Is there a Ham radio comeback happening right now? I'm hearing about it more and more. Can anyone recommend a post or series of posts about the process of obtaining the license?
In most built up areas there are tests multiple times a month, administered by volunteer examiners. In a few places the tests are free, most places you pay a fairly nominal amount (like $15). You show up, show ID, take the test, and learn if you pass on site. Your paperwork is sent to the FCC and tada (your address shows up in a public license database).
There three levels of licensing: technician then general then extra. Tech gives you all permissions for VHF and above, if you are only interested in VHF+ then a tech license is all you need. To transmit on HF (shortwave, which is not limited to line of sight) you will need at least general. Extra adds access to a few small reserved segments and the ability to request a vanity callsign. Assuming you want to do the study, it's possible to take and pass all three levels at one event (usually this will only cost the single fee, if any fee is charged).
The tests are multiple choice and drawn from public question pools, so study is fairly easy. Several people have put up data files for flashcard programs. If you know a bit about radio and apply some common sense, you can probably pass the technician test cold or get very close to it. You can try the tests online: http://www.eham.net/exams/
Standard procedure is to take the online tests until you reliably pass whatever test segments you'd like to try.. then go take it. I would strongly recommend trying for general+tech, even if you only plan on using tech-- it's not much harder to do general as well and you get access to a lot more spectrum that way.
BTW, it's cooler if you capitalize Morse, as a hat tip to Samuel Morse. Just like Mr. Hertz/Hz.
So, you don't have to fall down a deep gear rabbit hole just to get on the air. :) OTOH, depending on what you're interested in, a little handheld won't go very far.
Another option is buying a used radio. There's a lot of great equipment you can get at swapmeets or online for relatively cheap.
The physics haven't changed, but there is a growing movement that fears any antenna as a source of, for lack of a better term, bad energies. Even a passive antenna only used to listen to FM radio can catch the ire of those who fear EM waves. This law is a bit of a bulwark against that movement.
A lot of opposition to outdoor antennas is from people who just think they're ugly.
https://www.fcc.gov/media/over-air-reception-devices-rule
"The rule applies to individuals who place antennas that meet size limitations on property that they own or rent and that is within their exclusive use or control, including condominium owners and cooperative owners, and tenants who have an area where they have exclusive use, such as a balcony or patio, in which to install the antenna. The rule applies to townhomes and manufactured homes, as well as to single family homes."
OTARD = Over The Air Reception Devices
Also recommend getting involved with a local club, they're sort of like a user group but for amateur radio.
http://www.arrl.org/find-a-club
Ham radio is a very diverse hobby. Some hams just love to build gear, others explore tech frontiers, some are all about public service (storm spotters or event communication), others are competitive communicating against each other in contests and some are social and just like to chat with others. A club will usually have all types and in time you will be drawn to one specialty.
[1] http://www.jsg.org/sandiegohamclasses/San_Diego_Amateur_Radi... [2] https://amazon.com/dp/1625950136/ [3] https://hamstudy.org/
Coming into it as a newbie, I noticed there was a bit of a reputation for it being predominantly old white guys having a bit of a chat and a fair bit of a whinge on the airwaves. I'd like to say I haven't seen that myself, but can't.
Food for thought. We have these programs because the hacker/maker/tinkerer community was at one point pretty good at lobbying. We'll lose them if we don't keep up.
However, the government does recognize, to a certain extent, the importance of amateur radio -- particularly, these days, for emergency communication (which is the main reason for this bill that's mentioned in the article).
Some hams are disappointed that other aspects of the hobby are underappreciated and emergency communications are becoming the main reason for the existence of ham radio, but that's the way it is. And if it wasn't for the emergency services provided by hams, this law would probably not have passed.
also, some of them are older and retired and can spend basically unlimited amounts of time on their hobby, including the lobbying.
[1]https://www.amazon.com/ARRL-Ham-Radio-License-Manual/dp/1625...
I got the ARRL study books for each class - Technician, General, Amateur Extra then did the online practice exams on the ARRL website.
On getting a license, you no longer need to know Morse code, about 20% of the questions are easy safety questions.
Do a search for a local ham radio club, lots of them run a 3 hour license class. At the end you take the test and 99% pass.
They usually get a technician license, which gives them access to the 2-meter band, and that can be accessed from a hand-held radio with a built-in, tiny antenna.
So, really, I don't think this law will result in any significant growth in the hobby. The people who will benefit from it will be the more advanced hams (of which there are a lot fewer), and the people they serve.
Likewise, I can hit one repeater very well and two others with some noise. Same 10' above the roof! I can get to about 10 with full copy.
Both are cases of tech level license access. I'm an Extra, seldom use HF, but want the rule to give me better VHF/UHF access.