Ham radio is a way to communicate Talk with another person by radio Ham radio is a nickname for amateur radio Can be a fun hobby or a serious part of your emergency plan (or both!) Operators sometimes refer to themselves as hams

Why ham radio? Greater range than walkie-talkies and CB radio Does not depend on towers or repeaters for long-distance communication Often the only effective means of communication during a large-scale disaster Not just for techies or men only

It requires a license Must pass a (not-too-difficult) test to get the license Test sessions held on the third Wednesday of each month starting at 7:00 pm Licensing test sessions available for all three license classes Inexpensive ($14) and easy pre-registration (to obtain a 4-digit PIN)

Help with studying for the test Register and study for free at HamStudy.org Easy to use, keeps track of your progress (did I mention free?) Intelligently arranges questions according to your ability Serious study, but feels like a game using the Recommended Study Method

The Utah County testing center When you're ready, head over to the ham radio testing center in Provo Requires your SSN, two forms of government ID, your PIN, and $14 (check or cash) Test isn't timed, and will be very familiar to you (because of HamStudy.org) Test results given to you immediately upon completion

Checking for your license Appears in the FCC database about two weeks after passing the test You may get on the air as soon as your call sign appears in the database You can download a copy of your license from the FCC

Basic ham radio equipment Unless you're rich, your first ham radio should be a hand-held one Start with a Baofeng UV-5RA or Baofeng UV-82 or Yaesu FT-60R Find a net, join a ham radio club, or just talk to friends, but have fun!