Congratulations!
You've passed the ham radio exam, received your license and call sign, and now
you're ready to embark on new adventures in a brand new world. While we might
not know you personally, I and many others welcome you with open ears. As you
get ready to take your first steps in ham radio, please keep in mind two things:
we're all amateurs and we're all learning. Now, we look forward to hearing you
on the radio!
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Other topics of interest |
If you didn't already know, yes, you'll need a license to transmit on ham radio frequencies.
Then again, you don't need to have a license to listen; in fact, many find it motivating,
proactive, and even fun to listen to the chatter while they're studying for the ham radio license. It's
a good way to become acquainted with the jargon and the manner in which
people speak on the radio. So, don't let a lack of license stop you from purchasing a handheld or mobile
ham radio while you're studying.
To obtain your license, you'll need to study the exam material, then take the exam at a time and place where a ham radio exam session is being held. If you follow every line in the box on this page, you should be able to quickly and easily pass the ham radio exam. By the way, some point out that one does not need a license to transmit on ham radio frequencies in an emergency. This is technically true, but
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At this point in your new-found adventure, what you need most is experience, rather
than a lot of expensive equipment. Still, you need to start somewhere. To keep it simple,
here are some suggestions to help steer you away from things that are likely to frustrate
you as a new ham radio operator, as well as a few things you might want to consider. There
are good reasons behind each recommendation, but most are too lengthy to describe here, so
if you're curious, please ask off-line. This is compiled to minimize newcomer heart-ache,
which tends to discourage many new hams from furthering their amateur enjoyment.
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Often more important than which radio, you'll want to consider what kind
of antenna you're going to need. And that'll depend on what kind of
radio you have, on what bands it can transmit, and how portable you want
it to be.
Being a new ham, chances are you have little more than a 2-meter handheld, which is perfectly fine for portable and emergency use. The problem is, your poor little rubber duck antenna might not allow your transmissions to reach beyond a few blocks, and you're hoping to do a lot more with it. Obviously, the cost of a big antenna tower is probably outside the budget at this time, but there are other good options, such as a whip, a roll-up J-pole, or a mounted vertical. Here are three configuations to consider:
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![]() ![]() ![]() Smiley telescopic Tram mag-mount ![]() "Pockrus" J-pole with choke |
Band | Location | Movement | Duration | Length | Model |
VHF or UHF | outside | little | temporary | over 50 ft | LMR-240 |
VHF | inside | little | temporary | under 50 ft | RG-8X |
VHF or UHF | outside | little | permanent | over 50 ft | RG-213 or LMR-400 |
VHF or UHF | outside | little | permanent | under 50 ft | LMR-240 |
VHF X UHF | outside | little | permanent | any | RG-213 |
HF | outside | little | permanent | over 50 ft | LMR-240 or LMR-400 |
HF | outside | lots | permanent | under 50 ft | RG-8X |
HF | inside | lots | temporary | under 50 ft | RG-8X |
The short answer is Yes, but violating that pretty, metal
body of your Lexus will probably give you the best radio
performance,
due to the direct connection between your antenna ground and your
car ground. That being said, here are two high-quality antenna
mounting alternatives: mag-mount and lip-mount.
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You probably don't have the time or motivation to spend hours online, shopping for ham
radio equipment, especially if it's not all that clear what you really need or even what
you're looking at. So, this section contains a few ready-made shopping lists of the best
stuff for the lowest cost, to possibly fit your particular situation. If you happen to
encounter differing opinions elsewhere, then you're well on your way to becoming a
better-educated ham. Meanwhile, this is a place to start.
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![]() ![]() TYT TH-7800 UV-82HP ![]() "Pockrus" J-pole with choke ![]() ![]() Smiley telescopic Tram mag-mount |
Feel free to turn on your radio and explore by listening to various frequencies!
You'll find that most will be very quiet. On one hand, there might not seem to be
a lot of other hams to talk with; on the other hand, this leaves the frequencies
wide open for you to experiment with. You need to get on the air ASAP and practice,
because during an actual emergency your family and the rest of us might need your
radio communication skills.
