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What is Ham Radio? (click here)
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? (click here)
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...
Ham Radio History (click here)
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 First Station (click here)
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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What is Ham Radio? (click here)
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Why should I get licensed? (click here)
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Ham Radio History (click here)
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Your First Station (click here)
What is Ham Radio? (click here)
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, and pass an examination for the FCC license to operate on radio frequencies known as the "Amateur Bands." These bands are radio frequencies allocated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for use by ham radio operators.
Amateur Radio in Hollywood
Amateur Radio is part of the storyline in the ABC television series Last Man Standing, starring Tim Allen. Read More
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American Radio Relay League | Ham Radio Association and Resources
The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is the national association for amateur radio, connecting hams around the U.S. with news, information and resources.-
2026 Hamvention Wrap-Up -- Weather or Not…
It’s a tradition for Hamvention® … it must rain for at least part of at least one day … and this year didn’t disappoint! Showers and even the occasional downpour popped up on and off Saturday, prompting flea market shoppers to periodically flee inside to dry out. Then a thunderstorm in the early hours of Sunday morning left the flea market a bit muddy. But spirts ran high for the closing day of...
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Hamvention 2026 Friday -- Let the Fun Begin!
Hamvention® 2026 in Xenia, Ohio, is officially under way, with large crowds filling the five exhibit halls, four forum rooms, and the giant flea market. Here’s a summary of Friday, May 15.In the ARRL Expo area, attendees interacted with program representatives and volunteer leadership officials, including ARRL CEO David Minster, NA2AA, and President Rick Roderick, K5UR. Emergency Communications...
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The ARRL Solar Update
Solar activity remained at low levels this past week. Region 4436 wasresponsible for the majority of the C-flare activity, including thelargest flare of the period, a C2.3 that peaked on May 13. Region4432 rotated off the west limb. Two new regions were numbered duringthe past 24 hours. Region 4437, which has since decayed to plage, and4438, resulting in a total of 4 numbered regions now on the...
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Hamvention 2026 Thursday -- Setup Day and Much More
Hamvention® 2026 in Xenia, Ohio, officially begins on Friday morning, May 15. But several hundred hams arrived early to take part in pre-Hamvention activities. ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® was already on site at the Greene County Fairgrounds, exhibitors were busy setting up their booths. We snapped a few late afternoon photos of setup work at several booths, including Carlso...
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The ARRL Solar Update
Solar activity was at low levels this past week with occasionalB-class and isolated low-level C-class flares. The largest event ofthe period was a C1.4/Sf flare from Region 4429 on May 5.There are currently six numbered regions on the visible disk as 4434decayed to plage and Region 4428 rotated beyond the western limb asan E-type group. The remaining regions mostly showed signs of decay.Region ...
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STEM On and Off the Air
The Garden School Amateur Radio Club in Jackson Heights, New York, K2GSG, was started in September 2016 as a way to implement the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) standard at the school.Currently, the Club has 13 members ranging from 4th graders to 12th graders and is an Affiliated Club of ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio®.Well, last week they got a big su...