Talk:Etymology of ham radio

This article needs to be expanded
I know of many many many other stories on the origin of the word HAM. I can't remember them all or am fuzzy on the details. Please Help expand this article. Anonym1ty 17:42, 9 February 2006 (UTC)
 * Does it have to do with the expression "hog-Morse" for a typo-ridden Morse transmission? I quote from one of the references on the Hog-Morse page, an article from 1902: "The original message had been transmitted by senders of hog-Morse, called technically “hams”..."   I haven't ventured to add this myself, as I haven't actually seen anyone else suggest that that's the origin of the name, so (not being a regular editor of Wikipedia) I'm not sure whether it would count as "primary source" as it stands.  U*nless, indeed, the writer of the articlle was himself saying that that's why "hams" are called "hams", aand considered the connection between hogs and ham too obvious to need spelling out.  I leave this to people who understand the Wikipedia rules better than I do.  Wombat140 (talk) 00:17, 30 January 2018 (UTC)
 * It's already in the article: "The term "ham operator" was commonly applied by 19th century landline telegraphers to an operator with poor or "ham fisted" skills". Screwed up spacing (i.e. Hog-Morse) was just one of a number of traits of the poorly skilled operator. - 00:56, 30 January 2018 (UTC)

Ham actor
I would have thought that the origin of the amateur radio term is fairly obviously from 'ham actor' and 'hamming it up' on the stage. Does anyone have any dates for when that or the radio usage were first recorded? --Nigelj 19:23, 12 January 2007 (UTC)


 * i have heard the same thing word of mouth El hombre de haha 23:39, 18 March 2007 (UTC)

Yet another story
I have heard by countless people that the origin on 'Ham' came from the term he's a radio 'ham' of course ham being the other meaning for ham having nothing to do with a food product but to advocate and enjoy doing something. Like saying he's a real ham on camera, in other words he loves to be on camera. Just one of the many reasons I've heard. Truth is maybe when they discover the Sasquach maybe he'll know the answer.. hihi --... ...-- --Dp67 | QSO | Sandbox | UBX's 08:02, 29 September 2007 (UTC)

I thought it just stood...
for "High Amplitude Modulation"? Like A.M. radio, but more so. That's the story I was told. 68.55.199.40 (talk) 03:34, 9 November 2009 (UTC)

The term dates back to the earliest days of amateur telegraphy -- landline and wireless -- before "amplitude modulation" had been used by "hams." Don Columbia (talk) 00:56, 22 September 2020 (UTC)

False etymologies
I feel like the entire "False etymologies" section is somewhat unencyclopedic. Is the article about the etymology of "ham radio", or the lore surrounding said etymology? 138.16.18.24 (talk) 18:37, 17 February 2014 (UTC)


 * It's about both. I would imagine many people who read this article and have some knowledge of amateur radio think at least one of those false etymologies are real, and such a section would therefore educate them (which is a primary goal of Wikipedia, after all). I will say, however, that it could do with some better sourcing. — Huntster (t @ c) 00:36, 18 February 2014 (UTC)

A possible addition from:

Ham: a poor operator; a 'plug' (G. M. Dodge; The Telegraph Instructor)

The first wireless operators were landline telegraphers who left their offices to go to sea or to man the coastal stations. They brought with them their language and much of the tradition of their older profession. In those early days, every station occupied the whole spectrum with its broad spark signal. Government stations, ships, coastal stations and the increasingly numerous amateur operators all competed for time and signal supremacy in each other's receivers. Many of the amateur stations were very powerful. Two amateurs, working each other across town, could effectively jam all the other operations in the area. Frustrated commercial operators would refer to the ham radio interference by calling them "hams." Amateurs, possibly unfamiliar with the real meaning of the term, picked it up and applied it to themselves. As the years advanced, the original meaning has completely disappeared.

I do not know if there is a copyright on this text and I do not know how to find out which is why I am not posting it, but just suggesting that it could be a useful addition. This should be unique (talk) 07:11, 13 June 2015 (UTC)

I think the false section is needed, however it could benefit from better sourcing. --mikeu talk 19:11, 17 January 2020 (UTC)