Ham Radiofor Non-Techies
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Ham Radio For Non-Techies Book
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Welcome to the World of Ham Radio!
Welcome to the site! Ham Radio for Non-Techies purpose is to help out new ham radio (Amateur Radio) operators and those who are thinking about getting into ham radio to better understand all of the facets of the hobby/art. It can be quite confusing for someone having never heard about ham radio before or just trying to dive into the hobby for the first time. There are a plethora of new terms related to ham radio as far as equipment, procedures, protocols and so forth.
Some of the most asked questions in Ham radio are:
- Do I need a license to use a ham radio?
- How do I go about getting a license?
- Are the tests hard?
- Once I am licensed, where do I start?
- What is a good radio to start with?
- Do I need a bunch of antennas?
- What other things can you do with ham radio?
These and many more questions are most commonly asked and we will try to give you the best answers and the most accurate information in a manner that you can easily follow and understand.
OK, I am Interested, where do I start?
The best way is to start at the beginning. You will need a little study and you will need to go take the first test, which is Technician. This is the easiest of the three tests available. This will cover the procedures and protocols of ham radio as well as give you insight on what frequencies you can use as well as the do’s and don’t’s with that level of license.
Once you take and pass the Technician license test, the FCC will issue you your “Call Sign”. At that point you can hop on the radio, find a frequency that is within your license permissions and start talking to others and start learning more.
If you are up for it, you can choose to take the other two class license tests which are General and Extra. It is not required to take the remaining tests unless you wish to unlock the privilege’s that having a license in those classes affords to you. Even just upgrading your license to General opens up a bunch of new frequencies to you including a lot of the HF (high Frequency ) bands. With HF, and the right equipment, you can reach people around the world when the conditions in the atmosphere is favorable.
There are Three Classes of Ham License Operators
TECHNICIAN
This is the first level for ham radio Licensing. This will teach you the basics and what you can and can't do within this class. This will get you on the radio!
GENERAL
This is the second level of ham radio Licensing. In this level, you will learn more about frequencies, wavelengths, components and more details on this license class privilege's. General opens up a lot more frequencies to you.
AMATEUR EXTRA
The final license level for Amateur Radio. This is much more technical and covers the remaining criteria to give you all available frequencies and privileges afforded to you with this final exam
Books to Help You Study for Your Ham License
Technician Study Books (Click the images to purchase the books)
UPDATED FOR 2022-2026
This series of books is a no nonsense approach to learning the questions and answers for the test, however, it doesn’t give a lot of explanation and detail about what you are learning. If you want to take the test fast and pass, then this route is for you.
UPDATED FOR 2022-2026
The Gordon West series of books to study for your Ham license are among the most read books on the topics. These books give you great insight and the how and why of what you are learning when studying for your Ham license. If you are more technical , this is the book for you.
UPDATED FOR 2026 – 2030
From the main organization that advocates for Ham Radio in the United States, the ARRL books are the original study manuals for learning and studying for your Ham Technician license. This book goes in-depth and is very detailed. Might be harder to follow for first timers, but still a great resource.
General Study Books (Click the images to purchase the books)
UPDATED FOR 2023-2027
This series of books is a no nonsense approach to learning the questions and answers for the test, however, it doesn’t give a lot of explanation and detail about what you are learning. If you want to take the test fast and pass, then this route is for you.
UPDATED FOR 2023-2027
The Gordon West series of books to study for your Ham license are among the most read books on the topics. These books give you great insight and the how and why of what you are learning when studying for your Ham license. If you are more technical , this is the book for you.
From the main organization that advocates for Ham Radio in the United States, the ARRL books are the original study manuals for learning and studying for your Ham General license. This book goes in-depth and is very detailed. Might be harder to follow for first timers, but still a great resource.
Amateur Extra Study Books (Click the images to purchase the books)
2024 – 2028
This series of books is a no nonsense approach to learning the questions and answers for the test, however, it doesn’t give a lot of explanation and detail about what you are learning. If you want to take the test fast and pass, then this route is for you.
2024 – 2028
The Gordon West series of books to study for your Ham license are among the most read books on the topics. These books give you great insight and the how and why of what you are learning when studying for your Ham license. If you are more technical , this is the book for you.
2024 – 2028
From the main organization that advocates for Ham Radio in the United States, the ARRL books are the original study manuals for learning and studying for your Ham General license. This book goes in-depth and is very detailed. Might be harder to follow for first timers, but still a great resource.
