Who are amateur radio operators?

Amateur radio operators come from all walks of life -- movie stars, missionaries, doctors, students, politicians, truck drivers and just plain folks. They are all ages, sexes, income levels and nationalities.

But whether they prefer Morse code on an old brass telegraph key through a low power transmitter, voice communication on a 2-meter repeater, or computer messages transmitted through satellites and packet networks, they all share a common interest, communicating with others by means of that mysterious, almost magical, phenomena known as radio.

Throughout the world there are thousands of member driven organizations devoted to amateur radio.

In the United States the pre-eminent national organization of amateur radio operators is the American Radio Relay League (ARRL). It is often referred to as "Headquarters".

The FISTS CW Club is part of the International Morse Preservation Society. The goals of this specialized club are to further the use of CW on the amateur bands, encourage newcomers to the CW mode, and engender friendship within the membership.

Throughout the country there are hundreds of local clubs. One such club is the 9-0-4 Amateur Radio Club, located at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers where the States of Illinois, Missouri and Kentucky meet.