UPDATED: 3/3/2016, 10:16

Many people prevent themselves from becoming Amateur Radio, or HAM, operators for many reasons. One is, perhaps, the “mystery” that surrounds the hobby. Another is the requirement to do Morse Code. A third is probably that the equipment is so expensive.

It may surprise you to learn that as a former technician in the Navy, I was even confused about the aura that seems to surround the hobby. The electronics was not much of a problem to understand, but the different bands and where I would be allowed to operate was confusing even for me. That quickly dissipated when I finally decided to sit down and study for the license. There are three licenses the FCC grants for amateur radio; Technician Class, General Class and Amateur Extra. To obtain the first two licenses, you must pass an examination of by answering 26 of 35 questions correctly. For Amateur Extra you have to pass an exam of 50 questions with 74%. Do you really need the Amateur Extra though? I will explain presently.

The second reason is Morse Code. You no longer have to pass a test for Morse Code, or CW as it is called in Amateur Radio.

The last is probably the most likely excuse for not getting into Amateur Radio. A high frequency transmitter can run into the thousands of dollars. An antenna can cost as high as $600 if you do not want to build it yourself. If you decide to build yourself, you will have to have access to an antenna analyzer. You will have to get an SWR meter which can run about $250 depending on what you want. And you will have to learn to fight HOAs to put up antennas or towers and on-and-on.

There are, however, several ways you can enjoy Amateur Radio without spending a nickel (except, of course, for the fee to take the test and the fee for any classes you decide to take or books you want to read). There are online services that allow you to communicate with other Ham operators. Two of these I review require an amateur radio license. The others do not. I have not used all of the services, so you will have to consult their web sites for requirements. They all require a sign up.

I do not want to get too technical for this article, but some are based on a Ham project called Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP) and some are Voice Over the Internet Protocol (VOIP). The difference is that IRLP actually connects to amateur radio repeaters and radios and therefore you need a license. Services, such as Skype, use VOIP which is strictly over the Internet and therefore require no license.
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