Amateur radio operator

Operator of radio waves

NASA astronaut Col. Doug Wheelock, KF5BOC, Expedition 24 flight engineer, operates the NA1SS ham radio station in the Zvezda Service Module of the International Space Station. Equipment is a Kenwood TM-D700E transceiver.

An amateur radio operator is someone who uses equipment at an amateur radio station to engage in two-way personal communications with other amateur operators on radio frequencies assigned to the amateur radio service. Amateur radio operators have been granted an amateur radio license by a governmental regulatory authority after passing an examination on applicable regulations, electronics, radio theory, and radio operation. As a component of their license, amateur radio operators are assigned a call sign that they use to identify themselves during communication. About three million amateur radio operators are currently active worldwide.[1]

Amateur radio operators are also known as radio amateurs or hams. The term "ham" as a nickname for amateur radio operators originated in a pejorative usage (like "ham actor") by operators in commercial and professional radio communities, and dates to wired telegraphy.[2][3] The word was subsequently[when?] adopted by amateur radio operators.[citation needed]

## Demographics

[edit]

Country  | Number of amateur
radio operators  | % population  | Year of
Report  | Source

|
|
|
|

United States | 748,519  | 0.223  | 2024  | [4]
Japan | 381,899  | 0.304  | 2021  | [5]
Thailand | 101,763  | 0.147  | 2018  | [6]
China | 240,000  | 0.017  | 2024  | [7]
Germany | 63,070  | 0.073  | 2019  | [8]
Canada | 70,198  | 0.187  | 2018  | [9]
Spain | 58,700  | 0.127  | 1999  | [6]
United Kingdom | 75,660  | 0.114  | 2018  | [10]
South Korea | 42,632  | 0.082  | 2012  | [11]
Russia | 38,000  | 0.026  | 1993  | [6]
Brazil | 32,053  | 0.016  | 1997  | [6]
Turkey | 32,000  | 0.037  | 2023  | [12]
Italy | 30,000  | 0.049  | 1993  | [6]
Indonesia | 27,815  | 0.011  | 1997  | [6]
France | 13,500  | 0.019  | 2022  | [13]
Ukraine | 17,265  | 0.037  | 2000  | [6]
Argentina | 16,889  | 0.042  | 1999  | [6]
Poland | 15,805  | 0.041  | 2024  | [14]
Australia | 15,448  | 0.060  | 2023  | [15]
India | 15,679  | 0.001  | 2000  | [6]
Sweden | 12,790  | 0.113  | 2023  | [16]
Netherlands | 12,582  | 0.07  | 2018  | [17]
Malaysia | 11,273  | 0.03  | 2023  | [6]
Denmark | 9,079  | 0.152  | 2022  | [18]
Slovenia | 6,500  | 0.317  | 2000  | [6]
Austria | 6,930  | 0.077  | 2022  | [19]
New Zealand | 6,000  | 0.12  | 1994  | [6]
South Africa | 6,000  | 0.012  | 1994  | [6]
Norway | 6,818  | 0.125  | 2022  | [20]
Czech Republic | 5,332  | 0.05  | 2023  | [21]
Portugal | 5,116  | 0.051  | 2023
Finland | 5,000  | 0.090  | 2016  | [22]
Serbia | 3,962  | 0.056  | 2020  | [23]
Romania | 3,527  | 0.018  | 2017  | [24]
Hungary | 3,234  | 0.033  | 2023  | [25]
Ireland | 1,945  | 0.039  | 2020  | [26][27]
Slovakia | 1,745  | 0.032  | 2023  | [28]
Estonia | 700  | 0.052  | 2020

Few governments maintain detailed demographic statistics of their amateur radio operator populations, aside from recording the total number of licensed operators. The majority of amateur radio operators worldwide reside in the United States, Japan, and the nations of East Asia, North America, and Europe. The top five countries by percentage of the population are Slovenia, Japan, the United States, Canada, and Denmark. Only the governments of Yemen and North Korea currently prohibit their citizens from becoming amateur radio operators. Although not officially outlawed, it is effectively impossible to become licensed in Eritrea as well, and there are no licensed operators in Eritrea. There are also very few if any operators in Turkmenistan and Myanmar. In other countries, acquiring an amateur radio license is difficult because of the bureaucratic processes or fees that place access to a license out of reach for most citizens. Most nations permit foreign nationals to earn an amateur radio license, but very few amateur radio operators are licensed in multiple countries.[citation needed]

### Gender

[edit]

In the vast majority of countries, the population of amateur radio operators is predominantly male. In China, 12% of amateur radio operators are women,[29] while approximately 15% of amateur radio operators in the United States are women.[30] The Young Ladies Radio League is an international organization of female amateur radio operators.[citation needed]

A male amateur radio operator can be referred to as an OM, an abbreviation used in Morse code telegraphy for "old man", regardless of the operator's age. A single female amateur radio operator can be referred to as a YL, from the abbreviation used for "young lady", regardless of the operator's age. A licensed married female is sometimes referred to as an XYL. The term "XYL" also often means the wife of a licensed amateur oprator, whether or not she is herself licensed.

