Amatuer radio licencing question

JPaul · **Posted:** Sun Oct 14, 2007 8:50 pm

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.

JPaul · **Posted:** Wed Oct 17, 2007 11:29 pm

Nobody? What happened to the people who were listing themselves as Ham operators several days ago? They all go on vacation?

tpcosta · **Posted:** Thu Oct 18, 2007 7:50 am

Check out this site.

http://www.hello-radio.org/whatis.html

corwyyn · **Posted:** Thu Oct 18, 2007 2:32 pm

Sorry, saw this post the other day and meant to respond but got sidetracked...

As far as testing goes, there is a fee to take the tests, for 2007 it is $14.00. If you are going in to take multiple tests all on the same day the single fee should cover it. So say you are going straight for your General license, you would need to take the Tech test and then the General test, both would be covered with the one $14.00 fee.

Study guides are a good idea, I used the ARRL guides when I upgraded to General and later to Extra. You can order them online or you might check your local Radio Shack - I'm not sure if RS still carries the study guides but it can't hurt to look. Once you think your ready you can find plenty of sites online where you can take practice exams. That will let you see if there is a section you might need to study more before you go and take the actual test.

Now get off the computer and go get started!

JPaul · **Posted:** Thu Oct 18, 2007 4:03 pm

Thanks for the replys.

I did look at the ARRL site but it wasn't very clear on costs.

So the testing is $14.00, is there a cost for the licence itself?

I'm not going to be able to get it any time soon though, I just looked over my budget last night, and it's not good when you are progressively going into the negative more and more each month. :shock:

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.)

ga_repoman · **Posted:** Sun Jan 13, 2008 11:00 pm

now you can get a nocode licence .....Check your old call on qrz.com to see if it is still good..
And yep in georgia there is n charge for a tag with a call sign but you still have to pay the tax ever year..
Also check that site and you can take a practice test over and over till you get good at it the store sells a book that has all the questions and answers in it they just pick from a pool of like 150 - 200 questions and give you 25- 30 of them for the test ...
But there are no surprise questions, all the answers are given to you ahead of time.....

James
KG4PVO

73's

Jase3gt · **Posted:** Sun Jan 13, 2008 11:15 pm

Amazon has a bunch of study guides too. The newer ones will have all the questions that could be on the test. I think I paid like 15 dollars for mine. Everything is discounted on Amazon too so it would be cheaper than getting it right from the ARRL website. They should have most of the same books too. I'm studying for mine too.

Jase3gt · **Posted:** Sun Jan 13, 2008 11:20 pm

The General Class book from May 2007 is only 16.47. vice 24.95 cover price.

Here's the link:
http://www.amazon.com/General-License-M ... 687&sr=8-7

DryBones · **Posted:** Mon Mar 10, 2008 10:21 pm

what FCC license are we talking about? I have an old General Class Radio Telephone license with no expiration back in the mid 80's. At the time they wanted us to have them to work on the telephone systems we were training on.

corwyyn · **Posted:** Mon Mar 10, 2008 10:47 pm

We were talking about the Amateur Radio service licenses. There are quite a few hams on the forum and down here in the Phoenix area we just started a net for hams who also 4-wheel (which I haven't been able to check in to yet because of my work schedule :evil:

)

TheChucklesStart · **Posted:** Mon Apr 14, 2008 12:55 am

I just took a test for 14 dollars, and they let me test till I didn't pass. Then if I wanted to retry that test, I would have to pay 14 more.

The books to study tend to cost 25 though, and I needed one for each license I wanted to get.

Amatuer radio licencing question

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