In a fractured nation with a toxic public square, ham radio — even in this always-online digital age — is a thriving part of civil society. //

What makes ham radio so uniquely American?

First, it’s an enduring public square. It was the first social media, but it carries on without the bitterness and acrimony on social media platforms now. Part of this is because it’s not anonymous. Operators are required to identify themselves by their call signs every 10 minutes that they are on the air and at the end of every conversation. And part of it is because the FCC has rules against profane language on public frequencies, and the ham community is largely self-policing. //

It has been said ham radio is “a hobby, where you use the hobby to talk about the hobby.” That’s true, but let’s check back with Robert D. Putnam. Bowling Alone was never really about bowling — it was about community.

Next, ham radio is ruthlessly DIY. In an age of throwaway electronics and user-friendly interfaces, ham radio operators look down on mere “appliance operators.” Hams will build their own radios from kits, and then they’ll cobble together their own antennas from trash, old speaker wire, and attitude. There’s a bustling YouTube community of hams to help new licensees with the more complicated aspects of the hobby. But DIY — known as homebrewing in the community — is the goal. You might even call it “self-reliance.”