### Age

[edit]

Most countries do not have a minimum age requirement in order to earn an amateur radio license and become an amateur radio operator. Although the number of amateur radio operators in many countries increases from year to year,[citation needed] the average age of amateur radio operators is relatively high. In some countries, the average age is 68 years old.[citation needed]

The unfavourable age distribution has led to a slow decrease in amateur operator numbers in most industrialised countries due to attrition, but in countries which do not apply yearly licence fees, the effects are not immediately noticed. It has been estimated from German statistics, which are considered the most reliable, that the net decrease currently is in the order of 1 to 1.5% per year.[citation needed] The average age of most amateur radio operators is approaching 70 in most European countries.[citation needed]

Some national radio societies have responded to the aging ham population by developing programs specifically to encourage youth participation in amateur radio, such as the American Radio Relay League's Amateur Radio Education and Technology Program.[31] The World Wide Young Contesters organization promotes youth involvement, particularly among Europeans, in competitive radio contesting. A strong tie also exists between the amateur radio community and the Scouting movement to introduce radio technology to youth. WOSM's annual Jamboree On The Air is Scouting's largest activity, with a half million Scouts and Guides speaking with each other using amateur radio each October.[32]

### US amateurs by state

[edit]

State | Total | % | Rank | Club

|
|
|
|

AA | 4 | 0.00 | 59 | 0
AE | 157 | 0.02 | 56 | 0
AK | 3847 | 0.46 | 45 | 80
AL | 13228 | 1.59 | 22 | 244
AP | 144 | 0.02 | 57 | 1
AR | 8914 | 1.07 | 31 | 129
AS | 25 | 0.00 | 58 | 3
AZ | 22166 | 2.78 | 12 | 249
CA | 115787 | 13.93 | 1 | 1528
CO | 20369 | 2.45 | 16 | 222
CT | 8178 | 0.98 | 32 | 188
DC | 587 | 0.07 | 52 | 54
DE | 1930 | 0.23 | 50 | 38
FL | 46856 | 5.64 | 3 | 610
GA | 20650 | 2.48 | 14 | 390
GU | 334 | 0.04 | 54 | 13
HI | 4386 | 0.53 | 43 | 117
IA | 6993 | 0.84 | 35 | 119
ID | 10404 | 1.25 | 28 | 85
IL | 21467 | 2.58 | 13 | 367
IN | 16798 | 2.02 | 18 | 303
KS | 7953 | 0.96 | 33 | 143
KY | 10376 | 1.25 | 29 | 147
LA | 6823 | 0.82 | 37 | 166
MA | 14641 | 1.76 | 21 | 272
MD | 12139 | 1.46 | 25 | 184
ME | 4980 | 0.60 | 41 | 81
MI | 22834 | 2.75 | 9 | 375
MN | 12520 | 1.51 | 23 | 185
MO | 16699 | 2.01 | 19 | 262
MP | 353 | 0.04 | 53 | 18
MS | 5849 | 0.70 | 39 | 131
MT | 4450 | 0.54 | 42 | 63
NC | 23549 | 2.83 | 8 | 337
ND | 1729 | 0.21 | 51 | 53
NE | 4083 | 0.49 | 44 | 81
NH | 6035 | 0.73 | 38 | 112
NJ | 14834 | 1.78 | 20 | 295
NM | 7237 | 0.87 | 34 | 131
NV | 8918 | 1.07 | 30 | 112
NY | 29588 | 3.56 | 6 | 531
OH | 30148 | 3.63 | 5 | 511
OK | 10701 | 1.29 | 27 | 152
OR | 22242 | 2.68 | 10 | 354
PA | 26132 | 3.14 | 7 | 437
PR | 5117 | 0.62 | 40 | 108
RI | 2143 | 0.26 | 48 | 71
SC | 10844 | 1.30 | 26 | 147
SD | 2122 | 0.26 | 49 | 33
TN | 20416 | 2.46 | 15 | 261
TX | 58415 | 7.03 | 2 | 737
UT | 19513 | 2.35 | 17 | 116
VA | 22217 | 2.67 | 11 | 298
VI | 298 | 0.04 | 55 | 27
VT | 2307 | 0.28 | 46 | 59
WA | 37494 | 4.51 | 4 | 515
WI | 12178 | 1.47 | 24 | 215
WV | 6854 | 0.82 | 36 | 78
WY | 2281 | 0.27 | 47 | 37

