Ham radio operation??
by David Harvey VK2DMH on Saturday, September 5th, 2009 | 2 Comments
I am An aspiring amateur radio operator but I have no Idea were to begin. Can someone give me a hand and give me some instruction. I am really (for lack of a better term) “in awe” about radios in general and I would really like to do something with them.
P.S. I don’t have an exorbitant amount of money either
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To me you sound like you would be an excellent new radio amateur.
The primary quality of a ham is their love for radio electronics and you sound like that you have it.
It doesn’t require a huge brain , or some nerdy outlook , just a genuine interest and a willingness to learn..
What you need to do is find a local ham radio operator in your neighborhood.
They usually are easiest found by big antennas on the roof , but many also operate somewhat invisibly, so there probably is a ham nearby that you never even knew existed.
Most hams are pretty friendly people and are willing to help the new guy that comes along.
Perhaps he will advise you of the local radio club that he belongs too.
If you attend one of their meetings they can give you all of the information that you need.
You probably will have to buy a few books , but maybe some already licensed ham will lend you his old books.
There are practice tests that you can take online so you can gauge your progress with the radio theory side.
There are also some websites that will actually teach you the radio theory, so perhaps you wont need to buy any books at all.
Don’t overlook some of the ham radio webcast’s and podcast ‘s for inspiration and encouragement.
Some good ones are ¨Soldersmoke¨ , ¨This week in amateur radio¨ and ¨Amateurlogic tv¨
After you have studied for a while you will be able to take your exams , and now days they are easier than ever.
First you will be able to get a beginner class, where you will be licensed to use mostly vhf and uhf radios.
The next higher class will give you the ability to use some shortwave ham bands with medium power.
That is the class that I have , it is called ¨General¨.
The top class requires a LOT of study , the test is really hard but if one day you do get it , it allows much higher power outputs from your transmitters.
The costs are very low , especially in the US, but some countries cost more in government fee’s.
Many younger people have become hams on limited budgets.
Radios can be bought used from fellow hams (avoid ebay if you can) relatively cheaply for what they are.
After obtaining a general class license you probably could set up your station for under $400 and be able to get many contacts outside of the country and have tons of fun.
Only problem that I had with getting my license was myself .
I simply waited too long , I should have done it years ago and not waited.
It is easier than it seems.
gregW:-) OH2FFY
check out
http://www.arrl.net and the yahoo group "hamradiohelpgroup"