Since no one's answering, you find a local amateur radio club, many will administer the certification test to get your amateur radio license and will say on their website. You can also search ARRL for information and locations. Typically you send them an email letting them know when you'll attend. You basically show up and pay about $15 to take the test. There's three levels technician, general, and extra, the higher the license the more it opens up for you. The way it typically works is that you take the technician exam and if you pass they'll offer to give you the next level same day and so on. There's guides you can buy and sample tests online. If you already know the theory from the military then it should be a cake walk and mostly just learning the fcc restrictions. Based on what your class they'll assign you a call sign.
Getting started in equipment is easy, you can get something like the BaoFeng bf- f8hp that's a entirely functional handheld for less than $100. From there you make some friends in the hobby and play the game spending more and more for equipment so you can reach just a little bit further.
Edit: btw you don't need a license to buy the equipment, but it's illegal for you to transmit on frequencies you don't have a license to use. They do sometimes track down people causing problems.
I was looking at prices telling him about them last night. Ha! I just sent him this post and I’m gonna harass him until he budges. I think it’s a great investment. He has the guns, I get the Ham!
Ham is going to get busy and you have to go to testing site to get licensed . Get GMRS repeater capability radio. Repeaters are everywhere and 2 days license for $70/10 years FCC website. Go to https://mygmrs.com/ to see more info. Radio’s can be purchased for $60 on Amz make sure it’s repeater capable. Boafeng brand China yes/ but good.
You can get a scanner and start finding local stations and start listening now. You can actually go ahead and get a transceiver and listen on that, just don't transmit until you get your license and know where and how you can legally transmit. HAMs are generally sticklers for the rules and if you transmit without a license there are a lot of them that will report you, and some of them that will track you down for fun with direction-finding equipment.
That’s what I’ve been saying!!!!! I’ve been wanting a ham for years! My husband laughs!
Shit. I wish my guns were 1k each. Cheap at twice the price.
I was a RTO in the military and have wanted to get into this but have no idea where to start. Any recommendations?
Since no one's answering, you find a local amateur radio club, many will administer the certification test to get your amateur radio license and will say on their website. You can also search ARRL for information and locations. Typically you send them an email letting them know when you'll attend. You basically show up and pay about $15 to take the test. There's three levels technician, general, and extra, the higher the license the more it opens up for you. The way it typically works is that you take the technician exam and if you pass they'll offer to give you the next level same day and so on. There's guides you can buy and sample tests online. If you already know the theory from the military then it should be a cake walk and mostly just learning the fcc restrictions. Based on what your class they'll assign you a call sign.
Getting started in equipment is easy, you can get something like the BaoFeng bf- f8hp that's a entirely functional handheld for less than $100. From there you make some friends in the hobby and play the game spending more and more for equipment so you can reach just a little bit further.
Edit: btw you don't need a license to buy the equipment, but it's illegal for you to transmit on frequencies you don't have a license to use. They do sometimes track down people causing problems.
I was looking at prices telling him about them last night. Ha! I just sent him this post and I’m gonna harass him until he budges. I think it’s a great investment. He has the guns, I get the Ham!
Thanks friend! I need to start seeing where the places and clubs are around me.
That’s all I needed to hear, crap.....🤦🏻♂️ Lol
Ham is going to get busy and you have to go to testing site to get licensed . Get GMRS repeater capability radio. Repeaters are everywhere and 2 days license for $70/10 years FCC website. Go to https://mygmrs.com/ to see more info. Radio’s can be purchased for $60 on Amz make sure it’s repeater capable. Boafeng brand China yes/ but good.
You can get a scanner and start finding local stations and start listening now. You can actually go ahead and get a transceiver and listen on that, just don't transmit until you get your license and know where and how you can legally transmit. HAMs are generally sticklers for the rules and if you transmit without a license there are a lot of them that will report you, and some of them that will track you down for fun with direction-finding equipment.
You can get a broadband handheld scanner like an Icom R6 that you can hook up to an external antenna and listen to a lot of stuff. https://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/widerxvr/1006.html