NOTE:[33]
AA..US Armed Forces Americas
AE..US Armed Forces Africa/Canada/Europe/Middle East
AP..US Armed Forces Pacific
AS..American Samoa
GU..Guam
MP..Mariana Islands
PR..Puerto Rico
VI..US Virgin Islands

### Canadian amateurs by province

[edit]

Province | Total | Rank

|
|

AB | 7700 | 4
NL | 1473 | 10
ON | 23270 | 1
YT | 214 | 12
BC | 18827 | 3
NS | 2647 | 5
PE | 311 | 11
ZZ | 1774 | 7
MB | 2161 | 6
NT | 95 | 13
QC | 19039 | 2
NB | 1688 | 8
NU | 28 | 14
SK | 1624 | 9

NOTE:[33]
ZZ..Canadian amateurs outside of Canada

## Silent Key

[edit]

When referring to a person, the phrase Silent Key, and its abbreviation SK, is a euphemism for an amateur radio operator who is deceased.[34] The procedural signal "SK" (or "VA") has historically been used in Morse code as the last signal sent from a station before ending operation,[35] usually just before shutting off the transmitter. Since this was the last signal received by other operators, the code was adopted to refer to any amateur radio operator who is deceased, regardless of whether they were known to have used telegraphy in their communications.[citation needed]

## Gallery

[edit]

* An operator working HF

* An operator working HF

* Amateur Radio station equipped for reception of VLF signals.

* Amateur radio students

## Notable amateur radio operators

[edit]

This article's list of people may not follow Wikipedia's verifiability policy. Please improve this article by removing names that do not have independent reliable sources showing they merit inclusion in this article and are members of this list, or by incorporating the relevant publications into the body of the article through appropriate citations. (October 2021)

