Before you can get on the air, you need to be licensed and know the rules to operate legally. US licenses are good for 10 years before renewal and anyone may hold one except a representative of a foreign government. In the US there are three license classes—Technician, General and Extra.

Two Communications website provides ham radio information.

Amateur Radio (ham radio) is a popular hobby and service that brings people, electronics and communication together. People use ham radio to talk across town, around the world, or even into space, all without the Internet or cell phones. It’s fun, social, educational, and can be a lifeline during times of need.

The simple answer is yes. Technically a “ham radio”, being a short-wave transceiver with a fairly open tuner, could transmit and receive on the citizens band, but not legally. The FCC (in the USA) has restricted the CB radio to the 26.9Mhz ~ 27.4Mhz frequency range with a max power of 4 watts.

You’ve heard the news stories.  In one disaster after another, communication systems can fail or become overloaded.  Sometimes impacted communities are cut off from contact with response agencies.  At other times the various responding agencies cannot contact one another or their own units in the field.  When multiple jurisdictions and mutual aid are involved, interoperability of communications systems can become a problem.  Fortunately, when all else fails, the Amateur Radio Service can often help.

An amateur radio operator is an individual who typically uses equipment at an amateur radio station to engage in two-way personal communications with other similar individuals, on radio frequencies assigned to the amateur radio service by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the United States and the International Telecommunication Union worldwide.

Amateur radio operators build and operate several types of amateur radio stations, including fixed ground stations, mobile stations, space stations and temporary field stations. A slang term often used for an amateur station’s location is the “shack,” named after the small enclosures added to the upper works of naval ships to hold early radio equipment and batteries.

American amateur radio operators are granted an amateur radio license by the FCC upon passing an examination on radio theory and operation. As a component of their license, amateur radio operators are assigned a call sign (such as KC9ANG) that they use to identify themselves during communications. There are about 3 million amateur radio operators worldwide, including more than 700,000 licensed operators in the United States alone.

Amateur radio operators are also known as radio amateurs or hams. The term “ham” as a pejorative nickname for amateur radio operators was first heard in 1909 by operators in commercial and professional radio communities. The word was subsequently embraced by the operators, and stuck. However, the term did not gain widespread usage in the United States until around 1920, after which it slowly spread to other English-speaking countries.

The term “amateur” in amateur radio is used in the same sense as an amateur athlete, as radio amateurs are prohibited by law from accepting monetary or material compensation of any kind for any activities they perform as radio operators. However, just as amateur athletes are among the top athletes in the world, ham radio operators have led the advancement of the science of radio communications for over a century. Today, we take for granted radio, television, satellite communications, cell phones, broadband, digital communications and many other innovations first explored and pioneered by ham radio hobbyists.

Today, radio amateurs are exploring voice and data communications in ever higher frequencies allocated for experimentation and exploration – extending all the way to 275 gigahertz (GHz) and even beyond, nearly to the spectrum of light. Amateur radio operators volunteer countless hours of community service in providing emergency communications during natural and man-made disasters, as well as public service communications in support of special events such as marathons, bike races, and public events.  Many are trained as severe weather spotters by the National Weather Service (NWS) and provide “ground truth,” by mobile radio, to forecasters and emergency management agencies in support of public safety.

Yes, you will find a couple of schematic diagrams on each of the license class exams when you take your ham test.

Here a few quick pointers which might help you. We are sometimes asked if a license is required to RECEIVE satellites in the Amateur Satellite service. The answer is ‘no’. You only need a license if you intend to TRANSMIT, e.g. use one of the transponders to make two-way communication with other radio amateurs.

Usually near the end of an amateur radio conversation (QSO) the phrase “seven three” or “seventy-three” will be heard.  New hams or unlicensed listeners will probably wonder, 73 what?  Here is more of that ham-speak stuff we are learning about and this terminology has a very particular meaning.

73 simply means, “Best Regards”.  It is a very common phrase used on the radio in voice, Morse code (CW), and data communication modes and is often used in emails and handwritten notes between hams.  73 is considered a polite and friendly way of signing off all forms of communications between hams or as a general show of respect.

The origins of 73 are not absolutely certain, but the prevailing idea that it is a remnant of 1870s American telegraph codes is supported by historical documents.  We find a long list of numeric codes that represent common phrases that would be sent in telegraphy.  This saved the operators time by simply sending a one- or two-digit code instead.  Because early amateur radio was Morse code work, hams adopted some of the telegraphy practices and codes.  73 is one of the few codes that have survived a hundred years of ham radio history, along with judiciously-used 88 (Love and Kisses).

For a fun and interesting look at origins of 73, a great reference for this and many other obscure ham things is found at the Origins of Hamspeak site by AC6V.  One legend holds that 73 derives from respecting someone so much that you would pass along your valued 1873 Winchester rifle to them.  Hogwash, but fun to read.  That site is also referenced in our Links page under Origins of Ham Things.

73 is particularly meaningful in CW mode where the Morse characters form a palindrome (reads the same backwards and forwards).  7 is dah-dah-dit-dit-dit and 3 is dit-dit-dit-dah-dah.  So 73 is sent (– – • • •  • • • – – ).  When CW hams hear this they don’t think of a number; instead they know that the other guy is sending his regards and wrapping up a QSO.

By the way, 73 is a singular code so the plural form doesn’t make sense.  You would not write, “Best Regards’s”, so proper usage is not 73s, it is simply 73.

73, KM4KGX