Information about Amatuer Radio "HAM" licensing

Information regarding the three classes of amateur radio licenses can be found in summary form at http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/license-requirements.html. The entry level license is "Technician." The technician license level will satisfy Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requirements for operating on the area repeaters. 144 MHz (2 Meters) and 440 MHz (70 cm) are the bands most used for local emergency communications. As of February 23, 2007, none of the ham licenses require Morse Code proficiency. The term of the license is ten years. 

Go to this site to get an overview of how to get started in ham radio: http://www.hello-radio.org The American Radio Relay League is the national membership association for Amateur Radio operators. The ARRL offers a study course, see http://www.arrl.org/cce/courses.html#ec010 The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual can be found at: http://www.arrl.org/catalog/index.php3?category=%2A+Licensing+and+Upgrading%21+Manuals%2C+software+and+more... (The link shown on the study course page to get to this publication may not correct.) 

This site has been suggested as a free tutorial for studying for the technician license: http://www.hamquick.com/tutorial_main.php. This seems like a good site since the reference material is organized in groups that match the topics covered by the examination.

Here is a site that has copies of amateur radio exam study guides for all three licenses: http://studyguide.eqth.org. This is an excellent compilation of the question pools made publicly available by the FCC.

Another way to learn the material for all license classes is through the following web based training site: http://www.hamtestonline.com. The nice feature about this site is that the subscription fee is good for two years. If you want to, you can upgrade from Technician to General to Amateur Extra during this two year period for just the initial subscription charge. This site also has sample tests that you can take to see if you are ready to sit for your exam. If you choose to subscribe, you are welcome to contact Paul Magnabosco (AD4HZ) for information on discounted subscription rates. These discounts are available for hams willing to assist with emergency communications. 

Local hams are always glad to mentor prospective hams or hams seeking a license upgrade. One of the best ways to get in contact is to attend a local ham radio club meeting. See http://www.ac4rc.org for information on meeting time and location for the Azalea Coast Amateur Radio Club and http://www.n4ilm.org for the Wilmington VHF Association. You do not have to be a club member to attend a club meeting. 

The current cost of testing for an amateur radio license is $14.00. Payment in cash is made at the local test session. There are some personal identification requirements for the test session. The local VE (volunteer examiner) team has scheduled test sessions on the second Saturday of the even numbered months. Sometimes, additional test sessions are scheduled. Licenses are usually issued within a couple of weeks. Go to http://www.ac4rc.org and click on "VE Testing" for details on date, time and location.