Every day from 11:00 until 12:00, amateur radio enthusiasts demonstrate various modes of operation at the Deutsches Museum station. Various antennas mounted on the roof of the museum permit the use of different wavelengths.

The hobby of amateur radio is as old as radio technology itself. From the very start of spark telegraphy in 1895 amateurs were building their own stations to experiment with the new technology. A special challenge was posed by their having to work in unfavourable frequency ranges.

Amateur radio enthusiasts began forming clubs in 1911. Their radio transmissions are subject to strict social and technological rules. In emergencies their radio contacts often save lives because they do not depend on public networks.

Morse telegraphy is possible in every frequency range – from long waves to the UHF range. Other operating modes, such as television and data transfers, require very short wavelengths. They were generally developed immediately after the corresponding commercial services.

Amateur radio operators started radio transmissions in outer space in around 1940 by using the moon as a natural satellite. In 1961 the first amateur radio satellite, OSCAR 1, was placed in orbit. Spacelab missions always have amateur radio devices on board.