In a world of satellites and cell towers, radio may seem hopelessly outdated. But there are plenty of good reasons to get a ham radio license in today’s world. From personal hobbies to emergency situations, you never know when it might come in handy.
You need a license to legally operate a ham radio
The first, and probably most important reason to get a license for ham radio, is that you are legally required to have one in order to make transmissions, at least in the United States. So if you’re interested in getting into ham radio for any reason at all, you’re already going to need a license. There are three different types of licenses you can get, all of which are usually good for ten years before needing renewal.
Technician license
This is the entry-level license for most new ham radio operators. To earn the Technician license, you have to pass one examination with 35 questions on radio regulations, theory, and operating practices. Once you have this license, you’ll have legal access to all Amateur Radio frequencies above 30 megahertz, meaning you’ll be able to communicate locally within North America. The Technician license also gives limited privileges on the HF (also called “short wave”) bands used for international communications.
Even if you only plan to use HAM radio for a personal hobby, you’ll at least need to get this license.
General license
The General class license gives you some operating privileges on all U.S. amateur radio bands, as well as all operating modes. Most importantly, this license allows you to communicate worldwide with far fewer limitations than the Technician license. Earning the General class license requires passing a 35-question examination. General class licensees must also have passed the Technician written examination.
The Amateur Extra class license gives you all available U.S. Amateur Radio operating privileges on all bands and all modes. This is the most difficult license to earn, as it requires passing a 50-question examination. Not only that, but you have to pass the written examinations for the previous two licenses as well. It’ll probably take some time to get here, especially if you’re brand new to the hobby, but one day, you may wish to have the limitless access that this license provides.
While it’s true that most people get into HAM radio just as a hobby, there are plenty of good reasons to consider getting a license that extend beyond having fun. Below are just a few practical reasons to get a ham radio license.
When disaster strikes, ordinary communication methods like cell service, phone lines, and internet connection can be lost. I personally experienced this not too long ago, during Hurricane Helene. In my area, communications became extremely spotty and inconsistent. There were some days after the disaster when I couldn’t call anyone or use the internet at all, even through cell data. These methods make our world go around, but they can fail.
Radio is an extra line of communication that you can use in disasters or emergencies that interfere with the usual avenues. Not only will a radio allow you to potentially reach out to other people in your area, but it will also allow you to potentially alert rescue services to your location or hear important announcements from the government. But having a license doesn’t just help you out in an emergency; it allows you to help others as well.
You can volunteer for search and rescue efforts
Logistics is the solution to almost every humanitarian crisis, and logistics are facilitated by communication! Hurricanes in particular are notorious for taking down communications in civilian areas, heavily impeding search and rescue efforts. Having a HAM radio license means you can come to the aid of people in need during such times. HAM radio volunteers have long served vital roles in search and rescue efforts.
For example, in 2017, Hurricane Maria disrupted communications across the entirety of Puerto Rico. The Red Cross asked for anyone with a HAM radio license who could volunteer to help, and hundreds of people answered the call, some even working from their own home to organize supply distribution and emergency assistance. That hero could be you one day, if you have a ham radio license to offer to a worthy cause.
Even if you never have to use it, it’s certainly a worthwhile card to keep up your sleeve.
HAM radio gives you the power to communicate in remote areas
Disasters and emergencies aren’t the only times when communication can be difficult. If you have hobbies that tend to take you way out into the wilderness, the ability to communicate by radio can be a huge boon. Off-roading, hiking, or just outright living off the grid; these areas, and many more, are ideal situations to have a radio on hand. There’s also hunting, and, of course, aviation.
I’m not going to lie and say that radio operation is something that comes up a lot in everyday modern life. It’s true that a lot of people will never actually need it. But no matter how far technology advances, radio communication is always going to be ol’ reliable, something to fall back on when all else fails. One day, when satellite communication is commonly available for regular people as if it were cell service, there will still be value in having a radio as a backup. It’s much harder to interfere with.
So, if you’re doing any type of activity that takes you off the grid, you might want to consider having a HAM radio and a license for it. If you do get lost, it’ll certainly make search and rescue a lot easier if you can directly communicate with your saviors. The ability to communicate without internet or satellite in such situations is extremely important.
It’s a valuable skill that makes you more desirable in certain fields
There are many, many jobs that do not require you to operate a radio. But there are a fair few that do, or at least would prefer it if you did know how to use one. Emergency services, search and rescue, aviation fields, air traffic control, broadcasting, and many other areas would likely welcome someone who has a HAM radio license. At the very least, having that license on your resume would certainly give you an edge against people who don’t have it and shows you’re someone with many skills.
Even if you have no intention of going into a career that requires you to actually use a ham radio, there are many transferable skills to be learned in the operation of a radio, such as electronics, radio propagation, antennae, and lots of other elements. It certainly won’t replace other forms of education, but still, learning HAM radio and getting licensed could give you an extra bit of knowledge to help you out in fields like computer science, electrical engineering, consumer electronics, cell services, and much more.
If nothing else, it’s a cool skill to have in your repertoire, and one that always has the potential to be useful somewhere down the line.
Admittedly, the practical reasons to get a HAM radio license are pretty niche. I won’t deny that. But it’s far from a useless skill. Niche it may be, but there are a ton of cool things you can do with it, some of which are actually unique to ham radio. For instance, have you ever wanted to communicate with astronauts aboard the ISS? With a HAM radio and a license, you can do that. Good luck trying that with your cell phone! One way or another, amateur radio is a great hobby to pick up if you have the time.
