Over the last several years in the activist and community circles I've been in, people have talked occasionally about getting licensed as amateur or "HAM" radio operators so we would have an alternate means of connecting to one another in an emergency situation when cell or internet networks may not be available.

This summer I did some research on what is actually required to do that. I started studying for the exams but didn't keep up with it since we decided to move outside the US FCC's jurisdiction (and no longer would easily be able to reach my Lincoln friends on their future radios, anyways).

I wrote up most of this overview over the summer to try to encourage other Lincoln friends to join my efforts. I'm sharing it now in case you find yourselves in similar conversations, to save you a bit of legwork at understanding why HAM radio might be useful to you, and so you can share it with your friends and neighbors and all learn together so that you have alternate means of connecting and helping one another, as well as reaching the outside world, in emergency situations.

Note that the licensing information I share here is all US-specific.

# The Info

This is a good overview on why HAM radio is cool from an emergency preparedness perspective. It includes an explanation of things like "what's the difference in CB radio, a pack of walkie talkies from Walmart, and ham radio" which I had previously been very confused about.

To transmit (send messages) on a HAM radio in the US, you need to have a license from the FCC. Anyone can listen to HAM radio traffic without a license.

To get the FCC license, you will need to take a multiple choice test, in person. Many people online say it's possible to learn enough to pass the test over a few days, and then you can take your time learning what you actually need to know to operate your radio of choice at a more leisurely pace as you go. The FCC license application is $35.

Most people start with a Technician license. Next if you wanted, you could take another test to move up to the General license, which lets you transmit on higher frequency bands that can travel greater distances.

Lincoln, Nebraska specific: The Lincoln amateur radio club offers testing at least once a month most months: typically the first Thursday of the month at 6:30pm. Testing costs $15.

# Minimum Start-Up Costs

  • $15 test fee (may vary by testing costs from the organization that handles testing in your location)
  • $35 FCC license application
  • a handheld radio - $25-60
    Total initial investment required: $75

# Radio Types

There are 3 types of radios:

  1. Handheld
    • Baofeng UV-5R and BF-F8HP are popular models.
      • You can get a pack of 5 & split them with your buds to get the cost down lower.
    • a $20 antenna upgrade can extend your range a lot
    • a $35 antenna might make it easier to use your radio from inside a car (which would otherwise block radio signal while in the car)
  2. Car Mounted
    • Designed to be used in a car; will have an antenna you stick on the roof of your car or something (possibly with a magnet so it doesn't have to be there all the time)
  3. Base station
    • typically in a fixed location like your house, with an antenna mounted on your roof

# Studying for the Test

The ARRL (amateur radio association) has some online courses you can take for free after making an account.

Look for your local amateur radio club; they may have in-person classes you can take to learn from local experts. This is a great way to build community connections, and later on, you can keep working together and learning new radio skills with the group!

You can also use flashcards for the test questions. The entire test bank of questions is published in full, so the questions you get on the real test will be a selection of these exact questions, worded exactly this way.

The PDF version of this study guide is available for free, if you want a more linear path to learning the info before jumping into studying question flashcards.

Finally, you might look for a digital copy (or available to borrow at your local library) of the book "Electronics Demystified" that talks about the basics of how circuits and electrical signals work. When I started to study, I was getting a little tripped up on the study guides above, and wanted to take a step back and get a broader overview in order to better understand what I was supposed to be studying.

# Address/Privacy Note

Note that when you apply for the FCC license, your license info goes into a publicly searchable database of license holders. This includes the full mailing address you provided. Some people get a PO box they can list, or use a business address to maintain privacy & safety. You just need to be able to receive mail there on an ongoing basis; you need to be able to respond if the FCC sends you a letter about something, and they can take away your license if it turns out you aren't receiving mail where you said you did (that is, if they send you a letter about something and you don't respond.)

# Next Steps

My research suggests if you want to have your radios be useful in an emergency situation, it's probably not enough to get the license (or even to not bother getting a license, just buy the radios and put them in a closet, and try to use them for the first time in a true emergency situation, when anyone can legally transmit without a license because emergency). Instead, make a point to actually learn to use your gear and practice with it regularly.

You can practice by joining in regularly scheduled "let's chat on the radios" sessions with the amateur radio enthusiasts of your area, or have your own radio chatter parties with the friends you're hoping to be able to communicate with in a disaster situation. There are also various volunteer and recreation opportunities available that will help you learn and practice skills, like assisting with weather spotting operations, volunteer search and recovery teams, or family fun radio events publicized by ARRL or your local amateur radio club.