If I'm reading the documentation right on the FCC's website, there is no cost for the licence itself, only if you get a vanity callsign, is that right?
I'm looking at getting into amateur radio, I had looked into it back when I was a kid but you had to get the novice class back then and I wasn't too thrilled about having to learn morse code just to get the licence. I wouldn't mind learning it eventually, but I'd rather aqcuire it over time.
What kind of cost would I be looking at to get my licence? I know I'd have to pay for books, I just looked at the ARRL website and was looking at the book they have for getting the Technician class. Is there a fee for doing the test itself?
How much do you think it'd cost to get some simple and inexpensive equipment to get started? I'm rather handy with electronics so I can build a kit if I need to to save money.
My wife doesn't want me to pick up another hobby, but if I can do this cheap enough I just may be able to swing it, especially since I'm looking at it more fro a communications line and for emergency use, plus when I go off road it would be nice to have hte ability to communicate in the chance of an emergency, I regulary go camping in places that recieve zero cell phone coverage, and it seems these days the odds of someone having a cb close by are kind of low. Plus I want to be as prepared as I can be in the chance of a huge natural or other type of disaster, which isn't likely here in Utah, but still. Course there is that huge earthquake everyone says is coming, but I'm waiting to see if that will really happen.
I got kicked down a payscale at work a couple months ago and lost about 900 a month in pay due to a slightly stupid mistake on my part and stupidity and poor management skills on leadership's part. ( I say that because the situation DEFINITELY could have been handled better, but it wasn't, that's what you get when all three of your leaders up through the director level get replaced with acting leaders who have never done that job before. I'm now in a different department making less than I was before because of it.)
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