a serious question about the benefits of getting an Amateur license

[AK9R]

Dont let other hams Define the hobby for you Define it for your self.......

To that end: NFARL Web: 100+ Things to do in Ham Radio

 

[ladn]

I've been a licensed ham since the late '80's and have held every class of license, starting with Novice, except Advanced. Prior to being a ham, I enjoyed basic electronics as a kid and as a young adult, used CB, primarily for 4WD communications. I was also a news photographer and used commercial two way radio and monitored a lot of public safety radio traffic as part of my job.

Amateur radio have me far more leeway to experiment with radio stuff than I had in CB or commercial radio. I also had an interest in emergency communications.

The 4WD community was moving away from CB and amateur radio provided far better off road communications than CB ever did. Many of my friends saw how well ham radio worked off road and became hams themselves.

There was also the self betterment and learning factor. I advanced through the license classes to learn new things, though admittedly, a lot of what I learned for licensing was of little practical value since I don't practice electrical engineering on a daily basis.

 

[MTS2000des]

Dont let other hams Define the hobby for you Define it for your self.......

Can we get an AMEN.

I became a ham back in the mid 1980s (1986 to be exact, just after STS-51 disaster happened). I was 9 when I studied for my novice and 10 when I actually got it. Back then, the FCC and VE system was brand new and all on paper. Took 6 months from time test passed until ticket arrived.

Didn't really get serious (and could afford any radios) until 1990 when I upgraded to technician and bought a used HT. It was like opening a door to a new world. I had a multi-band receiver and tuned into many a 2 meter repeater as well as the local po-po, and was always fascinated with LMR. Whether it was the tax driver or the ambulance, it all ran on radio. Love all forms of radio and broadcast was one of the first things I was exposed to and remember as a child.

Ham radio, and the connections I made, guided me to become an LMR professional in public safety radio. I've been with my current agency for 9 years, implemented two trunking systems, built our current CAD, and dabbled in our PSAP telephony as well. The common thread that lead me here was ham radio.

No, it is not an "emergency" radio service, but many hams are also trained and vetted professionals who's love and respect for RF bring many skill sets to the table. That is what it is about: skill sets of the operator. Not hoarding equipment, making social media posts for click bait, or one upping the next guy, it is about YOU finding and defining the skill set(s) that make YOU a competent operator and allows you to "enhance the art of radio communications" as is spelled out in the basis and purpose of the Amateur Radio Service of 47 CFR 97.1

That being said, have fun, enjoy and as a local ham club president says "ham radio: if you're not having fun, you're doing it wrong".

 

[a417]

Can we get an AMEN.

 

[devicelab]

...but that means more radios $$$ more antennas $$$ etc. and I'm just not sure the epense would be worth it to do basically what I do already on my CB.

This is honestly something people don't consider before jumping into the hobby. I can't tell you much money I've wasted, but I've also learned a lot about RF electronics over last three decades. And some aspect of radio won't really 'click' until you force yourself to learn deeper about how it all works -- and let me be clear, it's not easy. The technical side isn't for the squeamish and/or for people that have other priorities in life. For example, if you have a family/kids then you really need to consider how that affects your budget. The hobby takes time and you won't really be good at it (or enjoy it) unless you do.

If you're rich then you can simply ignore the above and $pend away! HRO will happily take your ca$h!

 

[AK9R]

I can't tell you much money I've wasted...

I have a story along those lines. When I was first licensed, several of my ham buddies had Diamond SG7900A (today's price $100 at Ham Radio Outlet) mobile antennas. This antenna is 62 inches long. That's over 5 feet. I bought one of those SG7900A's, got the Diamond SP35 ($50) mag-mount, and stuck that antenna on the roof of my 1984 Toyota 4x4 pick-up truck.

I won't say that this was a disaster, but it was definitely a bad idea. Did I mention that the antenna was 5 feet long? Mounted on the roof of a Toyota 4x4 with a 3" lift? I was routinely whacking tree branches with that antenna. But, the bigger issue was that the antenna was so long, so stiff, and had so much mass that it would whip back and forth...a lot. As it did so, the thin sheet metal roof of that Toyota would warp around the mag-mount thus making the whipping action even worse. The antenna fell off once while I was driving down the road and the tip of the antenna departed due to friction with the pavement. One day, that antenna fell off the roof three times.

At that point, I gave up. I sold the antenna to someone at a big loss and bought a Larsen NMO270. Much shorter and much more flexible. And, I didn't need the gain of the big Diamond because I was mostly working repeaters as I drove around the city.

Expensive lesson learned.

 

[littona]

I've been into radio since I was a kid and I've been a radio tech since 1989. I never gave ham radio much thought, as there used to be a morse code requirement, so it kind of turned me off. I also thought it would be like taking work home. Fast forward 30-ish years, I decided to give it a shot. I quickly started to get bored with repeater work, knowing I really wanted to be on HF. I upgraded and got me an HF radio. I tinkered around with a few different modes and found my niche. I do a lot of FT8/FT4 and SSTV. Once in a while I'll hop on SSB, but not very often. I'm not much of a "conversationalist" so the digital modes are perfect. I've had a lot of fun and continue to do so. Everyone's mileage will vary. We all come from different walks of life.

 

[VA3WEX]

As part of all that I've listened to the various HAM bands. So I know what HAM QSOs sound like. and (and I mean this in a totally un insulting way so please try not to get hackles up). They aren't much different from what I get on SSB on 11meter CB.

I went the other way: Ham first, then CB. And ya, CB skip is basically "11m Ham"! I quite like CB: the libertarian side of me is impressed with how disciplined it actually is, given that there are no externally imposed rules by the authorities. The equipment is generally less expensive and being chanellized it's less complicated--all of which makes it far more accessible. I wish it was more popular.