Also, you might find that your particular radio can receive transmissions outside the amateur bands, which is perfectly fine, since there is no need for a license to simply listen. But if you want to transmit within your allowed frequencies (of course you do!), there are a few things to keep in mind:
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Frequency | Tone (Hz) | Location | Coverage | Link |
146.620 - | none | Farnsworth Peak | SL Co, Utah Co, Tooele Co, Nev border | none |
146.760 - | none | Lake Mountain | SL Co, Utah Co | IRLP 3352 |
146.780 - | 100.0 | Lake Mountain | SL Co, Utah Co | EchoLink 762028 |
449.425 - | 100.0 | Nelson Peak | SL Co, Utah Co | IRLP 3310 |
448.200 - | 100.0 | Lake Mountain | SL Co, Utah Co | EchoLink 762028 |
145.450 - | 100.0 | Butterfield Peak | SL Co, Utah Co | none |
147.120 + | 100.0 | Farnsworth Peak | SL Co | Intertie |
147.080 + | 77.0 | Lake Mountain | SL Co, Utah Co | Sinbad |
147.180 + | 100.0 | Hidden Peak | SL Co, Park City, Heber | Intertie |
146.700 - | 100.0 | Ensign Peak | SL Co, South Ogden | none |
Frequency | Tone (Hz) | Location | Coverage | Link |
146.780 - | 100.0 | Lake Mountain | SL Co, Utah Co | EchoLink 762028 |
146.760 - | none | Lake Mountain | SL Co, Utah Co | IRLP 3352 |
146.620 - | none | Farnsworth Peak | SL Co, Utah Co, Tooele Co, Nev border | none |
449.425 - | 100.0 | Nelson Peak | SL Co, Utah Co | IRLP 3310 |
448.200 - | 100.0 | Lake Mountain | SL Co, Utah Co | EchoLink 762028 |
147.120 + | 100.0 | Farnsworth Peak | SL Co | Intertie |
147.080 + | 77.0 | Lake Mountain | SL Co, Utah Co | Sinbad |
449.475 - | 100.0 | Lake Mountain | SL Co, Utah Co | IRLP 3310 |
147.340 + | 100.0 | West Mountain | SL Co, Utah Co | none |
145.330 - | 100.0 | BYU | Utah Co | EchoLink 96806 |
Frequency | Tone (Hz) | Location | Coverage | Link |
146.860 - | 100.0 | Monroe Peak | Sevier Co, Millard Co, Emery Co | Law Enforcement |
146.840 - | 100.0 | Cove Mountain | Sevier Co, Millard Co, Emery Co | IRLP 7475 |
145.270 - | 103.5 | Levan Peak | Sanpete Co | Intertie |
146.660 - | 100.0 | Skyline Drive | Sevier Co, Sanpete Co, Emery Co | none |
146.940 - | 100.0 | Frisco Peak | Millard Co, Beaver Co, Iron Co | Intertie |
146.760 - | 123.0 | Iron Mountain | Cedar City, Beaver | none |
Frequency | Tone (Hz) | Location | Coverage | Link |
146.820 - | 100.0 | Utah Hill | Washington Co | Intertie |
147.300 + | 100.0 | Jacob Lake | Kanab, Page, Escalante | Intertie |
146.800 - | 100.0 | Blowhard Mtn | Washington Co, Cedar City | Intertie |
146.760 - | 123.0 | Iron Mountain | Cedar City, Beaver | none |
146.960 - | 100.0 | Navajo Mtn | Lake Powell, Page | Intertie |
146.640 - | 100.0 | Webb Hill | Washington Co | none |
449.925 - | 100.0 | Navajo Mtn | San Juan Co, Page | none |
If you're new to ham radio, chances are you hold a Technician
class license, and most of your phone (voice) operating frequency privileges
are confined to the 6-meter band and higher, plus a portion of
the 10-meter band. And if you hold a higher license class, your
privileges get a bit more complicated.
This handy chart illustrates the frequency privileges for all amateur license classes, plus mode, power, and a few location restrictions. Additionally, your privileges are further limited by your local band plan, which is a (strongly recommended) gentleman's agreement between amateur radio operators in your state or region, defining what modes, bandwidths, and power levels are allowed for each band. By the way, CW (Morse code) is the only mode allowed on all amateur radio frequencies. |
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If you know other hams, tell them you'd like to talk with them
on the air, then ask them when and on what frequencies they plan
to talk. Most likely they'll be happy to help out somebody like
you, who is new to ham radio and wants to get started.
