Why is a technician class lisense required to talk on a simple ham radio?

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davidvnyc

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Hello radio enthusiasts

I have an itch to get into ham radio. I was looking at videos on youtube to get an idea what it is all about.

Anyway, one of the videos mentioned I could get into ham radio with a technician license and an inexpensive ham radio such as the baofeng uv-54. Without the license I can only listen.

Why do I need to learn electronics and FCC stuff just to use the radio. I have no interest in repairing the device, nor how it works under the hood and etc. I just want to talk on it and use it like a fancier FRS radio.

Thanks for reading
 

Markinsac

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The licensing is to instill the "rules of the road" as well as band limits and rules. Amateur radio (ham radio) is internationally known, and some countries will extend you the right to use your radio in their country based on your license.

It isn't hard to do - get the ARRL study manual - spend about 15-20 minutes a night for about 2 weeks studying, and you'll be ready for the test.
 

majoco

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Yes, but as a fully licensed person you are permitted to make your own radio as long as you have the knowledge and equipment to ensure that you don't transmit out of band or cause interference - and because you now know the regulations and have been tested on them you have much more freedom than a simple 'appliance operator'.
 

gwbaker

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Yeah, not much to the technician test. You learn some basic electronic theory and the rules of operation.

Without licensing ham radio would go the way of CB and wind up a mess. As another mentioned, ham radio is world wide and if you get further into the hobby, you can communicate with the other side of the planet (Australia for eastern US) with little power and a wire antenna.

The baofeng radios are nice and cheap. But, having owned two recently (been a ham for 25 years), they are cheap for a reason. If you need a cheap Chinese radio, the better choice would a wouxun. But they are not as good as an ICOM, Kenwood, or Yaesu. Nice thing about the cheap Chinese junk radios is that they have reined in the prices of the big three!

Give it a try, you most likely WILL NOT regret it. And, on the off chance that you do, you will have learned a little something in the process that might help you down the road.
 

Hans13

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davidvnyc, accepting a license is the method by which a government attempts to convert a right into a privilege. When an individual accepts a license to do something, that individual becomes more culpable and therefore easier to punish under law. The same thing happened to the right to travel by mechanised means; today you have driver's licenses. Only a fool belives that a basic driver's licenses guarantees one is a better driver or "knows the rules of the road."

That all said because you asked why, I recommend that you consider sitting for the technician exam and obtain a license before transmitting on designated amateur frequencies. The King is easily angered when people poach on the land he has stolen, his toadies even moreso. ;)
 

902

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davidvnyc, the genesis of the amateur radio service had been in people who were builders and innovators. The talking on the radio part was often secondary to making stuff. It was easy for someone to trash the bands with their experimental project, so the government developed a proficiency exam. In the early days, that meant using Morse Code, so there was also a proficiency exam for that. After it was discovered that propagation went beyond national borders, there were also provisions added to the Rules that included fostering "good will" between nations.

The graduations of proficiency were reflected in the bell curve distribution. Novices and technicians being on the lower point of distribution, generals (and "conditionals") in the middle, and advanced and amateur extras at the top. Historically, the FCC (encouraged by the ARRL) had developed incentives for hams to upgrade. Technicians were originally the innovators that played with higher frequencies. They were not the entry-grade they are today. And, the technician category was not popular until post-WWII VHF operators emerged in various neighborhoods. Back then, 6 meter AM was king for local communications (if you can believe! Gonset Communicators and horizontal loop or square antennas!). That, and HF, are where the stereotype of hams wrecking TV reception came from. Even 2 meters had a lot of AM activity. It was all crystal controlled and you could call CQ on one frequency and tune your receiver around for someone to answer you on another. I got in on the tail end of that and had some very lengthy conversations about absolutely nothing. Sometime in the late 60s/early 70s, this magical device called a "repeater" came on scene. It was the social media of the time, and everyone would speak with each other in passing on their way to and from work or errands. That kind of took on its own meaning within amateur radio.

So, the "technician" class license isn't really a license to be a technician. It's one where you get to demonstrate your knowledge of the environment you'll be working in. Yes, there's a legacy of electronics theory, but there are a lot of rules and limits you also need to know so you don't end up unknowingly transmitting on top of a police department's operations.

It's not hard (at least it's not as hard as when I took it in the 70s). My wife and kids all studied and earned their licenses. My older daughter even went on to become an extra, and my older son became a general. The others are technicians. When I was climbing the ladder to extra, the FCC deliberately made the test hard, and if word got out about any of the questions, they'd change the test. It's not like that anymore.

Hope you take it. I don't think you'll be sorry. We never stop learning.
 

nd5y

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Radio transmitter licensing by governments is required by ITU Radio Regulations. The USA is a member of the ITU.

18.1 § 1. 1) No transmitting station may be established or operated by a private person or by any enterprise without a licence issued in an appropriate form and in conformity with the provisions of these Regulations by the government of the country to which the station in question is subject. (However, see Nos. 18.2, 18.8 and 18.11.)

and

25.6 2) Administrations shall verify the operational and technical qualifications of any person wishing to operate an amateur station. Guidance for standards of competence may be found in the most recent version of Recommendation ITU-R M.1544. (WRC-03)
 

jwt873

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In the US, Techs can operate on 10 meters which has an international range.

nd5y hit the ultimate answer.. The ITU requires that countries license their amateur radio operators to ensure that amateurs understand the international and local laws such as power, frequency limits and operating practices.

