A Scanner Porkly.

Today, I luckily discovered a programmable ten channel radio scanner unit for sale at a local Goodwill store. It's a Regency R1077 produced by Uniden during the mid 1980's. Thankfully, the scanner fired right up without issue and works great. In fact, I have it receiving signals from all across the North Carolina Piedmont Triad region as I type this. The unit only set me back $3.00.

Check out that sexy wood-grain finish!

In all actuality, this unit is a doorway into a hobby I've always held great interest in, but never explored -- amateur radio. This is more commonly referred to as ham radio.

An amateur radio broadcaster is someone whom uses radio equipment (typically a home-based transmitter) to communicate with others for personal, non-commercial use. Amateur radio can also be used for emergencies when normal channels of communication fail (as they did with the 9/11 disaster). To be able to legally broadcast over the allotted amateur radio frequencies, you must have an operators license from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). This is not expensive to obtain and anyone can do so.

I know the very basics of the amateur radio hobby -- just enough to recognize what it is and how it essentially works. What interests me is the ability to speak with other operators from all across the country... and even from around the world. Radio broadcasting has always piqued my interest, especially the prospect of meeting new people from all walks of life and all corners of the globe.

I've located the local amateur radio club in Greensboro and am debating visiting to learn more. Maybe I'll finally take the plunge get into the hobby.