How to get started with HAM radios?

Question

I'd love to get my son started with HAM radios. Can anyone tell me more about them, a good price for everything, what to look for etc.

Answer 1

It depends on what you want to know about them... It does require a license that he has to study for a take a test for. basically all the questions and answers are published all over the internet, it just a case of memorizing say 500 Q and A for the 35 actual ones they will use.

Depending upon how far he wants to go in ham radio, Most people start with basics talking local on VHF/UHF using a technician license. This is a basic license and a way to get his feet wet. Local is roughly say 30 mile radius of home.

As he moves up, he can get a general or Extra class license that allows for talking all over the world. I have friends who have talked to more than 200 countries and have friends in some others due to this fact.

Your best bet may be to actually check out the website of the national organization for ham radio in your area.
In the US check out http://www.arrl.org as they can answer your questions way more than I can.

Basic starting for ham radio is roughly $200 for a hand held radio (that will talk locally using repeaters ...or his radio will be relayed by another radio over a bigger distance).... But new price to talk over the world is closer to say $1000.. but a lot of hams buy older equipment to make the cost a lot less expensive.

Answer 2

Hi

Children , even quite young ones can qualify to become ham radio operators.
http://www.arrl.org/news/features/2002/03/10/1/

What I would do is find a local ham radio operator and go visit with him for a day and an evening with your son and see what it is all about.

The ham radio hobby is varied , so it appeals to diferent people for different reasons , but the majority probably like it because of their love for communications electronics.

This involves building and testing electronics things., antennas , receivers and transmitters.

If a person doesn't have any interest in that and just want to talk to people , then there are other hobbies that perhaps are more suitable to them.

I for example perhaps spend 100 hours in my workshop for each one hour talking on the radio.

Another way to gage an interest in these things with your son is getting him to look at my web page.
http://www.swdxer.co.nr/

It is a site for radio beginners , if he can understand what that page is all about and is excited by it , then he could well become a new ham.

Answer 3

DON'T start with buying stuff.
Join a local ham group. Go to hamfests. Ask questions there.
He can try it out there and if he is really interested you can start by helping him work on getting a license. Buy a good receiver. Put up an antenna.
Once he has his license look for used equipment someone is dumping to upgrade. If he drops out you won't have a lot of pricy equipment. If he doesn't he will learn and choose his own upgrades based on his experience.
It's like anything else, you don't know what you want and don't want till you have had experience with it or someone else shares their experience and you evaluate it.

Don't by junk that will frustrate him. less powerful, less feature rich, but not underperforming and difficult to use and that info will come from someone who has already paid the price.

Same advice I give for astronomy. There is a lot of junk telescopes that only serve to frustrate a potential amateur. I recommend a good pair of binoculars and books to start and people look at me funny until they buy a piece of junk.

Answer 4

One place might be to join a Yahoo group devoted to folks attempting to obtain their first amateur radio license. As mentioned, the ARRL is a good source of information, but I can tell you that the link I have provided is a pretty darn good Yahoo group with over 3000 members and a ton of folks willing to listen and help.

With the elimination of Morse Code some time ago, it is fairly easy to obtain a license these days. Hope to see you in the group.


Best regards,
Jim