question

[hold3n]

i don't know if this is the right place to put this (if not can mods move it)
what do the amateur radio groups do, what are its function

[robbage]

To see what amateur radio is click here Read the Hills Amateur Radio Group web page here That should give you some idea. Feel free to ask more.

[VK6ZMS]

i don't know if this is the right place to put this (if not can mods move it)
what do the amateur radio groups do, what are its function

Here is a list of clubs in Perth, some have different interests to others.

http://www.wia.org.au/clubs/vk6/

If you want to get your license Ham College here in Perth
http://hamcollege.com.au/

offer training courses from the entry level foundation
http://www.wia.org.au/licenses/foundation/about/

up to advanced
http://www.wia.org.au/licenses/advanced/about/

Cheers

[Zebedee]

i don't know if this is the right place to put this (if not can mods move it)
what do the amateur radio groups do, what are its function

Others have already given some good answers, but here's my take on it.

Amateur Radio is a hobby, just like stamp collecting, astronomy, restoring vintage motorcycles, etc. The hobby of amateur radio is basically all about two-way communications on an amateur basis. (In this case "amateur" refers to it being not for profit or commercial gain, it doesn't mean a lack of proficiency. Some "amateurs" are just as technically proficient than the "professionals" )

Think of amateur radio as an extension of this hobby we're currently enjoying, that is radio scanning. As scanner users, we listen into other people's radio transmissions, whether it's a taxi company, the police (when we still could), airports and airlines, marine safety, etc. Imagine being able to still do all of that, and more. Rather than being passive listeners, you can use radio to communicate with around two-and-a-bit-million other people around the world who share the same hobby and interests as you.

Amateurs have always been the pioneers of radio technology, since radio was first invented. The first commercial broadcasts were done by amateurs. The first pictures transmitted in Australia by radio were done by amateurs. The usual style of antenna you have on the roof of your house for picking up TV signals were invented by a couple of amateurs in Japan.

Amateur radio has so many different aspects that if you started in the hobby as a young teen, you still wouldn't have tried everything by the time you died of old age. So what sorts of things do amateurs do? Apart from the technical innovation mentioned above, amateurs can also be involved in providing emergency communication services in times of natural disasters when traditional methods of communications (phones, etc) fail. There are radio "contests" where amateurs try and make as many contacts with other amateurs in a short period of time (e.g. 24 hours) all over the world. Some amateurs try and bounce signals off the moon. Some try and talk to astronauts on the International Space Station. (Most of the astronauts are also radio amateurs and there's radios up there that they can use when they're not on duty doing scientific experiments and such-like). There's even games such as "fox hunting" where someone hides a low powered radio transmitter somewhere in Perth and then a group of people start from a central point (e.g. Kings Park) and they have to find it.

It's impossible to categorise amateur radio into a nice neat little package and say "This is what it is" - because it's so many different things to so many different people.

Getting started in amateur radio though is really easy. There's three grades of licence - Foundation, Standard and Advanced. The Foundation level requires very little technical knowledge and Ham College runs a two-day course that teaches you everything you need to know to get that grade of licence. They run courses on the second-last weekend of every second month, so the next course is on the 19th/20th November in Lynwood and costs $30 for the two full days.

If this sounds like something you'd be interested in looking into a bit further, then please shoot me a PM. I'm one of the people involved in the training with Ham College and can probably answer any questions

Once you've got your licence, it's a good idea to join one of the amateur radio clubs that are around the place. The Hills Amateur Radio Group are a good social group with friendly members who can give newly-licenced amateurs a hand in getting started in the hobby. The HARG runs a mentoring program called "F-Troop" which is specifically designed to get new Foundation licencees over the first hurdle - the confidence to pick up a radio, and press the Talk button