|

* Achille and Giovanni Battista
* Alan Moller
* Albert Gerald Sayre
* Albert II, Prince of Monaco
* Alfred J. Gross
* Allen Fairhall
* Alvin Devane
* Alvino Rey
* Andy Sannella
* Andy Thomas
* Anthony W. England
* Armas Valste
* Arnie Coro
* Art Bell
* Arthur A. Collins
* Arthur Godfrey
* Artie Moore
* Attilio Gatti
* Augie Hiebert
* Barbara Morgan
* Barry Goldwater
* Bdale Garbee
* Bhumibol Adulyadej
* Bob Heil
* Bob Tanna
* Bob Tomalski
* Brian Rix
* Brice Phillips
* Bruce Perens
* Carl Bødtker
* Carl Sassenrath
* Carver Mead
* Catherine Coleman
* Cathryn Mitchell
* Charles E. Apgar
* Charles E. Brady Jr.
* Charles Simonyi
* Charles Tart
* Chaaru Haasan
* Chet Atkins
* Chuck Forsberg
* Clarence C. Moore
* Clarence D. Tuska
* Clay T. Whitehead
* Clifford Stoll
* Clive Meredith
* Curtis LeMay
* Dalton Pritchard
* Daniel C. Burbank
* Dave Rowntree
* David Boggs
* David L. Mills
* David M. Brown
* David Packard (HP) W6YX[36]
* Dean Spratt
* Diana Eng
* Dick Rutan
* Dick Smith
* Don Lancaster
* Donald Howard Menzel
* Douglas Mackiernan
* E. W. Bedford
* Ebbe Hoff
* Ed Iskenderian
* Edward K. Beale
* Edward S. Rogers Sr.
* Emily Calandrelli
* Eric Cole
* Ernest Lehman
* Ernst Krenkel
* Florence Violet McKenzie
* Francesco Cossiga
* Francis G. Rayer
* Fred Judd
* Friedhelm Hillebrand
* Garry Shandling
* George Fischbeck
* George Sassoon
* George Sweigert
* Gladys Kathleen Parkin
* Glen P. Robinson
* Gordon Eugene Martin
* Gordon Pettengill
* Gordon S. Marshall
* Greg Walden
* Grote Reber
* Guglielmo Marconi
* Haakon Sørbye
* Hans Peter Anvin
* Hans Schlegel
* Harold A. Zahl
* Harold Dorschug
* Harold E. Taylor
* Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper
* Helen Sharman
* Henri G. Busignies
* Henry Bourne Joy
* Henry Feinberg
* Herbert Hoover Jr.
* Hiram Percy Maxim
* Hiroshi Amano
* Howard Gerrish
* Howard Hughes
* Howard J. Brewington
* Hugo Gernsback
* Hussein of Jordan
* Ian Orr-Ewing
* Jacob Beser
* Jack Kilby
* James Harvey Brown
* Jamie Dupree
* Jan Dahm
* Jason Morrison
* Jay Maynard
* Jean Shepherd
* Jeff Pulver
* Jenean Hampton
* Jeri Ellsworth
* Jerry Lawson
* Jimmy Treybig
* Joe Barr
* Joe Rudi
* Joe Walsh
* John Ambrose Fleming
* John Baldacci
* John H. DeWitt Jr.
* John Gilmore
* John Lees
* John Quade
* John Scott Redd
* John W. Campbell
* Johnny Donovan
* Johnny Kwango
* Josaphat Chichkov
* Joseph Hooton Taylor Jr.
* Jure Šterk
* Karl Rothammel
* Kenneth D. Cameron
* Kevin Alfred Strom
* Kevin Mitnick
* Kurt Carlsen
* Larry Ferrari
* Laurel Clark
* Laurie Margolis
* Lawrie Brown
* Lelia Constantza Băjenescu
* Len Jarrett
* Leo Beranek
* Leo C. Young
* Leo Laporte
* Leonard Danilewicz
* Leslie R. Mitchell
* Lester Dent
* Lester Picker
* Linda M. Godwin
* Loyd Sigmon
* Ludomir Danilewicz
* Manuel J. Fernandez
* Marlon Brando
* Marshall D. Moran
* Martin Block
* Martin F. Jue
* Martin J. Fettman
* Matthew Sands
* Maximilian Kolbe
* Michael Bloomberg
* Naomi Uemura
* Nariman Printer
* Nevil Maskelyne
* Nigel Roberts
* Otakar Batlička
* Owen Garriott[37]
* Palden Thondup Namgyal
* Paul Flaherty
* Paul Horowitz
* Paul Tibbets
* Percy Jones
* Pertti Kärkkäinen
* Phil Karn
* Qaboos bin Said al Said
* Rajiv Gandhi
* Ray Szmanda
* Red Blanchard
* Richard Garriott
* Richard Lindzen
* Rik Jaeken
* Robert C. Michelson
* Roberto Vittori
* Rod Holt
* Ron Przybylinski
* Ronald Parise
* Ronnie Milsap
* Ross Gunn
* Rudy Van Gelder
* Rupert Goodwins
* Sandra Magnus
* Serena Auñón-Chancellor
* Sergei Avdeyev
* Sergei Krikalev
* Serhii Rebrov
* Seth Shostak
* Seymour Kneitel
* Sidney Wilcox McCuskey
* Stan Gibilisco
* Stanley Jungleib
* Steff Gruber
* Steve Jobs
* Steve Wozniak
* Steven R. Nagel
* Swami Parijnanashram III
* Ted David
* Tim Allen
* Tim Samaras
* Titu-Marius Băjenescu
* Tom Baugh
* Tom Christian
* Tony Randel
* Tsuneyoshi Yamano
* Tyrteu Rocha Vianna
* Ulrich L. Rohde
* Victor Poor
* W. A. S. Butement
* Wacław Łukaszewicz
* Walter Cronkite
* Ward Cunningham
* Warren B. Offutt
* Wasil Ahmad
* Wau Holland
* Wayne Green
* William B. Bridges
* William Elvin Jackson
* William Campbell James Meredith
* William I. Orr
* Yoritake Matsudaira
* Yuri Gagarin
* Yvette Pierpaoli
* Fritz Maytag K6FLM[38]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Silver, H Ward (23 April 2004). Ham Radio for Dummies. Indianapolis: Wiley Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7645-5987-7. OCLC 55092631.
2. ^ Hall, L. C. (January 1902). "Telegraph Talk and Talkers". McClure's Magazine. Vol. 18, no. 3\. pp. 230–231.
3. ^ "Word Origins - Ham". United States Early Radio History. Archived from the original on 15 November 2019.
4. ^ "FCC License Counts". arrl.com. Archived from the original on 7 June 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
