those with an interest in the hobby of radio.


September 2021 Newsletter Click Here

About Amateur Radio

What is amateur radio?

Amateur radio is a popular technical hobby and volunteer public service. As a radio amateur, you can transmit and receive radio signals on frequency bands allocated for use by amateur radio amateurs. Amateur radio operators use these designated bands of radio frequencies for non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communications. A 1910 announcement by the then HM Postmaster General licensed 'experimental wireless', which still uniquely gives radio amateurs the ability to innovate without commercial or statutory controls even in the closely regulated environment of the 21st century. Amateur radio is the only hobby governed by international treaty.
Amateur radio operators use the amateur radio bands for a variety of purposes:

Contacting people all over the world by radio which often leads to developing international friendships Competing in international competitions to test the effectiveness of their equipment and their skill as a radio operator
Technical experimentation  - many of the leaps forward in radio technology have been initiated by radio amateurs

Communication through amateur space satellites or with the International Space Station (which carries an amateur radio station)
Providing communications at times of emergencies and undertaking exercises to maintain that capability

There is no better way to explore the fascinating world of radio communications than by becoming a radio amateur.

What can I do with a ham radio?

Local operation with F.M. repeaters
Long distance (around the world) operation with H.F.
"Chat" with text over the radio with R.T.T.Y. (Radio Teletype)
Network computers over the radio with Packet
Send video over the radio with A.T.V. (Amateur Television)
Design and build antennas
Emergency Communications Amateur Radio Emergency Service Grey County
Assist others to join the hobby through radio courses
Many ham radio operators volunteer their time and use ham radio primarily for local public service events such as races, parades, city festivals, etc. Skills learned helping with such things are useful in emergencies when regular local communications such as home telephones and cell phones are not available due to disasters such as terrorism, tornadoes, hurricanes, etc.

Some hams like to communicate across the country or the other side of the globe. There are some that like to use satellites or bounce their signal off of the moon and others have even spoken with astronauts on the International Space Station.

Ham radio will begin new friendships for you either through an amateur radio club that may be located in your town or over the air.

Remember: When the telephone lines are down the hams are up!