22 Things You Can Do With Ham Radio

Somewhere above your head, right now, there’s a satellite you could talk through. There’s a balloon sending back weather data. There’s a stranger in Japan who’d be delighted to hear from you.

Amateur radio — ham radio — is the hobby that gets you there. You build the gear, you make the contact, you keep talking when the internet quits. No subscription, no algorithm, no waiting for permission. Just you, an antenna, and everything the sky will carry.

Here are 22 places to start.