5. ^ "Hamlife.jp Database Ministry of Communication". Archived from the original on 11 October 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "MCMC Register Of Apparatus Assignments Search". Archived from the original on 16 December 2023. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
7. ^ CRAC (30 June 2024). "C类业余无线电台操作技术能力验证考核首次在济南举行" (in Simplified Chinese). Archived from the original on 24 August 2024. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
8. ^ "Amateurfunk". Bundesnetzagentur. 2019. Archived from the original on 21 December 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
9. ^ "News - Canada: Amateur radio statistics 2018". Southgate Amateur Radio Club. Rayleigh, Essex, England. Archived from the original on 3 March 2019. Retrieved 20 November 2020.
10. ^ "How many UK radio amateurs are there?". Archived from the original on 15 March 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
11. ^ "Triennial Report from KARL". iaru-r3.org. Archived from the original on 2 February 2016. Retrieved 4 November 2012.
12. ^ "Deprem sonrası amatör telsizci başvuruları arttı". www.trthaber.com (in Turkish). 14 March 2023. Archived from the original on 14 April 2023. Retrieved 14 April 2023.
13. ^ REF preliminary callsign statistics
14. ^ "UKE Radioamator". amator.uke.gov.pl. Archived from the original on 23 September 2023. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
15. ^ "ACMA Radiocomms license data". acma.gov.au. Archived from the original on 15 January 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
16. ^ SSA callsign statistics published in QTC 11/2023
17. ^ Agentschap Telecom - Ministerie van Economische Zaken en Klimaat "Staat van de Ether 2018". Archived from the original on 23 October 2019. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
18. ^ "Energistyrelsen Frekvensregister". frekvensregister.ens.dk. Archived from the original on 22 December 2023. Retrieved 15 May 2022.
19. ^ "Rufzeichenliste österreichischer Amateurfunkstellen" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 August 2022. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
20. ^ Nkom callsign statistics
21. ^ "Individual licenses and call signs of Radio Amateur Service stations". ctu.cz. Archived from the original on 5 October 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
22. ^ "Mitä radioamatööritoiminta on?". SRAL.fi. Archived from the original on 1 June 2004. Retrieved 6 March 2016.
23. ^ "YU Amateur Radio Call Book". yu1srs.org.rs. Archived from the original on 17 September 2019. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
24. ^ "ANCOM Callbook Radioamatori". ancom.org.ro. Archived from the original on 11 January 2018. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
25. ^ "call_sign_book.xml". nmhh.hu. Archived from the original on 28 March 2023. Retrieved 28 March 2023.
26. ^ "COMREG Licensing Database". www.comreg.ie. 7 March 2016. Archived from the original on 24 October 2017. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
27. ^ "Population and Migration Estimates April 2020 - CSO - Central Statistics Office". www.cso.ie. 20 August 2020. Archived from the original on 24 August 2020. Retrieved 18 April 2021.
28. ^ "List of Slovakia Radio Amateur call signs". teleoff.gov.sk. Archived from the original on 5 October 2023. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
29. ^ Chinese Radio Sports Association (2004). "The Current Status of Amateur Radio in the Mainland of China". Proceedings of the International Amateur Radio Union's Region 3 Twelfth Regional Conference. Document No. 04/XII/057. Archived from the original on 6 March 2006. Retrieved 2 June 2006.
30. ^ Harker, Kenneth E (15 March 2005). "A Study of Amateur Radio Gender Demographics". ARRL.org. Archived from the original on 23 February 2007. Retrieved 13 July 2007.
31. ^ "The ARRL Amateur Radio Education & Technology Program". ARRL.org. Archived from the original on 25 June 2007. Retrieved 13 July 2007.
32. ^ "All about JOTA". Scout.org. September 2006. Archived from the original on 9 May 2008. Retrieved 30 April 2008.
33. ^ a b Amateurs by State generates a SSL_ERROR_UNSUPPORTED_VERSION error message
34. ^ "Reporting a Silent Key". Amateur Radio Relay League. Archived from the original on 7 January 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
35. ^ "CW Operating Aids". AC6V. Archived from the original on 28 February 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2017.
36. ^ "David Packard and Amateur Radio" (PDF). Stanford University. Archived (PDF) from the original on 25 July 2021. Retrieved 15 September 2021.
37. ^ "List" (PDF). ariss.org. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 October 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2023.
38. ^ "ULS License - Vanity License - K6FLM - Maytag, Frederick L". Archived from the original on 5 October 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2022.

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