Frequently asked questions by those hoping to become hams

Remember playing with walkie talkies when you were a child? Amateur radio, also known as HAM radio, is an extension of those walkie talkies. The difference is that we can now use radios to talk much further and to talk in different ways. We can talk using our voice, but also morse code, we can chat via keyboard, we can send images and television-like transmissions, we can even send emails, via the airwaves, thousands of miles away.

Some have called us the last person standing. If all else fails, if the cell network falls and the internet crashes, we will still be able to communicate. That is pretty much true, but amateur radio is so much more. It is also a way to just chat, or 'ragchew' with people across the ocean. Talking about the ocean, many sailors use amateur radio to keep in touch with friends and family while far at sea. Amateur radio is also used as a public service. Next time you run a marathon, if you see people with radios and yellow vests, they may very well be amateur radio operators acting as the event's communications team. You may also run into amateur radio operators during emergencies. Even federal agencies, such as FEMA, use amateur radio operators to deliver specialized communications services that are less suited to their own capabilities.

But why do we really do it? Aren't there cell phones? Think of cell phones as a date, two people, maybe three or four, out at a restaurant. They're great for talking to someone specific. Instead, amateur radio is more like a really big meeting, a really big one. In fact, imagine a meeting with a few million people, all listening for your call. Basically, ham radio allows you to call out, we call it CQ, over the airwaves. Depending on the 'mode' or 'band' you use, you might be able to talk to people as close as your neighborhood or as far away as around the world. You might be talking to a king (King Hussein of Jordan was a famous amateur radio operator), to an astronaut (astronauts on the ISS have their ham radio license and operate a radio; they regularly talk with amateur radio operators on the surface), or you might be talking to a farmer in the middle of Iowa who would love to hear about your HAM setup in northern Quebec, Norway, Tasmania or wherever you may be.

Amateur radio is also a tinkerer's dream come true. Putting together an amateur radio 'station' is fun. It combines modern electronics with good old 'building stuff'. HAMs put up antennas, build portable operating boxes, some even outfit entire vans as mobile operating stations. There is no shortage of things to build, connect or otherwise put together.

Lastly, and very importantly, amateur radio is a hobby that will introduce you to many friends. HAMs make friends, lots of them. Though we usually talk 'over the air' with people we will never meet, we regularly meet with those that live nearby. Amateur radio clubs are, without a doubt, among the most welcoming social spaces you will ever encounter.

We hope that this community will expose you to the many aspects of amateur radio and facilitate your conversation, camaraderie, and collaboration with fellow hams.

Most new amateur radio operators start at the Technician Class and then may advance to the General Class or Amateur Extra Class. The Volunteer Examiners (VEs) give examination credit for the license class currently held so that examinations required for that license class need not be repeated. The VEs prepare the written examinations from question pools that have been made public. Helpful study guides and training courses are widely available.

Technician

The privileges of a Technician Class operator license include operating an amateur station that may transmit on channels in any of 17 frequency bands above 50 MHz with up to 1,500 watts of power. To pass the Technician Class examination, at least 26 questions from a 35 question written examination must be answered correctly. Technician Class licensees also have privileges in four amateur service bands in the HF range (3-30 MHz) (Refer to Section 97.301(e)).

General

The General Class operator license authorizes privileges in all 29 amateur service bands. Upon accreditation by a Volunteer-Examiner Coordinator (VEC), an individual can help administer certain examinations. In addition to the above written examination, the requirement for a General Class operator license includes a 35 question written examination for which 26 correctly answered questions is the minimum passing score.

Amateur Extra

The privileges of an Amateur Extra Class operator license include additional spectrum in the HF bands. In addition to the two above written examinations, the requirement for an Amateur Extra Class operator license includes answering correctly at least 37 questions on a 50 question written examination.