For simple personal communications there is always FRS, GMRS and CB where there is no need to demonstrate any skill or proficiency.
 

prcguy

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There is a lot of responsibility operating a transmitting device, especially with amateur radio where you have many bands of frequencies, operating modes and power levels available instead of a specific frequency or two with a commercial or public service type radio. Amateur radio tests and licensing is the means to insure the responsibility is understood and and accepted and there is accountability.

Others have pointed out what would immediately happen if there were no rules and every commercial radio and TV frequency would have someone talking on it without rules and licensing.

Transmitting on any radio frequency is not a given right as hinted in an earlier post. That is a typical response from a "State Citizen" who believes he or she doesn't need to pay any taxes or get a drivers license or amateur radio license and that everything is there for them to use for free and let someone else pay to maintain it.

The world can only operate like that for a few moments before chaos sets in, so we have to study a little to get a license to play ham radio. No big deal and its a blast once you get into it.
prcguy

Radio transmitter licensing by governments is required by ITU Radio Regulations. The USA is a member of the ITU.

18.1 § 1. 1) No transmitting station may be established or operated by a private person or by any enterprise without a licence issued in an appropriate form and in conformity with the provisions of these Regulations by the government of the country to which the station in question is subject. (However, see Nos. 18.2, 18.8 and 18.11.)

and

25.6 2) Administrations shall verify the operational and technical qualifications of any person wishing to operate an amateur station. Guidance for standards of competence may be found in the most recent version of Recommendation ITU-R M.1544. (WRC-03)
 

Rred

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You need the license to prove you are willing and able to learn the basic science behind radiocommunications. If you just want to chat, you go to a "chat" license like FRS, GMRS, or MURS.

You need to prove you can handle the science, because the ham radio frequencies and operating privileges are reserved for several purposes, among them being expanding the knowledge of the science (hams were and are expected to experiment and further knowledge, not just talk about the weather) and because ham communications are used for emergencies, where a working knowledge of "This stuff don't work, lemme see if I can fix it" may be literally a lifesaver.

And, because governments keep lists of ham radio licensees. While it has quietly been dropped from public mention for a number of years now, the US encouraged ham radio operators because they made a great pool of trained radio operators for the military draft in the 20th century. And yes, the draft boards still exist and still have access to those lists, for that purpose. It just isn't mentioned in public any more. And of course, military radio operators sometimes have been known to say "Someone shot the *** out of my radio!" to which someone else will say "Yeah, so how long will it take you to fix it?".

If you have no interest or knack for the technical side, please don't try to memorize the test answers. Just stick to chat rooms and chat radio.
 

Hans13

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Transmitting on any radio frequency is not a given right as hinted in an earlier post. That is a typical response from a "State Citizen" who believes he or she doesn't need to pay any taxes or get a drivers license or amateur radio license and that everything is there for them to use for free and let someone else pay to maintain it.

Nice mischaracterization. ;) Yes, there are somewhat kooky people out there that believe in some legal mumbo-jumbo to keep the free. (The term is usually Sovereign Citizen, BTW.) I am not one of them. The bottom line is if you do not believe that everything is permissible that does not interfere with the rights of another and our government was instituted for the people by the consent of those governed, then you believe in the right of kings. I don't. A proper, legitimate government would have no quarrel with me. However, it is clear that our government, specifically the FCC in this case, panders to big interest when it comes to frequencies and regulations. These forums contain many posts talking about how industry X, corporation Y, and special-interest Z are who gets the ear of the FCC much of the time. Oh, and the history of driver's licenses in this nation is quite clear.
 

davidvnyc

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Thanks to all for the replies and your view pont on the technician class license

I will go for the technician class license as suggested. However, I will not use the memorization method because you really don't learn anything. If you do real study, you'll know the answer.

I found a good site called HamTestOnline @ https://www.hamradiolicenseexam.com/

It gives you enough of what you need to know on a topic and then it quizes you.

@ Hans13 and gewecke

Actually, I am not sorry that I asked the question. I would have been more sorry if I didn't ask the question because if I bought the baofeng uv-5r radio and started talking on it like it was a FRS radio, I would have gotten in trouble.

Remember, I'm a complete noob to all this :)

Thanks again to all
 

902

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I will go for the technician class license as suggested. However, I will not use the memorization method because you really don't learn anything. If you do real study, you'll know the answer.

I found a good site called HamTestOnline @ https://www.hamradiolicenseexam.com/

It gives you enough of what you need to know on a topic and then it quizes you.

@ Hans13 and gewecke

Actually, I am not sorry that I asked the question. I would have been more sorry if I didn't ask the question because if I bought the baofeng uv-5r radio and started talking on it like it was a FRS radio, I would have gotten in trouble.

Remember, I'm a complete noob to all this :)

Thanks again to all
David,

You have a healthy outlook toward this. I know that site you found. It will give you the fundamentals of what you're studying as it cycles you through questions. You'll come away knowing more than simply the answer.

Best wishes, and I hope this turns into a great hobby for you!
 
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