So You Want to Become an Amateur Radio Operator?

To get your Amateur Radio license, all you need do is take a multiple-choice written test.

You must start with the 35-question entry-level Technician Class license which consists of questions about the FCC rules, operating practices and simple antenna and electronics theory.

The questions are taken from a pool of possible questions which are publicly available in advance.

The test is approved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the government agency which administers the Amateur Radio Service, and given by local volunteers.

Note: It is no longer required to learn the Morse code for any Amateur Radio license.

There are many books available which list all the questions and answers from the complete question pool, such as the Ham Radio License Manual by the American Radio Relay League:

Such books are available from Ham Radio Outlet, Radio Shack, Amazon.com, and others.

You can study the material by yourself or, from time-to-time, Technician license study classes are given locally.

In addition to the Technician Class license, you can also advance to the General and Extra Class licenses if you feel the need.

Each class of license requires passing an increasingly difficult test and brings additional frequency privileges and, in some cases, higher allowed transmit power.

Regardless of how far you wish to advance, you will find plenty of operating activities available to you.

Amateur Radio operators at every level can get involved with emergency communications, repeater nets, internet contacts, radio contests, homebrewing, amateur TV, microwave transmission, satellites, earth-moon-earth contacts and, of course, talking to other hams across town and around the world.

Call any of the amateur radio operators listed on the main web page for more information, or for the time and location of testing sessions.

Good luck and see you on the air soon!