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800080 3 points ago +3 / -0

Start at http://arrl.org. There are classes offered online, some are inexpensive.

Don't think of it as needing permission to use the King's Air, think of it as learning new skills.

There are a number of pedes here who have mentioned they are licensed hams.

With the license you can practice skills that may be useful at a later date without giving anyone an excuse to send you to reeducation early.

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deleted 3 points ago +3 / -0
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UsedOnlyThrice 1 point ago +1 / -0

Guarantee you that just about every frequency you can imagine is being monitored somewhere. If you start chatting about anything interesting some radar nearby is going to detect it instantly and at the very least temporarily record it.

Military considers ham frequencies long range surveillance. If you are going to communicate this way you will want to otp messages just like they do.

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Sugz_Da_Bear 2 points ago +2 / -0

Thank you Pede!!

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800080 1 point ago +1 / -0

Amending this with another Ham license benefit:

A number of states have laws restricting the use of scanners. Just to listen.

Most but not all of the states that do restrict use, have a carve-out for licensed Hams, The restrictions seem mostly to be against mobile use or by certain people or only allow certain people.

NY is extra nasty with an outright ban on possession of a scanner and an ambiguous law. The law seems to allow use by licensed Hams or create problems for Hams who would otherwise be in compliance with the laws of the other 49 states. The NY law itself may be illegal because the Federal Law / the FCC control radio at the federal level. The local officer on the side of the road might not have read the Federal law or FCC regulations.

Start here: http://www.fireline.org/scanlaws/index.html and click on "State Scanner Laws" on the left hand side.