I have found my new favorite website. It is www.websdr.org and allows anyone with a Java and Javascript enabled browser to tune into a personal ham radio. You don't have to have an FCC license to use it because you are only allowed to listen and not transmit. However for someone interested in learning about amateur radio, it is a great tool.
The technology that allows each user to individually tune the radio is a software defined radio (SDR). That means that there is an antenna connected to an analog-to-digital converter. The converter listens to the entire frequency band and the user uses software to focus in on a small section of that band. Otherwise it would be impossible to listen to all of conversations at once.
One nice thing about SDRs is that you can create a waterfall display. That makes it really easy to see where others are talking and tune in. On a conventional radio, you are stuck tuning yourself or using an automated scan. It is cumbersome and noisy, not to mention it takes forever to find anyone having a conversation.
When I came across the website, I thought the waterfall display required expensive radio equipment that I couldn't afford. Then I looked into one of the sites and saw that radio receivers are only $20. Now that is really amazing. I may have to get one.
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