Step By Step Guide:How To Get Your U.S. Ham Radio License By Ed Mitchell, KF7VYIMPORTANT NOTE 8 January 1999: Effective April 15th, 2000, new ruleswill take effect. Under the new rules there will be just three licenses:Technician (no telegraphy requirement), General and Extra class (5 wordper minute telegraphic proficiency required by international regulations).The remainder of this Guide has not yet been updated to reflect the newrules.The following is intended for persons interested in obtaining anU.S. Amateur Radio license. Procedures and requirements are different forother nations. Please see Howto Get Licensed Throughout the World for information on licensing inother nations.Other Excellent Online Licensing Resources

• Visit HamTest.Com - The Complete Resourcefor Getting Licensed
• Take a PracticeExam, online!
• AA9PW'spractice exams, code tests and more

1. Read Our Welcome to Amateur Radio sectionRead Start here-Welcome to Amateur Radioto understand what Amateur Radio is about and to choose the type of licenseyou wish to have. The most popular introductory Amateur Radio license isthe "no code required" Technician class license. Another alternative isthe Novice class license. The "no code" Tech license enables you to usepopular "FM" two-way radios and repeaters on the VHF and UHF bands. Youcan also send computer data, television signals or use Amateur Radio orbitingspacecraft with the Tech license. Decide which license you wish to pursue- most new hams are entering the hobby with the "no code" Technician classlicense which requires passing a 55 question multiple choice examination.2. Studying For the ExamThee are several ways to prepare for the Amateur radio exams:

• Take a class: If you know an amateur radio operator in your area,you might ask if he or she knows of local license classes. Many radio clubsprovide classes. In some areas, community colleges and other schools mayprovide license study classes. Knowing a local ham radio operator may alsoprove helpful when you are setting up your first Amateur station and youneed advice and assistance regarding antennas, radio equipment, RF andelectrical safety considerations, including local rules on the installationof antennas.
• Self-Study: You can study on your own using available study guidesand/or video taped instruction. Audio cassette tapes and computer programsare available to help you learn the Morse code if you choose to do so foryour first license. There are pretty much two approaches to preparing forthe tests: (1) learn the material; or (2) try to memorize all the testquestions and answers. I strongly recommend option (1): learn the basictheory. What you need to know is not complicated and will be helpful ingetting maximum enjoyment out of Amateur Radio. There are many study guidesavailable - both Kim and I recommend the "Now You're Talking! All You Needto Get Your First Ham Radio License", published by the American Radio RelayLeague (ARRL). You can order this book online (about $19.00) by visitingtheir web site at http://www.arrl.org;and it will be shipped direct to you. Video tape study programs are alsoavailable (for about $99.00), however we have no experience with thesetapes and cannot offer a recommendation.
• Be a Know-It-All: We know of people with backgrounds in electronicsthat already know most of the theory. With two to four hours of reviewand an understanding of the FCC rules and regulations that apply to AmateurRadio, they successfully passed their written exam on their first try.Maybe you qualify as a "know it all"?

