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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)
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 30 megahertz, allowing these licensees the ability to communicate locally and most often within North America. It also allows for some limited privileges on the HF (also called "short wave") bands used for international communications. Learn More
General License
The General class license grants some operating privileges on all Amateur Radio bands and all operating modes. This license opens the door to world-wide communications. Earning the General class license requires passing a 35 question examination. General class licensees must also have passed the Technician written examination. Learn More
Amateur Extra License
The Amateur Extra class license conveys all available U.S. Amateur Radio operating privileges on all bands and all modes. Earning the license is more difficult; it requires passing a thorough 50 question examination. Extra class licensees must also have passed all previous license class written examinations.Learn More
For more information, submit our online Prospect Package Request form or call: 1-888-277-5289.
BCARA provides testing opportunities to obtain your amateur radio license without a fee!
This content was created by ARRL.ORG The direct link is:
http://www.arrl.org/getting-licensed
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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.-
NCVEC Question Pool Committee Issues Revision to 2026 - 2030 Technician Pool
This announcement was originally published in the ARRL Letter on February 19, 2026. ARRL members can subscribe to the weekly ARRL Letter at www.arrl.org/opt-in-out.---The National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC) Question Pool Committee (QPC) released a February 19, 2026, revision to the new 2026 - 2030 Technician Class question pool. Questions drawn from that pool are vali...
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New Technician Class Question Pool Released -- Effective July 1, 2026
This announcement was originally published in the ARRL Letter on December 18, 2025. ARRL members can subscribe to the weekly ARRL Letter at www.arrl.org/opt-in-out.---On December 18, 2025, the National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC) Question Pool Committee (QPC) released the revised 2026-2030 Technician Class (Element 2) question pool. It will be required for all Amateur ...
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Amateur Radio to Participate in DoD Armed Forces Day Crossband Test on May 9, 2026
Amateur radio operators will participate in the Department of Defense’s Armed Forces Day (AFD) Crossband Test on May 9, 2026. The annual event will not impact any public or private communications.For more than 50 years, military and amateur stations have participated in this interoperability exercise between the amateur and government radio services. The AFD Crossband Test provides a unique opp...
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The ARRL Solar Update
Solar activity remained at low levels this past week with numerous C1flares from Region 4420, which exhibited growth during the period.Region 4419 showed minor decay, particularly in its trailing spots,while producing a lone C1.0 flare. Region 4422 was numbered duringthe period but remained inactive. No Earth-directed CMEs wereobserved in coronagraph imagery.Solar activity is expected to contin...
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Dayton Hamvention® 2026 Offers Forums for Every Ham
Dayton Hamvention 2026 features a wide range of forums to appeal to amateur radio operators of all interests, experience levels, and ages. The Hamvention Forums Committee has assembled a diverse lineup covering technical topics, operating skills, and emerging interest areas. On opening day, Friday, May 15, there are 22 forums beginning at 9:15 AM with HamSCI: The Ham Radio Science Citizen Inves...
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Helping NASA Track Artemis II’s Orion Spacecraft
This story was updated 4/27/2026The University of Pittsburgh had a unique opportunity last week...helping NASA track Artemis II’s Orion spacecraft on its mission to the moon and back! Students from the university’s Panther Amateur Radio Club (PARC) were among the students and faculty who participated.Faculty advisor Juan Manfredi, NAØB, said the school responded to a request from NASA to submit...