Amateur Radio License Holders

Profile managers: Kay Knight [send private message], Michael Stills [send private message], Dale Byers [send private message], and Lena Svensson [send private message]

Page last updated 14 Oct 2022.

Welcome

Project members are:

Dale Byers.

Lena Svensson.

Michael Stills.

Kay Knight.

Mission

The goal of this project is to Identify all profiles of any holders of Amateur Radio Licenses and apply the correct category to the profiles. This would apply to those who are no longer active or those who are deceased.

How to Join

1. Post a comment on this page [coming soon] along with your call sign if you have one but that is not required to join.
2. Add project tag ham_radio to your followed Tags

Goals

1. Gather all living WikiTree Amateur Radio Operators to share our love of HAM radio and Genealogy.
2. Create a place to recognize Silent Keys and their Genealogy
3. Develop the genealogies of Historical, Famous and Notable Amateur Radio Operators for others to explore their genealogical connections.

Task List

• Link profiles to the appropriate category page:

How to instructions forthcoming:

• Categories:

1. Category: Silent Keys (Deceased Hams)

1. Category: Ham_Radio_Operators (Living Hams)

• Develop the genealogies of profiles added.

• Profile Improvement

• Genealogically Defined Profiles

• Identify resources for genealogist who have profiles that are or were Ham Radio Operators.

Example: This is an Address directory of HAMS. Useful when there is no census to follow. https://wwweogncom.wildapricot.org/page-18080/9306408

• write a biography for the person profiled

Definitions

Amateur radio operator

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.

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. The word was subsequently adopted by amateur radio operators.

Silent Key

When referring to a person, the phrase Silent Key, and its abbreviation SK, is a euphemism for an amateur radio operator who is deceased. The procedural signal "SK" (or "VA") has historically been used in Morse code as the last signal sent from a station before ending operation, 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.

How to add categories to the profiles

The category for living Amateur's is [[Category:Ham Radio Operators]]. This should be added above the Biography heading.

The category for Deceased Amateurs, Silent Keys, is [[Category:Silent Keys]] This should be added above the Biography heading.

How to add the Amateur Radio Sticker

Location on profiles

Profile Stickers go in the text section of the edit page below the Biography headline. There should be no extra hard returns above or below it, and no horizontal rules (----).

They are usually placed directly below the Biography headline, but they can be placed anywhere in the biography section, such as near where the information being highlighted is discussed.

They are usually grouped together but they can be spread out.

They should not be placed in or below the Sources section.

Add the line below to add the sticker as appropriate. Add the callsign at the end. By convention, the callsign should be in all uppercase.

For Living Amateurs add,

{{Occupation|image=Bob_Burley_s_Public_Domain_Images-21.png|text=is an Amateur Radio Operator, Callsign: }}

For deceased Amateurs add,

{{Occupation|image=Bob_Burley_s_Public_Domain_Images-21.png|text=was an Amateur Radio Operator, Callsign: }}

Locating Existing Profiles

• How to find amateur radio operator WikiTree profiles
  • Click the link for one of the above categories to find a list of already categorized amateur radio operators
  • Use WikiTree+ to search for profiles by category (found on the Apps menu)
    1. Navigate to WikiTree+ https://plus.wikitree.com/default.htm?report=srch1
    2. Move down to Text Search and in the Text box enter subcat0="silent keys"
    3. Click Get Profiles
    4. Optionally, from the results, click Suggestions to see suggestions on the results
    5. Optionally, from the results, click Analyze results in Bio Check to see information for sources and style
  • Use BioCheck to evaluate profiles in the amateur radio categories (found on the Apps menu)
    1. Start the BioCheck app https://apps.wikitree.com/apps/sands1865/biocheck/
    2. In How to find profiles select WikiTree+ Search Results
    3. In Search text on WikiTree+ enter subcat0="silent keys"
    4. In Max to check enter a larger number, such as 1000
    5. Click Check Profiles
    6. The default report will include only those profiles with source and style issues. Select a different Profiles to report to include all profiles and/or to generate a list for review
    7. Optionally, click Download CSV to import the report into a spreadsheet

Resources

Ham Radio Resources

• International Amateur Radio Union
• Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL)
• Radio Society of Great Britain
• FCC Universal Licensing System
• Maritime Radio Historical Society
• https://nofars.net/jacksonville_radio_collection/famous_amateur_radio_operators

Profiles of Notable Hams

• Famous Ham Radio Operators and their Callsigns
• Famous Hams and ex-Hams
• Hams in Space

Genealogical Resources for Hams

• Amateur Radio and Genealogy Article
• Amateur Radio Call Books

Silent Keys

• National Silent Key Archives
• QCWA Silent Keys

Project Ideas

• Set up how to identify call signs and locations in the biography section
• What to do when the call sign changes for whatever reason

• Should we have sublevel organization? What is our goal here?

If so, how should it be organized?

Follow the methodology for assigning Call Signs?

By class of license?

by place of death for silent keys?

• Do we need the location category? see: Category: QTH Florida, St Petersburg
• Do we want / Need topical sub categories? i.e. Space Hams, Political Hams, Royal Hams, Presidential Hams. Is this too much? Is there something more appropriate?

• Add something like this to a profile?

Call sign: KC8LAO

First issued : 1998

Location: Lake County, Ohio, United States of America

Class: Technician

Upgraded: 2010

Class: General

Location: Geauga County Ohio, United States of America