HAM Radio: Additional Resources for Beginners

Read more here: https://starfirecodes.substack.com/p/ham-radio-additional-resources-for

This is a follow up to our HAM Radio 101 post in which we outlined examination and study resources for beginners looking to get licensed. 

Please note that there is a licensing requirement for amateur band transmitting. Many people say in response to this that in a SHTF scenario, licensing would not matter in an emergency situation. However, right now we are in peace time (technically), not in any sort of urgent emergency situation (also technically), and there are laws in place that govern the use and misuse of the equipment which you will need to follow. 

Additionally, you might as well, because the entire point of going through this process is really to learn the technology, the protocol, and the etiquette. 

If you are unable to setup a station, configure your settings, and practice using the technology to communicate today while there are still resources available to you, including people who are willing to help you learn, what are the chances that you will be able to set up a station and use it to communicate without training or any way to look up the pertinent information when everything you need to utilize in order to do that is effectively gone? 

Also, good luck getting your antenna set up if you don’t understand the study materials. Qualifications ensure safe and efficient setups that get a signal out and less often result in harm to operators or equipment. RF output has the potential to be extremely dangerous, causing severe burns or lethally high voltages which can build up in electrical wiring and equipment locally. If you have anything more powerful than a handheld VHF or UHF, studying the materials could save you or your family from harm.

Get the license and work on your skills now while you are able so that when the time comes to use it you will already know what you’re doing without missing a beat. Emergency skills are best when they are second nature to you, when you can do them on autopilot. 

If you wait to learn and you need to make contact during an actual emergency situation, the extra time you’re spending fumbling around to learn the tech, if you even have access to the info you need without internet or phone service, could be the difference in time between life and death. 

Read more here: https://starfirecodes.substack.com/p/ham-radio-additional-resources-for