New to ham radio?
Amateur radio lets you talk across town, around the world or through a satellite, build your own gear, and help your community when other systems fail. Here’s how to get started in San Diego County.
1. Listen first
You don’t need a license to listen. Any scanner or inexpensive handheld can tune our main repeater on 146.730 MHz, and the nets are a good way to hear how hams talk to each other. Try the Ham Help Net on Thursdays at 9 PM.
2. Come to a meeting
Our monthly meeting is open to everyone, licensed or not, and there’s no better place to ask questions. Come at 7:00 to chat before the program starts. Members are happy to talk radios, antennas and studying.
3. Get your license
In the US, transmitting on the amateur bands requires an FCC license. There are three classes:
- Technician: the entry-level license. It gives you full privileges on VHF and UHF, which covers local repeaters like ours, plus some HF privileges. Most people start here.
- General: adds most of the HF bands for worldwide contacts.
- Amateur Extra: all amateur privileges.
Each license is a multiple-choice exam given by volunteer examiners, and Morse code is no longer required. The question pools are public, so you can study the actual questions. Free study tools and practice exams are available online, and ARRL publishes popular license manuals.
4. Get on the air
Once your call sign shows up in the FCC database, you can transmit. A dual-band (2 m / 70 cm) handheld is the usual first radio. Program it for our repeaters (see the repeater page for frequencies and the 107.2 Hz tone), key up, and say your call sign. Someone will usually answer. If you get stuck programming a radio, ask at a meeting or on the Ham Help Net.
Scouts: through our Radios for Scouts program, local Scouts who earn a Technician license and the Radio merit badge can receive a new, pre-programmed handheld radio from the club. Ask the board for details.
5. Join the club
Membership is $35 a year ($60 for a family) and helps keep the repeaters on the air. Members get Scope announcements, a say in the club, and a room full of people who enjoy helping newcomers.