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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)
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 30 megahertz, allowing these licensees the ability to communicate locally and most often within North America. It also allows for some limited privileges on the HF (also called "short wave") bands used for international communications. Learn More
General License
The General class license grants some operating privileges on all Amateur Radio bands and all operating modes. This license opens the door to world-wide communications. Earning the General class license requires passing a 35 question examination. General class licensees must also have passed the Technician written examination. Learn More
Amateur Extra License
The Amateur Extra class license conveys all available U.S. Amateur Radio operating privileges on all bands and all modes. Earning the license is more difficult; it requires passing a thorough 50 question examination. Extra class licensees must also have passed all previous license class written examinations.Learn More
For more information, submit our online Prospect Package Request form or call: 1-888-277-5289.
BCARA provides testing opportunities to obtain your amateur radio license without a fee!
This content was created by ARRL.ORG The direct link is:
http://www.arrl.org/getting-licensed
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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.-
The K7RA Solar Update
Geomagnetic conditions were very quiet last weekend, good conditionsfor the ARRL Phone Sweepstakes. But there was much more geomagneticactivity toward the end of the reporting week, when the planetary Aindex jumped to 30 and Alaska's College A index reached 60, a veryhigh value.This past weekend was the CW portion of the CQ World Wide DXContest.Solar activity really picked up in the past few da...
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2023 Fall Section Manager Election Results
Two balloted Section Manager elections were conducted this fall. Ballots were counted on Tuesday, November 21, at ARRL Headquarters. All two-year terms of office will begin on January 1, 2024.For Section Manager of the ARRL Alaska Section:David Stevens, KL7EB (incumbent), received 105 votes Jeffrey Wolf, N8EX, received 72 votesDavid Stevens, KL7EB, of Anchorage, Alaska, has been declared re-el...
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ARRL Headquarters to Be Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday
ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® Headquarters in Newington, Connecticut, will be closed in observance of Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 23, 2023, and Friday, November 24, 2023. There will be no W1AW bulletins, code practice, or visitor operations during that time. ARRL Headquarters will reopen at 8:00 AM Eastern Time on Monday, November 27, 2023. We wish you and yours a hap...
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Former Illinois Section Manager Tom Ciciora, KA9QPN, SK
ARRL is sad to report that Thomas "Tom" T. Ciciora, KA9QPN, of Sandwich, Illinois, has become a silent key. He was 66 years old. Ciciora served as the Section Manager of the ARRL Illinois Section from 2006 - 2017. He was an ARRL Life Member.According to an obituary, Ciciora was active in several amateur radio clubs and had been the director of the Sandwich Emergency Management Agency. Ciciora w...
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2023 ARRL Board of Directors Election Results
ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® announces the results of the 2023 ARRL Division elections.ARRL Great Lakes Division Vice Director Scott Yonally, N8SY (2,175 votes), of Lexington, Ohio, defeated candidate Michael Kalter, W8CI (2,023 votes), for the position of Division Director. Yonally will assume the role when Director Dale Williams, WA8EFK, who has held the seat since 2014, ...
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The K7RA Solar Update
"ASWFC GEOMAGNETIC DISTURBANCE WARNING ISSUED AT 2306 UTC 16 NOVEMBER 2023 BY THE AUSTRALIAN SPACE WEATHER FORECASTING CENTRE."Two recent CMEs associated with small solar filament eruptions areexpected to increase geomagnetic activity from mid 19-Nov to 20-Nov."INCREASED GEOMAGNETIC ACTIVITY EXPECTED DUE TO CORONAL MASS EJECTION FROM 19-20 NOVEMBER 2023."Solar activity was lower this week, Nove...