Chapter 2 Getting started

Get licensed

Unless you shun technology, you probably use multiple radios every day and don’t even think about it. You might listen to music or news on FM or music or talk on AM. Obviously, that’s radio. You might watch TV from an over-the-air antenna to avoid or reduce your cable TV bill. TV uses radio waves. So, that’s radio.

Your home or work computer might use wifi to talk to the internet. That’s radio. Your cellphone (smart or dumb) talks to a network of cell towers wherever you go. That’s radio. You might connect headphones, a keyboard, or a mouse to your computer using Bluetooth. That’s radio. You might have a GPS system in your car or a handheld one when you hike or bike. That’s radio. You might use a device in your car to open your garage. That’s radio.

Besides the radio technology that underlies all of these devices, there is a system of rules and regulations written and enforced by (in the U.S.) the Federal government, specifically, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The rules govern who can transmit what types of radio signals at what frequencies and at what power levels, among other things.

Most Americans hate rules and regulations and the “red tape” that comes with them. On the other hand, many of our most beloved leisure activities would be completely different without rules and regulations. Imagine football, baseball, basketball, or fill-in-your-favorite-sport here without some sort of rules. And while players can sometimes enforce the rules themselves, it’s usually better for everyone if that job is left to referees. However annoying they can sometimes be, rules provide structure. And that structure often, maybe more often than some of us like to admit, makes an activity more enjoyable. Rules about who can do what where with radio have the same impact.

So, while you can use lots of different radios without a license, to transmit signals on the amateur radio bands requires a license. Radio amateurs have specific segments of the radio spectrum that are set aside for our use and enjoyment, often our exclusive use. Think about that. And in return for setting aside valuable parts of the radio frequency spectrum, the FCC requires us to have a license. Think of it as a driver’s license, a license to drive our radios. So, while listening is free, transmitting will cost you $35 (the current licensing fee), plus the time it takes you to study for and pass the licensing exam.

There’s more to being a radio amateur than passing a licensing exam, just like there’s much more to driving than passing the written test. But you have to have a license for the “behind the wheel” part of driving your radio.

This book and website is designed to help you do just that.

Study resources

There are outstanding licensing materials provided by others. Here are some we especially recommend.

Don’t buy a radio (just yet)

Many prospective hams buy a radio before they have a license.

We suggest that you wait just a bit before buying a radio.

Why? Well the often irresistible temptation is to buy the least expensive radio. Some inexpensive radios work well; others do not.

By learning a bit more about ham radio, meeting other hams, and discussing the pros and cons of different radios, your decision to buy a radio can be a better-informed one. You might even find that a current ham is happy to let you borrow a radio while you learn and may even sell it to you at a very reasonable price.

On the other hand, if you just can’t hold back, we recommend not spending a whole lot of money.

It’s an open secret that hams realize early on: Radios have a way of asking for company. In other words, your first radio is unlikely to be your last or your only.