Since radio began the business of distant, wireless communication has fascinated many and it wasn’t long before associations of amateur radio operators were formed. One reason people choose amateur radio is that you can operate up to 1000 watts as compared to 4 watts with CB radio. The available wavebends are more diverse and less crowded and you can even acquire access to very specialized teletype and tv frequencies. Satellite technology has made it easy to extend your reach across the world. Of course with power comes responsibility, in order to access all this you must pass severl exams..
Depending on what you want to accomplish there are several licenses available.
The Novice license allows operations on several High Frequency bands via Morse code as well as ssb communication by voice between 28.3 and 28.5 MHz and between 28.1 and 28.3 for radio teletype. To access these channels all you need is a 10 Meter RadioAlthough these radios are commonly referred to as a 10 Meter CB Radio they are quite differnt as a CB radio does not require a license and a 10 Meter Radio does. Single Side Band (SSB) and FM voice and two-way transmissions via TV frequencies are permissable between 222.01 and 223.91 Mhz and also 1270 – 1295 Mhz.All it takes to acquire a Novice license is a simple radio theory exam and the capability to do Morse code at 5 wpm.
The Technician license restricts voice communication to the same frequency range as the Novice in addition to the VHF and UHF amateur radio bandsAcquiring a Technicians license opens up the VHF and UHF bands.|The Technicians license means that you can now transmit on the UHF and VHF frequencies. In order to get this license all you need is to pass a simple test on radio theory and FCC regulations.
The next step up, the General radio amateurs license, allows High Frequency, Very High Frequency and Ultra High Frequency. For this license you have to be able to work Morse code at the rate of 13 words per minute and pass an exam on general radio theory plus FCC regulations.
The Advanced radio license provides access to more frequencies in the HF band, but to get this you must have passed the General class Morse Code and radio theory exams and a more advanced radio theory test.
The top license for radio amateurs in the USA is the Extra Class license. Extra class license holders are allowed access to the entire spectrum of HF VHF and UHF frequencies allowed to ham radio. This license is not easy to get you must take a test on complex radio theory and operate Morse code quickly.
An organization called The American Radio Relay League helps provide all the information you may need to complete your license exam..
If you dont like the hassle and time it takes to take all those tests try CB radio. CB radio has always been the choice for those that dont care to bother with exams.. CBers tend to be a little more light hearted and amusing. Just go buy a radio and an antenna and you can get started. Sound like something you want to try?
