Licensing
Licensing
From the ARRL
Amateur Radio is regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) under the Communications Act of 1934. It is also subject to numerous international agreements. All Amateur Radio operators must be licensed. In the U.S., there are three license classes. The higher the class of license, the more frequencies are available. Earning each higher class license requires passing a more difficult examination. Although regulated by the FCC, license exams are given by volunteer groups of Amateur Radio operators. Operating under organizations called Volunteer Examiner Coordinators, volunteers administer and grade tests and report results to the FCC, which then issues the license. U.S. licenses are good for 10 years before renewal, and anyone may hold one except a representative of a foreign government.
Testing in the Morongo Basin
Testing is provided by the Morongo Basin Amateur Radio Club on an on-demand basis. If you wish to be tested, please contact the testing coordinator Rob Cloutier wo4rob@gmail.com. Testing is available for all three license classes.
How do I get licensed?
Before you can start using ham radio, you need to be licensed. Fortunately, that isn't
hard! Here are the basic requirements:
- An FCC Registration Number (FRN) is required. The following website explains how to
get one:
https://www.fcc.gov/wireless/support/knowledge-base/universal-licensing-system-uls-resources/getting-fcc-registration - Have a valid mailing address
- Pass a written exam
There are three levels of Amateur Radio license; to get a higher level you must pass the requirements for the lower level plus the exam for the higher level. They are (in this order):
- Technician Class
- General Class
- Amateur Extra Class
Amateur radio licensing is managed by the Federal Communications Commision (FCC). Being licensed means that your name is listed in the FCC Universal Licensing System with an associated ham radio callsign.
Preparing for the Examination
There are a great number of resources dedicated to assist the potential licensee obtain an amateur radio license. One such resource for those studying to get their ham radio license is HamStudy.org.
If you create a user account there, it will also provide access to the online testing facility when you're ready to take your exam — though other methods certainly exist elsewhere.
| Mode | Description |
|---|---|
| Study Mode | Go through all questions in the pool. When you get one wrong, it identifies the answer as wrong, and lets you try again. |
| Read Questions | Presents every question and correct answer. |
| Practice Test | Generates a 35-question sample test. |
PLEASE NOTE: The actual ham radio test in only 35 questions which are randomly pulled from a much larger pool of questions. It is therefore suggested that you don't study simply by doing a "Practice Test".
Once you're consistently testing above 80%, find and register for an upcoming test session at https://hamstudy.org/sessions.
Contact Rob at
Operating Privleges
| Class | Privileges | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Technician |
> 50 MHz: All amateur privileges. < 30 MHz: Limited CW, Phone, and Data privileges. |
|
| General | Technician privileges plus most amateur HF privileges | |
| Extra | All amateur privileges | Small exclusive sub-bands are added on 80m, 40m, 20m, and 15m. |