How do I obtain an amateur radio license from the FCC?

Many Northern California amateur radio clubs and organizations offer classes to prepare you for your

first FCC license exam.  Preparation for a license exam is achieved through a combination of

self-study, “elmering” (amateur radio mentoring) from experienced hams, and participating in

available amateur radio classes in your area.  That is a typical entry point method for most

beginners.  Text books such as “Now You’re Talking! - published by the ARRL and/or

“Technician Class, Gordon West” published by Master Publishing are excellent study guides to

prepare you for the first FCC licensing exam for the Technician class license.  There are multiple

internet resources for online practice exams and even study-guide and testing software!

In 2006 YSARC held classes from January through the end of March for new Technicians and achieved a

100% success rate for those who stuck with the class until they were ready for the test!

O.K. So I passed the test and I am issued a Technician class license, now what?

Go out and get yourself a good starter radio.  Most new Technicians typically opt for a basic

entry-level handheld two (2) meter transceiver.  There are many different transceivers to choose from

among commercial amateur radio manufacturers such as ICOM, Yaesu, Kenwood, Alinco, Ten-Tec, and ADI/Pryme

to name a few.  There are magazines such as ARRL’s “QST” and countless manufacturers’ catalogues to

spend hours nosed in to drool over.  You’ll find these radios at online suppliers such as AES, HRO, and

even locally at Fry’s.  Most of today’s handhelds have RF output transmit wattage from the milliwatt up

to seven (7) watts range typically, some with selectable power settings for low, medium and high.

For mobile use you’ll more than likely want to get a decent mobile antenna with an acceptable factory

tested SWR and some db gain matched to the radio you are using in your vehicle.  Again, as with

transceivers there are many different ones to choose from among commercial manufactures such as

Radial-Larsen, MFJ, Ringo, Comet, Hustler and Firestik, just to name a few.  Another item you’ll

probably want is a hand held microphone.  Find a suitable one designed for use with your radio, either

from the radio’s manufacturer or an after market brand such as Pryme.  Sometimes you can find reasonable

bargains on ham related equipment both new and used via Ebay or even from other individual hams or at ham

fests or club swap meets.  Just remember, caveat emptor “let the buyer beware.”  Know what you are paying

for and that it works properly and meets all of your expectations before you purchase it.  Prices

and features will vary and you’ll have many choices and many decisions to make.  Choose wisely but

choose what’s right for you.

Read your radio’s instruction/operator’s manual.  Learn how it works.  Program your radio for the

repeaters you’ll use frequently and those simplex frequencies common to your locale.  Listen, listen

and listen.  Again, listen and learn.  That first QSO is the hardest and everyone’s been there before.

Make that first contact.

Amateur radio is not an exact science, despite the scientific and mathematical principles commonly

applied to achieve communication. Sometimes things are just subject to the will of Mother Nature

and Murphy’s Law.  Equipment operations and the radio spectrum itself are subject to continual change

and such changes are dependent upon use and available conditions.  Be curious and investigate.

When you find things are amiss, correct them or get help from another ham to get them corrected.

Here are some of the basics:

1.  Always check out your station equipment before using it.

2.  Are your batteries charged?

3.  Is the radio programmed correctly (Repeater:  Frequency, offset, PL, CTCSS)?

4.  Check for snug and proper power, microphone and RF (coax or duck antenna)connections.

5.  Is your RF power output setting sufficient to break the squelch on the local repeater?

    Try a higher setting if it becomes necessary.  Remember, minimum power to achieve communication

    is the ideal.

6.        What is your relative distance from the nearest repeater or receiving station?  Remember a

    typical RF output of five (5) watts will only make your signal travel just so far.

7.  Are you transmitting from within inside a building or other structure that inhibits radio

    wave propagation?  Buildings can attenuate radio waves.  Try moving outside into the open.

7.        Check your SWR match between the radio and antennas you use with it or have the antenna analyzed.

    Don’t burn up your radio’s final transistors before their time!  You want that signal to exit

    at the antenna as close to a 1:1 (one-to-one) SWR match ratio as you can get so as to minimize

    the reflected RF power headed back to the radio through the coax.

You’ll typically find many experienced hams locally who are ready, willing, and able to step up

and “Elmer” (mentor) you.  Many have proper testing and measuring equipment to assist you and the

experience, knowledge, and skills that will be of great assistance to you.  Again, listen and learn.

That is up to you.  Be curious and investigate.  Join a local amateur radio club such as YSARC.

Join the ARRL and/or W5YI Group, the hobby’s national organizations.  Both are excellent resources

for information, study materials and set the pace for operating practices and procedures.  These

organizations also lobby on behalf of the hobby within the halls of the FCC and Congress, and are

the watchdogs over commercial encroachment into amateur bands and interference affecting the radio

spectrum.  It’s all really up to you and where you want to go with it.  Most new hams are usually

eager to try and learn something new along their way.  Take up a project.  Test your skills.

You can try your hand at soldering, tinkering, and build your own ham equipment, such as antennas,

cables, transceivers and such.  You can pursue HF band operations by passing additional elements

to go for your General and/or Extra class FCC license.  Read up on those technical manuals, get

those additional license class study guides, and if you have a computer - surf the multitude of

internet resources.  You’ll soon find out that the sky is not truly the limit, your imagination

is.  You can work satellites, bounce signals off the moon, work on DX and contact contests, become

an ARES or RACES member and much more.  The most important thing to remember is to have fun and to

learn as you go.  Stay on track, follow the FCC rules and maintain good operator practices.

And, finally as always, listen and learn.  Have fun.

73 and we’ll listen for you on the air!

-Sean, KI6BKL

Last updated on December 29, 2006