Getting your FCC Amateur Radio License
Why do you need a license?
Unlike other radio services (CB, MURS, FRS, and GMRS) which have a very limited distance they can transmit, Amateur Radio allows worldwide communication. Because of that, amateur radio operators must understand both the international and national rules and regulations that apply to amateur radio operators. In the United States, the regulatory agency is the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) and you must pass an FCC exam to obtain a license.
This process might seem daunting at first but it is simple once you begin to explore the process. Exams are given and monitored by Volunteer Examiners authorized by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL). The ARRL website is a prime source of information for all things in Amateur Radio and has a whole section dedicated to getting your license:
https://www.arrl.org/licensing-education-training
Your first two steps should be to find a local amateur radio club and to study for the exam.
The best way to find a club is to do a web search for “amateur radio club” with you location, or look on the ARRL “Find a club” page: http://www.arrl.org/find-a-club
The basic license is called “Technician” and consists of 35 multiple choice questions. There are multiple ways to successfully study for this exam:
- Find a license class. Many amateur radio clubs periodically conduct license classes.
- The pool of questions is in the public domain. Many people find that just by reading the questions and answers every day they quickly remember them. The question pools can be downloaded here: http://www.arrl.org/question-pools
- A great, free, online study website is: https://hamstudy.org/ This site also has a phone app for $4.
- Some people pass the Technician exam by reading through the KB6NU study guide several times: https://www.kb6nu.com/study-guides/
- AD7FO also has an excellent study guide: https://www.ad7fo.com/training.html
- Lastly, HamTestOnline guarantees that you pass the exam or your money back! https://www.hamradiolicenseexam.com
We have several recommendations as you study for the Technician exam. If you pass the Technician exam, you may then take the General exam without paying an additional fee during the same session. The General exam is not much harder than the Technician exam. Many people pass both the Technician and General in the same session. The General license gives almost all amateur privileges, so we recommend you study for both exams and take them at the same time.
Our other recommendation is that if you don’t know the answer to one of the questions, eliminate the obvious incorrect answers and then pick one of the remaining answers.
Good luck and we’ll look for you on the air!