ABSTRACT
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) defines amateur radio operators as “qualified persons of any age who are interested in radio technique solely with a personal aim and without pecuniary interest.” Amateur operators are an international phenomenon. Since 1925, the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) has championed their cause with governments around the world. In the United States, an early amateur radio pioneer named Hiram Percy Maxim organized the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) in 1914. The ARRL is a member of the IARU. There are currently more than 700,000 licensed amateur stations in the United States alone.
