One of the great things about Ham Radio is its ability to bring people together. If the propagation is right, an operator in Iowa can reach across the Atlantic to rag-chew with a Ham in Ireland, or exchange CW transmissions with someone set up on a hilltop in New Zealand. Call QSO from your station and you never know from what corner of the globe someone will respond. Bulgaria? Djibouti? Japan? The best part—the Hams who return the call will be just as excited about making contact as you are!
In a small but profound way, these brief contacts build bridges between diverse people in a world that could, frankly, use a few more bridges. Every time you get on the air, you become a goodwill ambassador for the hobby and your part of the world. At DX Engineering, we refer to this as “shrinking the globe.” In its guidelines, the FCC recognizes Amateur Radio’s “unique ability to enhance international goodwill.”
