Hams make new friends across town and around the world. You can communicate from a mountain top, your home, in your car and on foot.
In times of disaster, when phone and power
lines are down, hams swing into action, sometimes
saving lives, and find it very rewarding.
As with most hobbies, you have a multitude of
choices about how much time and money you
spend.
You can contact another continent using the
simplest radio and antenna.
Getting started is easy. All you need to do is
spend some time with a beginner study guide. It
contains all you need to know to pass the entry
level license exams.
The exams, given by volunteer hams in your
area, cover the basic electricity and on-the-air
radio rules.
The Novice exam also includes a Morse code
test, but the Technician exam does not!
If you like to study with a group, your
local Amateur Radio club may have classes or can
tell you where in your area that classes are
held.
An excellent study guide is "Technician No-Code
Plus" by Gordan West, and can be found at
most Radio Shack stores for around $10.00.
"Now You're Talking" is another excellent study
guide availiable from ARRL, Newington, CT 06111.