How To Get Started With Ham Radio
Whether you’re looking to reacquaint yourself with a hobby from yesteryear or you’ve been inspired by the long list of 80s-inspired TV shows recently, getting into ham radio will not be something you regret. But even if it’s something you used to play around with back in the day, chances are things have changed – or perhaps you’ve just forgotten.
That being the case, we’ve put together this handy guide, so you know exactly where to begin to kick-start your ham radio hobby.
1. Get the Tech
You can’t be a radio enthusiast without a radio, right? It might seem overwhelming to begin with, but you’ll have so much fun putting it all together that you won’t even care. After all, figuring it out is half the fun.
At the very least, you need a radio and an antenna. But that’s just the basics, and if you’re really committed to the radio life, there’s a lot more you can get your hands on to truly enjoy this hobby. Try searching for the best radio scanner, for example, to get yourself up and running.
2. Get the License
Without the ticket – that’s slang for license in the ham radio world – you’ll struggle to even get your feet off the ground. There are a few reasons you need a license, but the main one is to ensure you get to know – and only use – the agreed amateur networks. Without licensing like this, people could access and disrupt all sorts of WiFi and phone networks. And not to mention the military!
Aside from that, you’ll get to experience entirely independent communication networks that are completely separate from social media or big corporations. You’ll also be privy to one of the best communities going – trust us; you’ll end up meeting some of the best friends! And it’s never a bad thing to learn a new skill.
3. Join the Club
More on the community aspect now. Before you get started in ham radio, it’s hard to conceptualize just how far-reaching the community actually is. In this club, you’ll be able to communicate with people on the other side of the world using equipment that you yourself have put together – without relying on phone or internet companies.
One of the best ways to get into the community is to join a club or society. Here you’ll find handy tips, the latest news in the ham radio world, and – of course – lifelong friends.
Start Your Ham Radio Hobby, Now!
So, what’s stopping you? Go out and buy that tech, learn how to put it all together, get your license, join the societies, and get started! There’s a whole world out there waiting to hear from you and your ham radio.
Ham radio will provide you with skills – and community – for life, and lots of those skills are transferable in many other life areas. There really are no downsides to