3. Optional - Learning the Morse Code You do not need to learn the Morse code to earn the "no code" Technicianclass license. About 25% of all licensed Amateurs in the U.S. have the"no code" license - this is the most popular license class for new licensees.If you wish to learn the Morse code, you should start with the 5 word perminute (WPM) tests. Many people can learn 5 WPM Morse code by studyingfor 15 minutes, once each night over a 2 to 3 week period. You need onlypass the 5 WPM speed for the Novice or "code" Technician license. By passingthis exam you will have access to voice communications on the Amateur 10meter band, which provides you with access to worldwide communications.Higher class licenses have exams at 13 WPM and 20 WPM. Don't worry aboutthose now! Most people find they tend to plateau at about 10 WPM and goingfaster is tough, without serious practice.4. Where To Take Your ExamOnce you are prepared to take the examination(s), you'll want to findout where to take the test. Tests are administered by Volunteer Examiners.A nominal fee is charged to cover the costs of the testing. There are severalways to locate a test session. If you know a local ham, ask him or herabout local testing opportunities. You can also try the online exam locationdatabase, provided by the ARRL, to look up local exam sessions affiliatedwith the ARRL.Where to take Ham Radio License ExaminationsReady to take your first exam? Or maybe upgrade to a higher class license?Amateur Radio exams are given throughout the U.S. and its territories allyear long. The American Radio Relay League (the national organization ofAmateur radio operators in the U.S.) operates an OnlineExam Location reference available by clicking the link. You can alsolocatelocalham radio clubs.Don't be nervous or anxious about your test session. If for some reasonyou don't succeed on the first try, you are welcome to retake the testsin the future any number of times until you finally succeed. Keep at it!Assuming you've passed, your license application is forwarded to thevolunteer examination coordinator, and from there to the Federal CommunicationsCommission. Your license will generally arrive in the mail in about 2 to4 weeks and will contain your FCC issued callsign. (If you don't like thecallsign, you can select your own, within limitations, by applying fora "vanity callsign" through the FCC's vanity license program.)5. Setting Up A Station - Buying Your First RadioI'll assume that you have just passed the Technician class "no code"license and are looking for a first radio. Most Amateurs purchase a handheldVHF or UHF (or a combined "dual-band" VHF+UHF) radio. You can use yourhandheld radio while walking, while driving or from your home. You canoptionally connect it to an external mobile antenna or an external antennaat your home for extended range. A mere handheld, running low power, issufficient to gain access to most local repeaters so this is plenty toget you started. Single band handheld radios cost between about $100 and$300. Dual-band radios cost about $400 and up.If you plan to advance beyond the Technician stage, and money is noobject, you might consider purchasing a radio like the ICOM IC-706 whichprovides VHF coverage on the 2 meter and 6 meter bands, plus is a completeHF (below 30 MHz) transceiver. Another option to consider is a "mobile" radio. Mobile VHF/UHF radiosand handhelds have pretty much the same feaures - except that the mobileradio probably supports 25 to 50 watts output while handheld radios typicallyoperate in the 100 milliwatt to 5 watt output range. Mobile radios havelarger speakers and a more powerful audio amplifier for better qualityaudio - this is especially nice to have in a noisy car environment. Mostmobile radios are also designed for easier use while driving – that meansbigger controls and buttons to easily set commonly used features.6. Building Your Own RadioBuilding your own radio is also an option. You can build inexpensivekits, especially for use on HF frequencies, but there are also kits availablefor the VHF and UHF bands. For most people, kits are a better choice thantrying to "roll your own" from scratch. The nature of how electronic partsare sold makes it more cost effective to buy a pre-packaged kit containingall the parts than to try and buy all the parts you might need, individually.Kits are especially popular for "QRP" or low power radio operation. While100 watt (or more) radios are popular for HF operation, you can have alot of fun with a radio operating at the 1 to 10 watt level, and make contactsout to thousands of miles. Many inexpensive, low power HF radio kits areavailable.7. AntennasIf using a handheld radio, you may be able to conduct all of your communicationsusing just the short flexible antenna that comes with the radio. A magmount or other mobile antenna is essential if using a high power mobileradio. For best operation while using a handheld radio in a car, a simple"magnetic mount" or "mag mount" antenna is highly recommended. A reasonableexternal antenna for your vehicle can boost your signal by a factor of5 to 10 over the capabilities of the short flexible antenna on your radio.For home installation, you may optionally choose to use an externalvertical antenna or a "Yagi" beam antenna. Both types of external antennassubstantially increase the direct range of a low power handheld radio.In general, improving your antenna usually makes more sense than addingpower. For one thing, a better antenna enables your radio not only to transmitfurther but to better hear weak signals.8. Getting on the AirWith your ham radio "ticket" in hand, your radio purchased or built,and your first antenna installed, its time to make your first contact.For many this is a time of intense excitement and/or anxiety! If you arenervous or unsure of yourself, don't hesitate to ask for help. By all means,let your first contact know that he or she is your first contact on hamradio. Two or three times I've answered a "CQ" (a station requesting acontact) and been rewarded by being a new ham's first contact. Most hamsare happy to help and to give you advice.9. Moving ForwardsHam Radio provides a near limitless opportunity to explore, to study,to tinker, to serve the public, and to learn. As your knowledge increases,you can pursue higher class licenses that provide you with access to additionalradio frequencies. You can pursue new technologies like digital communications,fast scan television, satellite communications, wireless Internet access,low power communications, and even search the sky for extra-terrestrialintelligence (why not?). You can participate in public service or disastercommunications. Visit your local ham radio club (most are friendly socialevents), join your local ARES/RACES public service communications team,sign up to participate in training opportunities and volunteer to helpout at events using amateur radio communications. There is a world of explorationand opportunities in amateur radio. Have fun!Copyright © 1998-2000 Virtual Publishing Company. All RightsReserved.