amateur Radio

Radio, amateur, hobby practiced throughout the world by enthusiasts (“hams”) who communicate with one another on short-wave radio, by voice “phone,” or by using international Morse code. In the United States, the various grades of license may be obtained by passing tests of progressively greater difficulty. Citizens' Band (CB) radio, a more informal kind of “ham” radio, became popular in the United States in the late 1970s, with a vast network of amateur radio operators.