If you don't know any other hams, try announcing your call sign on 146.520 MHz simplex, and listen for who might answer. If somebody answers, just speak with them like you normally would, remembering to announce your call sign every ten minutes and at the end of your communication. Don't get discouraged if you announce your call sign repeatedly and nobody responds, even though others might do the same and get a huge response. The ham radio world tends to attract those who are more disciplined and reserved than other kinds of interests, so hams might not acknowledge your presence, or even want to engage you, if they don't already know you well. ("Obviously, he's asking for somebody else.") A good way to overcome this is to announce the call sign of a specific ham, then your own. ("Oh, he's asking for me.") And if that doesn't work, look up a listing of the repeaters in your area and tune into one of them, remembering to set the appropriate offset and tone for it. |
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We're often asked to spell out our call signs and
names and other things using the
phonetic alphabet,
sometimes called standard phonetics, to help clarify them when spoken in
noisy environments or difficult-to-hear conditions. The ham radio version of the
phonetic alphabet has increasingly become the standard in recent years for many
groups, including the
ITU,
the US Army, and the
FAA.
This table displays the phonetic alphabet that we use
in amateur radio:
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You've been listening to a conversation
(QSO)
between two or three people on the radio, and you'd like to join in
because you have something to add, or have some information they're
asking about. But how do you break in, to throw in your two cents?
It can be a little scary to jump into a radio conversation if you've never done it before. What are the rules? What happens if you transmit over somebody else's transmission by mistake? Will you make one of them angry because you've invaded their conversation? Is somebody going to send the ham police after you? Well, no, but here are some tips to get you going:
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7-3 | best wishes / good luck | 7-3 from K-N-Ø-J-I |
roger | got it / agree | Roger that |
copy | understand | I copied your entire transmission |
QSO (cue'-soh) | conversation | I just had a QSO with a guy in Florida |
clear | good-bye / off-air | This is K-N-Ø-J-I, clear |
mobile | traveling | I'm mobile at the moment |
monitor | listen | This is K-N-Ø-J-I monitoring |
QSY | change frequency | I'm going to Q-S-Y over to the '62 |
double | talk simultaneously | You two doubled with each other |
step on | talk over | Sorry, I stepped on you |
PTT | push-to-talk button | Press your PTT when you're ready to speak |
HT / handy | handheld transceiver | My only radio is an HT |
rubber duck | short stock antenna | I'm using a rubber duck |
stand by | wait / pause | This is K-N-Ø-J-I standing by |
net | on-air gathering | The net's at 7 pm |
early / in-and-out | offline check-in | Please give me an early for tonight's net |
elmer | ham radio mentor | Daryl is my elmer |
final | concluding transmission | I'll be clear on your final |
jump off | leave the radio | I need to jump off right now |
kerchunk | key up silently | All I could hear is somebody kerchunking |
picket fence | fluttery transmission | You're starting to picket fence |
ragchew | shooting the breeze | We're just ragchewing at the moment |
shack | radio room | My shack is in my basement |
silent key / SK | passed away ham | My father is a silent key |
steam | hissing background noise | You have a lot of steam in your signal |
full-quieting | no backround noise | You're full-quieting into the repeater |
relay | pass a message | Could you please relay? |
key up | transmit | Key up when you're ready to speak |
unkey | stop transmitting | I heard an odd noise when you unkeyed |
ticket | ham radio license | When did you get your ticket? |
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To announce that you're
monitoring
a frequency means that you're listening for people who might be requesting something as
simple as a signal check or calling for help in an actual emergency. It can also mean that
you just want to talk with whomever is listening at the moment. If somebody does request help,
you can answer the call if you feel you're able to provide the requested assistance, or direct
the caller to another person who is able to help.
