A friend of mine seemed to be having a little confusion about a hobby of mine, ham radio. I took it upon myself to help. Perhaps the following exchange might assist you in making the hobby a little clearer to a non-technologically-inclined friend of your own. I offer it as a public service.

It went something like this:

> > Even though your friend's ham radio "has its own power supply",
> > that "box" must still plug into a power outlet. It does not
> > generate its own power.

> That's how much I know about ham radios.
Well, let me give you a little intro, then.

I prefer to use boiled ham for my radios. Those who prefer an in-oven solution call my way half-baked, and it's true that my radios are not as crispy on the outside as baked ham radios.

But boiling the ham results in a higher water content and, as everyone knows, water is a good conductor. So my radios transmit further, but their signal is not as crisp as some others.

The debate over whether to use pineapple in the radios (and, if so, whether to use rings or crushed and water vs. light syrup) is, of course, an ongoing one. Personally, I prefer unsweetened pineapple rings, allowing the largest radius for the signal (they're round) and the water, with its higher viscosity, lets the signals flow more freely.

I'm firmly opposed to spiral cut ham radios. This degrades the integrity of the shielding, and allows Radio Frequency Interference to leak out.

I hope this helps.

I hope she understands ham radio more clearly now.

Robin> How about name-brand hams, like Honey-baked? Are they effective?
Well, there will always be people who prefer to buy name brands. Certainly owners of Honey Baked ham radios insist that their signals and performance are sweeter. And they may be right. Honey Baked sure does make a good ham. But you really have to ask yourself how much it's worth to you.

Ken> How about Smithfield hams?
I'm glad you asked. Smithfield hams are very active, according to their web page, which notes that Smithfield is the "ham capital of the world". Truly, a Smithfield ham is a top-notch ham indeed. If you have a guitar amplifier you will note that it has a notch filter to attenuate the top frequencies that are the source of high-pitch feedback. Chances are that, in the best brands, (see previous question) the notch filter is a tiny little Smithfield ham. I'm glad you asked, Ken, because not many people know that.

Richard> I have a much better understanding now.
Richard> Oddly, I'm also much hungrier than I was before reading this.
Richard, I'm glad that this discussion of ham radio has contributed to your hunger for knowledge. May it ever be so.

Ken> In that case, what can you tell us about Virginia Hams and
Ken> Spiced Hams (aka SPAM) and how they compare to the
Ken> hams you have already discussed?
Actually, Smithfield hams are Virginia hams, but it is true that there seem to be many excellent hams in Virginia. In fact, Virginia hams are "consistent Blue Ribbon and Grand Champion award-winners". For specific brand preferences, however, please see the first question. It really is an individual decision. With one exception.   SPAM.   Most spam is found on 11 meters, and the less we say about those individuals, the better.

Richard> I'm very excited to have gained this new found knowledge,
Richard> I hope it doesn't go to my head.
It probably already has. Also, that comma should be a period or a semicolon.
Richard> Also, if you throw out an old Ham Radio, is it called a "Canned Ham" Radio?
Why would you throw out an old ham radio? Vinatge radios are very popular. Hams are known for not throwing anything out. Just ask my girlfriend. Also, you should never simply throw a ham radio out. If they are unrecoverable (that is, having been caught at ground zero of a nuclear blast) you should bring them to a proper electronics recycling center.

Barbara> What do people in Israel use instead of the ham?
Runza beef radio. You can find a good recipe here.
Barbara> Also, is there a vegetarian alternative?
Yes, there is. It's right here. Vegetarian Radio with Bob Linden.

Brian> A little fact check. Water, by itself, is not a good conductor.
Brian> When ions are added, then water becomes a good conductor.
Brian> To be scientifically correct, you should say that the
Brian> aqueous solution is a good conductor.
There's one in every crowd. This one is a professional chemist.
Who am I to argue chemistry with a professional chemist?

-Henry (KB1ERP)