Here is a long overdue write-up on ham radio… I have quite a few friends that need help getting started and without a direction or some background knowledge, its daunting. Keep in mind, this isn’t comprehensive, but it’s a good start. I may expand this write-up in the future….any changes or additions I make will be published in future articles.
The first thing you need to consider to become a Ham radio operator is licensing. There are three categories of license so let me explain each. The technician’s class is the easiest to get, the exam only covers basic radio theory, FCC regulations, and safety; it is an introductory license to many but for people that want to only use their equipment for local commo (it allows for VHF and UHF transmission only), it’s the only license they need. The next step up is the general class license; it allows for commo on all amateur radio bands (exclusions apply) which will give you worldwide capabilities. As you would expect, the exam is more difficult; it covers more advanced radio theory, antenna designs, radio wave propagation, but thankfully they have deleted the Morse code portion of the test and it is no longer a requirement. With a few weeks practice however, you can pass the exam no problem. The final license is the extra class; this license is for serious Ham radio enthusiasts and as you would expect, the test is much more difficult. Extra class operators often compete in ham contests and collect QSO cards from around the world. I would compare the three levels of license to a high school diploma (technicians class), a college degree (general class), and a PHD (extra class). If you’re looking to use your ham equipment casually but want the capabilities to talk to someone across the country (especially in a crisis situation), the general class is the way to go. I hold a general class license and I can transmit on all bands, but specific frequencies within those bands have been set aside for extra class license holders only.
Several books you may want to consider buying in preparation for your test are study books written by Gordon West. He writes books for each category of license and each text includes actual test bank questions. These books however, don’t do an excellent job of explaining radio theory, different antenna designs, or other topics you may want to know as a ham… they cover test prep material almost exclusively. If you’re looking to enhance your knowledge, you’ll want to
Now that you know what the licensing requirements are, let me explain the different bands so you know which license you should strive for. There are two basic categories, HF or high frequency, and VHF/UHF or very high frequency/ultra high frequency. The HF bands have the ability to “skip” off of different layers of the atmosphere and transmit over very long distances. The VHF bands are primarily line of sight transmission but have the ability to use repeaters to extend the range of your signal. The following is a list of the most commonly used bands and a brief explanation of each:
High frequency bands: General and Extra class have privileges
160 meter – Frequency limits: 1.8–2.0 MHz. This is a night owl band, meaning the radio wave propagation is best at night. If you think about the AM radio in your car, the best reception is at night… and those frequencies are around 1.0 MHz.
75/80 meter – Frequency limits: 3.5–4.0 MHz. This band is best evenings and nights. The patriot net is run at 8pm central time on this band because it can be heard from across the county quite easily.
40 meter – Frequency limits: 7.0–7.3 MHz. This band is best best days and evenings although I’ve had good success with it at night as well.
20 meter – Frequency limits: 14.0–14.350 MHz. This band is best days and nights. My longest contact to date was a station in London, England from my home on the east coast of the US. I regularly make contact with stations in the Midwest, Florida, Texas, etc. on this band.
15 meter – Frequency limits: 21.0–21.450. This band is best days. You may notice that the shorter the radio wave, the better it is for use during daytime operation. Longer waves are unable to skip because of atmospheric interference caused by the sun… whereas at night, the interference is gone; shorter waves as a rule pass right through.
11meter – Frequency limits on this band are not even a consideration. The 11 meter band is designated as for Citizen Band (CB) radio transmission. You need separate equipment to transmit on these frequencies and the equipment has channels assigned to specific frequencies.
10 meter – Frequency limits: 28.0–29.700 MHz. This band is best days but in my experience, really noisy at night.
VHF/UHF bands: Technician, General, and Extra class have privileges
6 meter – Frequency limits: 50.0–54.0 MHz.
2 meter – Frequency limits: 144.0–148.0 MHz
70 cm (often called the 440 band)– Frequency limits: 420.0–450.0
The VHF/UHF bands are good any time of the day since they are line of sight transmission (they normally don’t allow for atmospheric skip but anomalies can happen where windows open up for longer range transmission). The range can be extended on each band by using repeaters. To explain what a repeater is, imagine another radio that accepts your
The next consideration is equipment. I have a write up on a budget handie talkie that can be found here. For anyone looking for more than local commo, lets take a look at longer range equipment. If you have a limited budget (and lets
In addition to the basic transceiver, you will also need antennas. Again, I would suggest getting a multiband antenna. I would suggest something along the lines of a Challenger DX… it is lightweight (just over 20 pds), has decent height (just over 30 ft), and is capable of transmitting on bands from 2m up to 80m. You can also look into buying a multiband for HF (like a Butternut HF6V) and a multiband for VHF (like a Hustler G6-270R). You will then have a
I recommend this equipment because I’ve either dealt with it myself of have read good reviews. All told, this equipment should run you in the $2000 range… and that includes all the odds and ends you’ll find yourself picking up from time to time like antenna duplexers, coaxial cable, PL259 connectors, etc. You can purchase all of the items I’ve mentioned from places like
Ham radio outlet www.hamradio.com
Texas towers www.texastowers.com
Amateur electronic supply www.aesham.com
Well, that is Ham radio in a nutshell… there is much much more info that could be included in this writeup but this is really just a primer. I’m sure I haven’t answered all or your questions but this is a start. One thing I purposely left off is installation… that is a whole different ball game… it’s simple but grounding considerations need to be adhered to (for power and lightning) or you’ll be spending money on new equipment really quick. As I mentioned earlier, best to start a library on ham radio resources and techniques and learn as you go.
Good article. Nice and concise.
A few other recent articles on some other sites are:
http://www.itstactical.com/digicom/comms/the-ultimate-guide-to-learning-about-radio-communication-and-why-you-should/
http://www.itstactical.com/digicom/comms/ultimate-radio-communication-guide-what-to-look-for-in-a-handheld-transceiver/