That being said, the advantages of ham vs. CB:

1. More bands: if propagation is bad on one of them it will be good on others, so always someone to make QSO with
2. It's not all yak-in-da-shack--there's POTA; it's highly addictive! I'm sure SOTA would be too, but I've never done it personally. The challenge of deploying antennas in random trees, the beautiful surroundings, and the fun of making contacts!
3. Nets. Yes, its mostly 70 and 80 year old guys talking about their lawnmowers, but it's actually nice and relaxed and social.
4. Essentially infinite frequencies means less interference. CB is like trying to have a conversation in a noisy restaurant with a bunch of other conversations going on at the same time; it's the nature of a chanellized radio. On ham, you just shuffle over a few kHz and have a spot to yourself. (Mind you, CB freebanders kinda do the same thing)
5. VHF/UHF = smaller antennas, more easily portable. Can grab a 2m HT and check into a net while you walk the dog!

 

[MUTNAV]

There are ways to make the hobby cheaper, if that's part of the hobby you like. Honestly, lots of people set limits on themselves to make everything more interesting. A financial limit could easily be one of them.

Ie Tiny Tuna Tin radio (HF radio built into a tuna can) and a CB slider (VFO for the Tuna Tin radio built into a Corned Beef can

This is from an article on ARRL website describing how to build it.


Many people artificially limit themselves to make everything more interesting. (QRP etc...), when working with limits, our imaginations soar...

is a great video describing working with limits...

Thanks
Joel

 

[merlin]

Seems quite simple to me. You legally CANNOT transmit on any amatere band frequency without an appropriate license.

 

[Freemor]

Seems quite simple to me. You legally CANNOT transmit on any amatere band frequency without an appropriate license.

The question was never about can I use these band without a license. I'm not one of those folks (hell, CB rig is stock and CRTC legit). It was "Do I need/want to be able to? Do I need/want to incur the added expense on antennas and rigs? With my interests is there much any point to my pursueing it?"

 

[belvdr]

I keep my license current so I am legal with a scanner in my vehicle. I haven’t been active in over a year.

 

[k6cpo]

It seems to me that since the OP is asking the question in the first place, he's skeptical that there would be any additional gain by obtaining an amateur license. He's probably just fine continuing with his hobby in it's current state.

 

[MStep]

A little of my perspective and then to the question. My take is that amateur radio is not the coveted communications hobby that it was in the 1960's when I was first licensed. Talking around the world no longer amazes kids and teens, who are the future of the hobby, but who do it everyday on the internet. Even the monikers which adore the hobby confuse folks who are not familiar--- what is a "ham" radio, or an "amateur radio station". As others have aptly pointed out, it's a personal decision of time required vs. the "reward" of your ticket. It sounds like you're a little conflicted over that. If you feel confident enough that you can breeze through it, go for it.

There is certainly nothing "amateur" about amateur radio for those who really indulge. You're right, there are a lot of dollar signs for those who really get into it.

Many of the folks who responded gave their own great insight, and I go along with everything that has been said. It sounds like you've had your "foot in the door" of radio communications for many years and that you've done enough monitoring of the bands to have a feel for what goes on. If you've got the time to brush up on whatever pool of questions is current, you have nothing to lose. But I won't lose sleep over it either. Go for the tech or general class license, and even if it takes a couple of tries, you will succeed.

There are thousands of folks who have their "tickets" who haven't been on the air in decades-- they just like to keep it current. Just like folks who have driver's licenses and who don't own cars, nor have been "behind the wheel" in years. Sorry for being a bit verbose, but hey, communications is what we do.

Best of luck in your endeavors.

 

[Falcon9h]

Sad hams and radio Karens finally ruined it for me. Hard pass. I keep to the kinder world of SWL.

 

[VA4JOE]

I'm from Canada, and into survival and prepping. Preppers are into having comms in case the SHTF so they can communicate with others during emergencies like grid down situations. Also having basic first aid training is good.I enjoy my SDR to for trying to match encrypted Talkgroup ID's with their agencies on my local P25 node.

 

[HamImports]

Unless you have some burning desire to transmit on the ham bands, why bother? If the listening aspect of radio is what you enjoy, why bother? If you're having fun with the radio activities you're already doing, why bother? Sounds to me like you've already answered your own question.

Too many hams treat a license as some sort of status symbol, when it's simply a permission slip. Ham radio is a science based, self-learning hobby... it's hardly finding a cure for cancer.

Don't feel pressured into getting a license if you don't feel that you need one. Just have fun with RF, and if at some later date you want to have a try at something different, reassess the situation.

 

[ladn]

If the listening aspect of radio is what you enjoy, why bother? If you're having fun with the radio activities you're already doing, why bother?

Good point, BUT, in some areas there are regulations prohibiting the mobile use of radios capable of receiving police and fire frequencies. An exception is granted to holders of amateur radio licenses. So, in this scenario, it's worthwhile to have a ham license just to RX while mobile.

 

[MUTNAV]

Upon reflection of this question..., with all of the information that's already out there. Being indecisive on such a little thing as a getting or not getting a ham radio license, doesn't reflect well.

Thanks
Joel

 

[Freemor]

Upon reflection of this question..., with all of the information that's already out there. Being indecisive on such a little thing as a getting or not getting a ham radio license, doesn't reflect well.

Thanks
Joel

Taking time to consider is always a wise option. As is assuming that one probably doesn't know everything and getting input from those who have direct experience with the subject at hand. I fail to see how any of this impugns my character or state of mind.