Online Resources to Help you Study and Take Practice Exams for your Ham Radio License
HAMEXAM.org
Must Sign Up for Free Account
- Practice Tests for All Three Exams
- Flash Cards
- Question Pool
HAMSTUDY.org
Must Sign Up for Free Account
- Practice Tests for All Three Exams
- Study Mode
Assuming You Just Passed Your Exam and You Are Now A Ham Radio Operator...What Now?
Congratulations! You’ve passed the ham radio exam, received your license and call sign, and now you’re ready to embark on new adventures in a brand new world. While I may not know you on a personal basis, I and many others welcome you to the art of ham radio. As you get ready to take your first steps in this hobby remember that we are all amateurs and we’re all constantly learning. Now, we we need to get you on the air!
When I got my license I had a ton of questions as you probably have a lot of questions now. It could be that you might not even know what questions to ask yet. So, as a licensed ham radio operator, where do you start in a hobby with so many facets to it? It really depends a lot on YOU! Where do you want to start? What budget do you have for equipment? What type of radio do you want to start with? These are questions only you can answer. However, I can point you in a general direction that would be a good start. That is also exactly why I wrote Ham Radio for Non-Techies: What to Do After You Get Your License — it walks through these same decisions in the order they actually come up.
To find the status of your license and to get your call sign, you can go to this link and check by searching by your FRN number or Name: CLICK HERE
A few days after your exam, the FCC will send you an email with a link. Follow that link will lead to the FCC site and a PDF copy of your license will be there for you to download and print.
The first thing you should do is buy a radio. That can be confusing as there are many types of radios to choose from. You have Handheld radios (or HT’s), you have mobile radios (for your car, although some can be used as a base station in your home) and you have actual base station radios.
HT’s will be a good cheap intro in to Ham radio. An HT can run between $50 – $500 depending on brand, features and budget. That is up to you and your finances. When I started out, I bought a nice upgraded HT from the normal radios that I saw a lot of others buy. It ran me about $110, but much better build and more rugged for my uses. I added a $20 upgraded antenna and voila, I was up and running. If you are on a tight budget, I would still spend the $110 for the Wouxun UV8D Plus.
Of all the Chinese radios available today, I think you will be very happy with the build quality and features of this radio over the Baofeng line of Chinese radios. They are rugged, reliable and this model comes with a battery upgrade that previous models didn’t have. Like I said, the choice in the end will be up to you and your budget.
If money is no object, then I would go for a Yaesu FT-5DR.It is packed with features, it has a full color touch screen. It is considered a top-of-the-line radio made in Japan by a well-respected radio manufacturer that has been around a long time.
I have only given two examples fo the hundreds of radios that are available to you on the market. Research features you want to have and go with the best bang for the buck.
In my video on Getting Your Ham Radio License, I discuss how to find a Ham Radio club near you to get tested. Well this same club would be the one to join if they are local to you. They should have some sort of a contact page where you can get in touch with someone and find the details on the local Net they hold and when and what frequency they transmit on. My local club has a daily net that started last year in 2020 called the Stir Crazy Net. Every day at Noon, HAM’s are encouraged to check in with their call sign and a topic of discussion is chosen and each person has a moment in the spotlight to express their opinion on the topic of discussion. It is good practice for getting used to using your radio and it will allow you to listen and learn the protocols that your local club uses on the air.
Do not worry about saying the wrong thing. They are very happy to have newly licensed HAM’s on the air to begin with and will assist you in any way they can most of the time. I freaked out the first time giving my call sign, especially because I was trying to use the phonetic alphabet to identify myself, but they were really cool about it and now I am on two to four times a week chatting it up with my fellow HAM’s in my area. They have been nothing but helpful and giving me good solid advice. You will have a similar experience. Either way, get you and your radio on the air and start using that thing. The only way to learn is to take action, even if it is imperfect action. You will get the hang of it very quickly.
Not much to say that I did not say above, except to say that joining a club will give you a ton of experience at your fingertips from those who have been in the hobby for decades. It will expose you to new equipment, skills for various projects that Ham radio can lead to and a comradery that will serve you for years to come. Club memberships are usually pretty inexpensive and you will learn a lot.
