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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)
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, and pass an examination for the FCC license to operate on radio frequencies known as the "Amateur Bands." These bands are radio frequencies allocated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for use by ham radio operators.
Amateur Radio in Hollywood
Amateur Radio is part of the storyline in the ABC television series Last Man Standing, starring Tim Allen. Read More
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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.-
Call for Nominations for ARRL Director and Vice Director
Attention: Full ARRL members in the PACIFIC, ROCKY MOUNTAIN, SOUTHEASTERN, SOUTHWESTERN, and WEST GULF Divisions. You have the opportunity to choose a Director and Vice Director to represent you for 3-year terms beginning January 1, 2026.ARRL is governed by its Board of Directors. A voting Director is chosen by ballot by the full (licensed) ARRL members in each of its 15 divisions. Vice Directo...
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The ARRL Solar Report
Solar activity has been at low levels for the past 48 hours, withlow-level C-class flares. There was a narrow coronal mass ejection (CME), likely associatedwith minor flaring from Regions AR4117 and AR4118 between 1439 UTCand 1524 UTC on June 24. Initial modeling indicated a miss, southand behind Earth's orbit. However, it should be noted that analysisof this event is low confidence given the a...
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Field Day Safety – Tips From an Experienced Compliance Officer
By: Bill Mader, K8TE, Section Manager of the ARRL New Mexico SectionOne of the many ways to earn bonus points during ARRL Field Day is to have a Safety Officer on site who makes use of the Safety Officer Checklist [PDF]. Safety shouldn’t stop there! Many pictures of Field Day sites indicate that running that checklist alone is inadequate. Having been involved with safety professionally in the U...
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Sharing ARRL Field Day with Others via Social Media
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2025 ARRL Field Day is This Weekend!
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Local, County, and State Governments Proclaim Value of Amateur Radio
The Amateur Radio Service is of great value to communities around the nation. Through served agencies, the trained corps of technical and civic-minded operators provide a no-cost service to the public that has shown to be valuable before and When All Else Fails®.The 2025 hurricane season has been forecast to be above normal by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). As we sa...