How do you become a monitor? If you have a valid ham radio license, simply listen, and when there's no traffic on the frequency, just say one of the following:
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There is probably a group of hams within your town, neighborhood, church group, work place, or other local circles who already meet in a regular net that's not part of an organized club. These folks often use ham radio to participate in family preparedness, community training (such as CERT), and local disaster relief (such as the American Red Cross). If you're certain that your community has no such net, learn how to start one. |
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If you're a member of the LDS Church, there is most likely an organized net within your own stake. Contact your Ward or Stake Emergency Preparedness Specialist to be sure, and find out how you can serve. If you're not LDS, or if your stake doesn't have an organized ham radio net, start one, but understand that you do not necessarily represent your religious institution when you create or participate in their net. |
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The LDS Church has an organization for emergency communications known as the ERC, which falls under the responsibility of regionally located Bishops' Storehouses world-wide in the Church. (For those familiar with MARA, the Church's former emergency communications arm, please note that it is no longer associated with the LDS Church, but is still a valuable communication resource.) Feel free to contact your local ERC group and find out how you can check into their net and become part of the plan. |
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You might not be the kind of person who sees yourself joining a club and attending club meetings
for the sake of discussing ham radio. After all, that's why you have a radio, right? It
turns out that one of the best ways to immerse yourself in the ham radio world and learn the art
better and faster is to associate with groups of hams who have common interests, such as family
preparedness, community, religion, hobby, school, vocation, scouting, and locale.
Most likely you have a lot that can benefit others too, and the rest of us would love to meet you and find out what you have to offer. Nearly everywhere in the US you can find local ham radio clubs or social groups that will welcome you among their memberships. You can search for an ARRL Affiliated Club in your area from the ARRL website, for example. If you'd like to join the Utah Valley Amateur Radio Club, we have a website you can look over, and a Facebook® group through which you can join, dues-free. |
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Group | Interest / Locale | Net | MHz |
UVARC | Utah Valley Ladies | Tue 6 pm | 146.780- (100.0) |
UVARC | Utah Valley Family | Thu 6:30 pm | 146.780- (100.0) |
UVARC | Utah Valley New Hams | Thu 7 pm | 146.780- (100.0) |
76'ers | '76 repeater | Wed 7 pm | 146.760- |
UARC | Utah | Mon 8 pm | 146.760- |
Orem CERT | CERT Ham | Thu 8 pm | 146.780- (100.0) |
Lehi CERT | Lehi CERT | Wed 8 pm | 448.875- (100.0) |
Springville City | Springville residents | 1st Sun 6:30 pm | 145.750 simplex |
BYUARC | BYU (students only) | Thu 9 pm | 145.330- (100.0) |
SDARC | Central Utah | Tue 8 pm | 147.080+ (77.0) |
UHDARC | Utah County Desert | ? | 449.175- (131.8) |
BARC | Northern Utah | Tue 9 pm | 146.720- |
BARC | Northeastern Utah | Mon 9 pm | 147.100+ (136.5) |
OARC | Ogden | ? | 146.900- (123.0) |
RCARC | Cedar City | Daily 7 am, 9 pm | 146.980- |
HVARC | Heber Valley | Thu 9 pm | 147.200+ (88.5) |
GSARC | Northern EmComm | Sun 7:30 pm | 145.430- (123.0) |
Skyline | Sevier | Thu 6:30 pm | 146.640- (100.0) |
DCARC | Davis County | Thu 8:30 pm | 147.420 simplex |
DARC | Southern Utah | Sun 8 pm | 145.490- (100.0) |
A ham radio net (network) is an on-air gathering
of ham radio operators who are organized socially or for a common
interest, such as emergency preparedness or religion. Probably
the best and easiest way to join a ham radio net is by listening
to the net, then saying your call sign when the
Net Control
station (NCS) or operator asks for any new or visiting hams.
NCS will be happy to give you whatever instructions you'll need
to participate in the net and be listed on the roll.
Perhaps the most active net in all of Utah is the 76'ers net, which runs every Wednesday at 7:00 pm on the 146.760 MHz repeater in Utah County. There's also a fun New Ham Net, which runs every Thursday at 7:00 pm on the 146.780 MHz repeater (rerquires a 100.0 Hz tone). Check out this page of local ham radio nets. |
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Periodically ham radio enthusiasts gather in large conventions
known conveniently enough as
hamventions.
During these events, and others, such as
hamfests,
expositions,
conferences,
and exhibitions,
hams can share what they've learned, learn new concepts, and be
the first on their block to hear about what's trending in the
amateur radio world. It's a chance to rub shoulders with those
you might have contacted only on the air, see people you've been
wanting to meet, or play with equipment that might be out of your
financial reach at the moment. They might even give you an
opportunity to see how something works or ask questions that
hadn't previously occurred to you.