I am glad you asked that. Ham radio is made for the enjoyment of all that participate in it. There are a few rules that you may or may not know. However, instead of explaining them all here, I have a page I created for Ham Radio Tips and Tricks.This will give you a good jump start on general practices when using your radio.
ABSOLUTELY! I created a “cheat Sheet that you can download for FREE that will give you some basics on Ham Radio and give some visual explanations of a few things as a quick reference. CLICK HERE TO GET THE CHEAT SHEET
So Where Can You Get Ham Radio Gear?
What Are Some Other Aspects of Ham Radio That I Can Get Into?
That is almost a loaded question because there are so many areas in Ham Radio that you can get involved in that it could blow your mind. Below is just a partial list of what you can do:
Where You Operate
VHF/UHF
Two meters and 70 centimeters are where most new hams start. A handheld or a mobile rig gets you onto local repeaters, and from there into nets, club chatter, and your first real conversations. Short range, easy gear, and the friendliest end of the hobby.
HF Radio
Below 30 MHz, signals bounce off the ionosphere and come down hundreds or thousands of miles away. That is how you work Europe from your backyard. It takes a General ticket for most of it, and a wire antenna gets you further than you would think.
Digital Voice
DMR
Digital Mobile Radio carries your voice as data instead of analog audio. Repeaters are tied together worldwide by talkgroups, so a handheld in your kitchen can land in Australia. You will need a DMR ID before you transmit, and it is free to get.
D-STAR
Icom's digital voice mode, developed with the Japan Amateur Radio League. Clean audio, callsign routing, and repeaters linked over the internet. If you already own an Icom radio, D-STAR is likely built in and waiting for you to register with a gateway.
Wires-X / System Fusion
Yaesu's answer to the same idea. A local node connects your radio to the internet, and from there to rooms full of operators anywhere in the world. If your club runs a Fusion repeater, this is the one to learn.
Data, Messaging and Listening
APRS
Automatic Packet Reporting System puts your position, weather data, and short messages on the air as packets. Other stations and internet gateways pick them up and plot them on a map. Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, built it, and the name comes from his callsign.
Winlink
Email over radio, with no internet needed at your end. You compose a message, a radio gateway relays it, and it lands in a normal inbox. It is the reason Winlink shows up in every serious emergency communications plan.
SDR
Software-defined radio moves the filters, mixers, and demodulators out of hardware and into code. A dongle the size of a thumb drive plus a laptop lets you watch a whole band at once. It is the cheapest way to start listening.
Reaching Further
EchoLink
Links licensed stations over the internet, either radio to radio or straight from your computer. Useful when the bands are dead or you are traveling without a rig. You verify your license once, and it is free after that.
DX
Chasing distance. Working a station on another continent, logging countries, and collecting confirmations. DX is telegraph shorthand for distant, and chasing it is what turns a lot of casual operators into serious ones.
AMSAT - Satellites
There are amateur repeaters in orbit. With a handheld and a small directional antenna you can work stations several states away during a ten-minute pass. It takes practice tracking the bird and correcting for Doppler, which is most of the fun.
Giving Something Back
R.A.C.E.S.
Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service. Operators register with their local emergency management agency and can be activated to pass traffic for civil authorities during a declared emergency. Training and a background check are usually part of signing up.
ARES
The ARRL's Amateur Radio Emergency Service. Any licensed operator can register equipment and availability with a local Emergency Coordinator, then train and drill with the group. When storms, floods, or outages take out normal communications, ARES is who gets called.
Red Cross
The Red Cross uses amateur operators for communications during disaster response. A two to three hour orientation class gets you in the door, and after that you can sign up for the duties that fit your schedule.
Become a VE
Remember whoever ran your exam session? That was a Volunteer Examiner. Once you hold a General or better, you can get accredited and administer tests yourself. It costs you a weekend now and then and puts new operators on the air.
Want the Longer Tour?
Every one of these opens up a good deal further than a paragraph can cover. What Can I Do With Ham Radio walks through them one at a time, including the ones not listed here, with what you actually need to get started in each.
Ham Radio Apps for your Phone
APRSDroid - $4.95
APRS application for Ham Radio operators. It allows reporting your position as well as sending and receiving messages.
HAMRS APP - FREE/$4.99
HAMRS is a portable logging app to help you keep track of your contacts during POTA, Field Day and more. It is packed with features that you will appreciate having. Free for Windows and other desktops, however the app is $4.99 for Android, IOS and Amazon
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