What is Ham Radio? Amateur Radio (ham radio) is a popular hobby and service that brings people, electronics and communication together. People use ham radio to talk across town, around the world, or even into space, all without the Internet or cell phones. It's fun, social, educational, and can be a lifeline during times of need. You can set up a ham radio station anywhere! In a field... ...at a club station.... ...or at home. Although Amateur Radio operators get involved for many reasons, they all have in common a basic knowledge of radio technology and operating principles,...
Why should I get licensed? Before you can get on the air, you need to be licensed and know the rules to operate legally. US licenses are good for 10 years before renewal and anyone may hold one except a representative of a foreign government. In the US there are three license classes—Technician, General and Extra. Technician License The Technician class license is the entry-level license of choice for most new ham radio operators. To earn the Technician license requires passing one examination totaling 35 questions on radio theory, regulations and operating practices. The license gives access to all Amateur Radio frequencies above...
In 1873, James Clerk Maxwell presented his theory of the electromagnetic field. In 1901 Guglielmo Marconi communicated across the Atlantic with a radio device using high power and giant antennas. To curb interference, Congress approved the Radio Act of 1912, which required amateurs to be licensed and restricted to the single wavelength of 200 meters. In 1914 the American Radio Relay League was founded by Hiram Percy Maxim, who found that messages could be sent more reliably over long distances if relay stations were organized. Transatlantic transmitting and receiving tests began in 1921 and by July 1960 the first two-way contact...
Your Amateur Radio station may change, but you have to start somewhere, right? Here are some fundamentals that all Amateur Radio stations have in common: Transceiver Power Supply Antenna System The Transceiver Selecting your transceiver will largely depend on how much you want to spend and what you hope to do. If you want to explore long-distance contacts on the HF bands, you’ll need an HF transceiver. If you are interested in chatting with local friends on the VHF or UHF bands, look for a VHF+ FM transceiver. Build Your Own Radio Most hams buy their radios factory assembled,...
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Original Story 10/1/2025Updated 10/2/2025 (CORES is not available for new registrants)A bulletin sent to members of ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® included information about the impact of the US Government shutdown on licensing for the Amateur Radio Service.The government shutdown began at 12:01 Eastern time on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, when Congress had not passed an approp...
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has issued a Notice of Violation (NoV) to Mike F. Conte of Naples, Florida, citing alleged rule violations related to unauthorized transmissions and refusal to allow station inspection. The FCC notice by the Regional Director, Region One, Enforcement Bureau, was released on September 29, 2025, and includes that Conte holds an Amateur Radio Service lic...
Hurricane Imelda, now a strong Category 1 storm, is forecast to make landfall on, or come extremely close to Bermuda, late Wednesday evening into early Thursday morning. The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) will activate for the first time this season beginning Wednesday, October 1, 2025, at 3:00 PM EDT (1900 UTC).Activation times and frequencies are as follows:3:00 PM EDT (1900 UTC) on 14.325 MHz7:00...
Solar activity reached moderate levels this past week. An impulsiveM1.0 flare was observed on September 24 from Region AR4217. Slightgrowth was observed in Region AR4226 with an increase in spots nearthe leader. New Regions AR4229 and AR4230 were numbered this period.All other regions were either stable or in decay. No Earth-directedCMEs were observed. Solar activity is expected to return to lo...
ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® needs every radio amateur in the United States to send letters to Washington as we continue our nationwide grassroots campaign to pass the Amateur Radio Emergency Preparedness Act. The process is simple: click the button at www.arrl.org/HOA, put in your call sign, and press the red SEND MY LETTERS button. It takes mere seconds!The letters will au...
Amateur radio has long been a vital partner with served agencies in providing communications support, passing traffic, and performing other tasks, both in times of crisis and in times of community service. Through community events, hams help out before and When All Else Fails®. The best way to become a part of serving the greater good in your area is by joining your local ARRL Amateur Radio Em...