CIARC - About Amateur Radio

About Amateur Radio

Amateur Radio is, primarily, a Public Service. Amateur Radio is defined by the Code of Federal Regulations:

CFR Title 47, Part 97.1

Basis and purpose.

The rules and regulations in this part are designed to provide an amateur radio service having a fundamental purpose as expressed in the following principles:

Recognition and enhancement of the value of the amateur service to the public as a voluntary noncommercial communication service, particularly with respect to providing emergency communications.
Continuation and extension of the amateur's proven ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art.
Encouragement and improvement of the amateur service through rules which provide for advancing skills in both the communication and technical phases of the art.
Expansion of the existing reservoir within the amateur radio service of trained operators, technicians, and electronics experts.
Continuation and extension of the amateur's unique ability to enhance international goodwill.

Further, Code of Federal Regulations establishes and defines the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service:

CFR Title 47, Part 97.161

The Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service provides for amateur radio operation for civil defense communications purposes only, during periods of local, regional or national civil emergencies, including any emergency which may necessitate invoking of the President’s War Emergency Powers under the provisions of section 606 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended.

The Central Idaho Amateur Radio Club is committed to the purpose of Amateur Radio. Please see the Public Service menu above for more information on the Public Service roll fulfilled by the Central Idaho Amateur Radio Club.

The following short video demonstrates the utility of Amateur Radio in its primary role of public service.

For more information on how to become an Amateur Radio operator, see the Become An Amateur Radio Operator item in the About menu above or click here.

For more information on Amateur Radio operating practices, please see Operating Practices in the Station Operation section under the Resources menu, or click here.