Most of us are aware of the challenges when trying to explain our hobby to non-ham friends and acquaintances. Should we call it a public service hobby? An electronics hobby? A social hobby?

Explaining that amateur radio is “all of the above” options plus a few more can also be a challenge. At some point, the best choice seems to be just brushing off ham radio as a “nerd” hobby and seeing the confused stares from your audience quickly subside.

This option, however, doesn’t help solve the problem of the ham community getting smaller and the mean age getting older, especially when those opting not to explain it represent the younger segment of the hobby.

How we explain and talk about amateur radio matters if we want the hobby to continue to thrive.

Like many hams, I have been guilty of brushing off questions regarding what amateur radio is or providing an incomplete answer. But after a few years of practice (attending a small public high school as an involved amateur radio operator has provided this opportunity), I’ve been able to improve how I answer the question, “What is it that you post about on Instagram all the time?” without saying, “Oh…just one of my hobbies.”

An effective tactic for answering this question is stripping down the hobby to its most basic activity: talking to people. You can also put this into specific contexts. For example, “Talking to people by using satellites” or “Talking to people around the world,” which can help provide a good transition into what exactly you do with the hobby as well.

It can also be helpful to tailor your description to topics in which your friend is knowledgeable and has an interest. Since an explanation of amateur radio may be hard to comprehend for someone who isn’t involved in technical activities or doesn’t know much (if any) amateur radio jargon, explaining it in terms of what they’re already familiar with can be useful.

Another approach—when possible—is to simply let them experience amateur radio rather than trying to explain it. The concept of talking to a bunch of strangers using very technical-looking equipment can seem completely absurd to many, particularly the younger generations (despite the fact that is essentially what we do with our phones). Having the opportunity to show people exactly what it means when we say we’re “talking to people on the air” can make it a little less intimidating and seem a lot less crazy. This is also helpful for explaining aspects of the hobby that may not be as obvious or well understood by the public (e.g., satellites, digital modes, and fox hunting).

If you’ve gotten past the point of simply explaining to a friend what the hobby is but still aren’t sure how to actually discuss it with them, this can also be a challenge. We naturally want to share our hobbies and things we enjoy with our friends, family, and acquaintances, but it’s not always enjoyable to talk about these things when you need to explain every other word you use.

For the majority of my time in high school, my friends’ reactions to my amateur radio stories were either, “Oh, your nerd hobby again” or telling me afterward they hadn’t understood any of it, but it sounded great. So, I’m familiar with the challenges of trying to share your enjoyment of ham radio with people who don’t understand it. I’ve found the best solution to this problem is telling the story without any amateur-radio-specific vocabulary and relating it to topics your audience is already familiar with. While it can sometimes be nice to share parts of our hobby with our non-ham friends, it can be more fulfilling to expand our circle of ham acquaintances and share there instead.

That’s not to say we should avoid talking about the hobby with non-amateur radio operators. We should, in fact, do the opposite. Talking about ham radio is one of the most common ways for non-operators to become interested in it, and while it can be frustrating sometimes, it’s well worth the effort.

My high school recently hosted an exam session, and a significant portion of my classmates earned their Technician license. As a result of hams talking about the hobby, 14% of my graduating class are now licensed amateur radio operators. Talking to non-hams about amateur radio can have a huge impact and may even inspire your friends and acquaintances to get their licenses as well.

The post Youth Insights: Tips on Explaining Amateur Radio to Your Non-Ham Friends appeared first on OnAllBands.

This announcement was originally published in the ARRL Letter on February 19, 2026. ARRL members can subscribe to the weekly ARRL Letter at www.arrl.org/opt-in-out.

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The National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC) Question Pool Committee (QPC) released a February 19, 2026, revision to the new 2026 – 2030 Technician Class question pool. Questions drawn from that pool are vali…

This announcement was originally published in the ARRL Letter on December 18, 2025. ARRL members can subscribe to the weekly ARRL Letter at www.arrl.org/opt-in-out.

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On December 18, 2025, the National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC) Question Pool Committee (QPC) released the revised 2026-2030 Technician Class (Element 2) question pool. It will be required for all Amateur …

In Part 1 of OnAllBands’ Guide to Amateur Radio Amplifiers 2026, we highlighted the full lineup ACOM amplifiers. Today, we’ll be looking at another premier manufacturer of high-performance linear amplifiers trusted by operators the world over—OM Power.

DX Engineering is the exclusive North American distributor of products from OM Power, a company that has been helping contesters and DXers reach their goals since 2004. Founded by amateur radio enthusiasts in Slovakia, where the company is headquartered, OM Power has grown to become a leader in producing legal-limit tube amplifiers.

With More Power Comes Greater Responsibilities

If you’re updating your station with an amplifier like those from ACOM or OM Power, there may be other upgrades you’ll need to consider. Take a moment to read this excellent OnAllBands article from Mark, K8MSH, “I’ve Got the Power: What Else Do I Need” regarding electrical power requirements, station grounding and bonding, coaxial cable ratings, antenna tuners, cooling and ventilation, RFI control, and other issues you may need to address when adding an amplifier.

OM Power’s Powerful Lineup

OM Power’s compact manual and auto tuning HF, HF+6, HF+MARS, and HF+6+MARS amplifiers feature:

• One or two FU-728F ceramic tetrode tubes (other than the 3501A model, which has one GU78B tube) capable of providing stable, full legal-limit all-mode output power 
• 4.3-inch color touchscreen and front panel indicators that let users view the amplifier’s operational status and provide fast access to advanced features and settings
• Easy maintenance; efficient cooling, even during long on-air sessions; and simplified troubleshooting thanks to built-in memory for faults and warnings
• Advanced protection circuits that safeguard against high SWR, excessive current, voltage errors, excessive temperatures, and more
• Full break-in CW capability (QSK) as a distinguishing feature in all OM Power amplifier models
• Built-in full band change or frequency reading compatibility for modern transceivers; RF sense band change support for legacy transceivers; automatic antenna switching for up to ten antennas; and remote-control operation via LAN and PC program download (auto tune models)

DX Engineering carries these OM Power linear amplifiers.

• OM-2000+: HF Plus 6 Meter Manual Tune 1,500W+ Linear Amplifier
• OM-2000-MARS: HF Plus 6 Meter and MARS Manual Tune 1,500W+ Linear Amplifier
• OM-2000A: HF Plus 6 Meter Auto Tune 1,500W+ Linear Amplifier
• OM-4001HF: HF Manual Tune 1,500W+ Linear Amplifier
• OM-4001HFMARS: HF Plus MARS Manual Tune 1,500W+ Linear Amplifier
• OM-4001A: HF Auto Tune 1,500W+ Linear Amplifier
• OM-4001AMARS: HF Plus MARS Auto Tune 1,500W+ Linear Amplifier
• OM-3501A HF Auto Tune 1,500W+ Linear Amplifier

NOTICE: The legal operation of any linear amplifier within the applicable regional or country amateur radio regulations is the responsibility of the licensed operator.

Also check out the OM Power OM6BPF Bandpass Filter, featuring six individual high-Q hand-tuned bandpass filter boards covering 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10 meters. It removes unwanted interfering noise and signals from all but the single band selected for operation. Also enjoy ultra-quiet reception while eliminating out-of-band emissions from the transmitted signal.

Please see DXEngineering.com for specific features of each amplifier.

The post Guide to Amateur Radio Amplifiers 2026: Part 2: Linear Power Amplifiers from OM Power appeared first on OnAllBands.