What is ham radio?

It's a hobby that encourages experimentation, public service, and the development of technical and operating skills. Amateur operators in the U.S. are licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to operate in many frequency bands from 1.8 MHz to 10 GHz and beyond, with power up to 1,500 watts. Many modes are available -- from traditional Morse Code, to voice (single-sideband), keyboard-to-keyboard (teletype style), packet radio, and multimedia television. Hams routinely talk to other hams around the world. You might talk to the astronauts on the Space Shuttle, or bounce signals off satellite transponders or even off the Moon.

To find out more... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_radio and http://www.arrl.org.

See a typical ham radio station.