Can family use ham radio?

You Can Have This Capability for Yourself and Your Family-- Unlike some other types of radio services, you need an FCC license to communicate with a ham radio. There are three levels of Amateur Radio Licenses, and getting your first one is not all that hard.

Can civilians use ham radio?

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.

Can you use a ham radio without a license?

Federal law generally prohibits radio broadcasts without a license issued by the FCC. Anyone found operating a radio station without FCC authorization can be subject to a variety of enforcement actions, including seizure of equipment, fines and other civil and criminal penalties.

Can you get caught using ham radio?

You need a license to transmit on a ham radio, but not to listen. The penalties for transmitting on a ham radio without a license include seizure of equipment, fines, and civil/criminal penalties.

Can I use a ham radio as a walkie-talkie?

And the answer to that is: Yes, you can. Ham radios have various handheld models, popularly known as handy-talkies in the Ham radio community. These devices allow Ham radios to double as walkie-talkies and enable you to communicate with other Hams even when you are on the go.

Family Emergency Communications Plan

How hard is the ham radio test?

The Technician and General License exams each have 35 questions, and the Amateur Extra has 50. In order to pass the each test, you must get at least a 74%. For Technician and General, this means you must get 26 questions right out of the 35 questions.

Can anyone use a ham radio in an emergency?

Ham radio resources are available for emergency communications support to any public service agency, and can bridge interoperability gaps between served agencies on a local, tribal, and/or state level.

What frequency can I transmit on without a license?

Almost all GMRS radios also support FRS frequencies, which can be used without a license. Channels 8-14 on a typical 22 channel consumer radio reserved exclusively for FRS. These channels can be used license-free, but are limited to a half watt of transmit power and will have limited range.

What is the point of ham radio?

Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, is the use of radio frequency spectrum for purposes of non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, private recreation, radiosport, contesting, and emergency communications.

How far will a 50 watt ham radio transmit?

They assume a 5 watt handheld, 50 watt mobile, 5/8 wave mobile antenna with 6 dB gain and 5/8 wave, 6dB gain omnidirectional base antenna at 50′. Urban Environment – Around 1/2 – 1 mile from handheld to handheld, up to 2 miles mobile to handheld, and up to 5 miles or more, base to mobile, with base antenna at 50′.

Can you talk across the country with a ham radio?

The Ham was honed for a very long time. And today, we have high-tech Amateur Radios such as our phones and television, sending signals from the ground to the ionosphere and even to the moon. Basically, you can connect with anyone, anywhere in the world.

How far can you communicate with ham radio?

The absolute maximum distance that you can talk over with a ham radio is around 4000 miles (6400 km). This would only be possible during something like an emergency if both antennas were high enough, such as up on top of mountain peaks or skyscrapers.

What can I do with a ham radio license?

The license gives access to all Amateur Radio frequencies above 30 megahertz, allowing these licensees the ability to communicate locally and most often within North America. It also allows for some limited privileges on the HF (also called "short wave") bands used for international communications.

What is the most popular ham radio band?

Amateur radio contests are not run on the WARC bands. 20 metres – 14.0–14.35 MHz – Considered the most popular DX band; usually most popular during daytime. QRP operators recognize 14.060 MHz as their primary calling frequency in that band. Users of the PSK31 data mode tend to congregate around 14.070 MHz.

Can a ham radio talk to a CB radio?

Can a Ham Radio Talk to a CB Radio? The short and quick answer to whether you can talk to CB radio with your ham radio is: Yes, you can. CB radios operate in the HF range on the 11m band. Ham radios can communicate in the HF range on the 10m and 12m band, both of which are pretty close to the citizen's band.

What bands can a general transmit on?

Generals can transmit on two new longwave bands that are below the AM broadcast band, as well as 10 HF bands that allow worldwide communications in a variety of modes. Many hams who go for the General class license do so because they want those HF privileges.

Can you use Baofeng as walkie talkie?

The baofeng UV-5R is dual band and most certainly does cover MURS, which is an acceptable choice if you want a commercial "walkie-talkie" to be able to talk to an amateur radio. If you're stuck with FRS/GMRS then that's fine too, FRS is also licence-free (but GMRS is not).

How does ham radio work during disasters?

Amateur Radio operators have informal and formal groups to coordinate communication during emergencies. At the local level, hams may participate in local emergency organizations, or organize local "traffic nets" using VHF (very high frequencies) and UHF (ultra high frequencies).

What is a 10 meter ham radio?

The 10-meter band is a portion of the shortwave radio spectrum internationally allocated to amateur radio and amateur satellite use on a primary basis. The band consists of frequencies stretching from 28.000 to 29.700 MHz.

How long does it take to study for ham radio?

The Ham Test Online web site estimates that it will take 10 hours to study for the Technician exam, 20 hours to study for the General exam, and 30 hours to study for the Amateur Extra exam.

Is Morse code still required for a ham license?

AMATEUR MORSE CODE ELIMINATION The FCC has modified the amateur radio service rules, eliminating Morse code exam requirements. The current amateur service operator license structure contains three classes of amateur radio operator licenses: Technician Class, General Class, and Amateur Extra Class.

How much does ham radio cost?

Depending on the options you select, it costs around $1000. If that's too much for your budget, you could buy a less feature-rich, used HF radio at local hamfest for around $200. To operate HF you're also going to need some kind of antenna.

What is the difference between a ham radio and a two-way radio?

Walkie talkies (also known as 'handheld transceivers' by radio hams) only have one transmission capability. You can either listen or speak but not both. With a two-way radio you can do both at the same time; although this is not advised!