There are other gatherings that could also satisfy your need to meet fellow and sister hams and prospective hams, like swapmeets, club meetings, club socials, special radio events (such as Field Day), and nets. |
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When you (the new ham) contact somebody (the
old or experienced ham) on the radio for the very
first time, you qualify for the First Contact
Award, which is a certificate given to
congratulate a new amateur on making that first radio
contact. The old ham should go to the
ARRL website
to apply for that award to be given to the new ham,
but many of the the instructions listed on that site
are rather confusing and verbose, so here is what the
old ham should put in the boxes, to award the new ham
with this certificate.
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You know somebody who's been a good mentor and a real friend who's not just helped you, but maybe even gone above and beyond the call of duty. In the ham radio world, we call that person an elmer. It's time you award that person with a certificate of your appreciation. Go to the ARRL website, and apply for the Elmer Award. Certificates are typically processed soon after submission, so expect them to arrive a few days after that. |
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With just your 5-watt handheld transceiver (HT), you'll find
that your range is from within your city to around the world
and beyond, all depending on how you use it. If you wrap yourself
in a metal cage, like your car, you might be lucky to reach the
other person a half-mile away in another car. But on a clear day
under ideal conditions, you might be able to contact the
ISS.
This
table
can help you visualize the potential reach of such an HT under
a variety of conditions.
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Even though you're fairly new to ham radio, you're ready to extend your skills to the lowband realm. You know that HF opens up an exciting new set of possibilities to you; after all, you'd like to contact hams across the globe without resorting to EchoLink or IRLP. You might also want to participate in contesting to help sharpen your skills and prepare you to handle radio communication during a large-scale disaster without having to rely on repeaters or the internet. Besides, it's a whole new way to have fun with ham radio. |
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If this is the direction you're headed, here are a few things to keep in mind:
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But why would you want to upgrade your license class? If you hold
a Technician class license, your main reason is probably to gain
transmit privileges on the
HF
bands beyond 10 meters. If you hold a General or Advanced class
license, there aren't many good reasons to upgrade, but these might
be some of them:
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You might have found that you didn't have much say in your
first
call sign issued by the FCC. Then again, any person holding a
current ham radio license can apply for a
vanity
call sign free-of-charge, regardless of
license class,
but your license class and residence location will determine
the
choices
of vanity call signs available to you.
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Motor Vehicle Division PO Box 30412 Salt Lake City, Utah 84130 |
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You and your wife both have your licenses, you've just purchased
brand new radios that should work, and now you two have the guts
to actually get on the air. So, you call each other by phone to
turn on your radios, agree on a frequency, and announce your
call signs, but for some reason, you aren't able to hear each
other on the radios, or it's very difficult to hear each other.
Here's a small checklist of things you should eventually
memorize.
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When people ask about programming their radios, they usually
mean that they want to set them to transmit right away or to store
these settings in memory to transmit later (or both!) In either
case, you can go about this in two different ways: the easy way or
the hard way, but each has its advantages.
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Have you moved since your license was issued? Or did somebody
make a typo in your address or name spelling, and now you'd
like to correct it?
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There are times when you might need an official copy of your ham radio license.
If you do, just follow these steps:
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Hams seem to have a language of their own. You can learn the meanings of many of their
words and phrases from the short list of ham radio terms.
The best way to learn what they're saying, however, is to turn your radio on and listen.
Don't be afraid to ask other hams what they're talking about; you might be surprised to
find how open they are to explain what they mean, especially if you tell them you're new
to the craft and the science.
For a more comprehensive list of terms used in the exams and by ham radio operators, visit the Ham Radio Glossary. |
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The world of ham radio is huge, so it doesn't take much to get overwhelmed or
encounter problems or to find topics you'd like to know more about. One of
the things I always recommend for new hams is to find an
elmer
you respect and with whom you feel you can communicate freely. If you
don't have one, just ask Noji (KNØJI); please let me be your (at
least online) elmer, and I'll be happy to try and address your
questions or concerns. Also, feel free to email one of our competent
elmers at
uvarcelmer [at] gmail [dot] com.
You might also want to take a look at the Troubleshooting Guide (under construction) |
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