Resource hub
Not licensed, getting licensed, or just licensed — start where you are.
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New to Amateur Radio?
Not licensed yet? That’s a great place to start. Head over to WhatIsHamRadio.com, where you can learn what amateur radio is, what you can do once you’re licensed, and how to take your first steps into the hobby. Amateur radio is much more than talking on a radio. It can open the door to making contacts around the world, experimenting with technology, communicating through satellites, participating in community and emergency communications, operating outdoors, building and testing equipment, joining local clubs, and connecting with people who share your interests.
Getting started is easier than you might think. The Technician license is the entry level amateur radio license in the United States and is designed to give newcomers access to a wide range of amateur radio activities while providing a foundation to continue learning and exploring. You don’t need an engineering background, expensive equipment, or years of experience to get started. With some basic study and preparation, you can earn your first license and begin discovering where amateur radio can take you.
Start your journey at WhatIsHamRadio.com and discover what’s possible.
Get licensed
Get your license
The five steps to a callsign, what the exam covers, free study material and what it costs.
Find an exam session
How a Volunteer Examiner session works, in person or online, what to bring and what happens after you pass.
Upgrading
What General and Amateur Extra unlock, how much study each takes, and upgrading in a single sitting.
Find a club
Joining a local club is one of the first things to do, licensed or not — clubs run exam sessions, lend equipment and put you on the air far faster than studying alone.
Just licensed
You passed. The first radio, the first contact, the first net, and the etiquette nobody writes down.
Your first radio
A handheld VHF/UHF radio is the usual starting point, and an inexpensive one is fine. Spend your money on a better antenna before a better radio - it makes far more difference.
Your first contact
Find a local repeater, listen for a while, then key up with your callsign and say you are new. Amateur radio is one of the few communities where announcing that gets you help rather than sarcasm.
Your first net
Nets are scheduled on-air meetings with a controller. Most areas have a beginner-friendly net; checking in is the single fastest way to meet local operators.
Join a club
Clubs give you people to learn from, equipment to try and a reason to keep operating. Use our map to find the ones nearest you.
Log your contacts
Keeping a log is no longer required, but it is how awards, contests and QSL exchanges work. Free logging software is plentiful.
Keep learning
Digital modes, satellites, POTA, emergency communications, antenna building - the wiki is a good place to see what is out there.
Three habits that make you sound experienced
- Listen before you transmit, and identify with your callsign at the end of a contact and at least every ten minutes.
- Leave a gap between transmissions so someone with an emergency, or someone joining, can break in.
- Ask questions on the air. Elmering — experienced operators mentoring newer ones — is the oldest tradition in the hobby.
Trusted external resources
What is ham radio?
Our plain-English introduction for people who have never heard of the hobby, on WhatIsHamRadio.com.
NARA ham radio wiki
Community-maintained guides and references on licensing, operating, station building and emergency communications.
FCC Universal Licensing System
Get your FRN, look up a license and manage your record with the FCC.
HamStudy.org
Free question-pool study tool and a searchable list of exam sessions.
ARRL band plans
What you may transmit, where, and with which license class.
Parks on the Air
Portable operating from public lands - one of the easiest ways to get active.