Frequently Asked Questions

What is Ham radio?
How do I become a Ham radio operator?
Do I need to join the club to come to a meeting?
How much is it to join the club?
How much does it cost take my test to get the amateur radio license?
What is ARES and RACES?
What is Emergency Communications?
What frequencies can I talk on?
What is a repeater and how do they work?
What is the difference between Ham radio and CB?
Where are the W6LIE bylaws?
Where do I download an FCC Form 605?
Where do I download the FCC Form 605 for a new Vanity Call Sign?
What other forms do I need to submit with my Vanity Call Sign application?

What is Ham radio?

Amateur radio, often called Ham radio, is both a hobby and a service that uses various types of radio communications equipment to communicate with other radio amateurs for public service, recreation and self-training. A participant is called an amateur radio operator, or a Ham.[1] Amateur radio operators have personal wireless communications with friends, family members, and even complete strangers, and often support their communities with emergency and disaster communications while increasing their personal knowledge of electronics and radio theory. An estimated six million people throughout the world are regularly involved with amateur radio.[2] The term "amateur" is not a reflection on the skills of the participants, which are often quite advanced; rather, "amateur" indicates that amateur radio communications are not allowed for commercial or money-making purposes.

How do I become a Ham radio operator?

In the U.S. you will need to prepare for and take an examination to get your license. The exam material depends on the license level or class that you are applying for. For most budding hams it is a good idea to connect with a local Amateur Radio Club (ARC) where classes are given in theory and/or Morse code as needed to prepare you for the exam. Although you can get the study material to learn on your own it is generally much easier and faster to take a course. In the process you will meet other Hams or Hams to be and begin creating your own network of contacts.

Do I need to join the club to come to a meeting?

The meetings are open to everyone. It is not necessary to be a member to attend. It is a requirement, however, if you would like to vote.

How much is it to join the club?

$30 for a single person and $40 for a family.

How much does it cost take my test to get the amateur radio license?

$15. If you pass, you can try the next higher class exam for free. If you fail, you'll need to pay another $15 to try again. You can retake it the same day, or come back on another day to try it again.

What is ARES and RACES?

ARES, stands for "Amateur Radio Emergency Service" and RACES stands for "Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service". They are organizations comprised of amateur radio volunteers that help provide emergency communications during times of disasters. If you would like to get involved, you can contact Dave Merritt W7FYV W7FYV@arrl.net

What is Emergency Communications?

As seen on that tearful day of September 11, 2001 or when Katrina struck land in Louisiana communications can fail. The communication systems we rely on every day become overloaded or fail. Won't ham radio repeaters be down also? The flexibility of Ham radio allows Hams to communicate in an emergency without complex systems, towers, wires, and repeaters – it is called Simplex. We don't need repeaters to talk. All we need is a radio, an antenna, and a battery and we're on the air. Within a matter of minutes Hams can set up am emergency net and assist.

What frequencies can I talk on?

Go to Band Plan to see what frequencies you can talk on, with the current license class that you hold.

What is a repeater and how do they work?

When using a repeater you have to set your radio to transmit on one frequency (Input) and listen on another frequency (Output). Everyone else using the repeater does the same thing. So, the other radios are not listening directly to your radio, they are listening to the repeater. You transmit on the frequency the repeater uses for listening (Input) and you listen on the frequency the repeater uses for transmitting (Output). Confused yet? Here's an example: Imagine a repeater that transmits at 146.640 MHz and listens at 146.040 MHz - the difference between these two frequencies is called the “Offset”. So I would set my radio to transmit at 146.040 MHz and listen at 146.640 MHz (the opposite of the repeater). I transmit at 146.040. The repeater listens at 146.040 MHz. It re-broadcasts my signal at 146.640 (the signal my radio listens to). Of course, I don't hear it because I am transmitting but if other radios in the area are set up like mine they will hear the signal. Later when one of them transmits it will do so on the 146.040 MHz, the repeater will hear the signal and re-broadcast it at 146.640 MHz and I will hear it on my radio. This may sound complicated but it really isn't. Most 2M radios have a way to set them up so they change frequencies automatically when you go from transmitting to receiving. The difference in frequencies is called the offset. Once you set your radio to the right frequency and offset you are ready to talk to a repeater (except for reading the rest of this article, reading the next article on repeater etiquette, and passing the exam for the BASIC qualification etc.) If you listen to a repeater you may notice that there are two ways of communicating. You can talk to other people using the repeater, or you can communicate with the repeater itself. Why would you want to communicate with a repeater?

Often repeaters have many different capabilities. For example, some repeaters can access telephone lines and you can phone people. Some repeaters (sometimes the same ones) can access the Internet using IRLP (Internet Radio Linking Protocol). Some repeaters can access (link directly to) other repeaters. You can control what a repeater can do by sending the appropriate commands. You use your radio to send the commands. 2M radios typically have a keypad with numbers that looks just like a telephone. In fact, if you push the buttons while transmitting they will make a sound just like the one your telephone makes. There is a good reason for this. For example, suppose you wanted to use the repeater to connect to the internet using IRLP. First you would have to issue the commands to turn on that function on the repeater. You would do this by pressing the right combination of numbers on your radio and sending the right command. This is like dialing the telephone. Then you could use IRLP. Once you were done you would send the command to turn off IRLP by again using your touch-tones. Another thing you can do with some repeaters is use them to dial telephones. If a repeater has a “Phone Patch” you can use that repeater to phone people. Very few Phone Patches exist since the cellular phone became popular. First you would press the right combination of numbers to turn on the phone patch. Then you would press the numbers for the telephone number. Once you are done the conversation you would send the right combination of numbers to turn off the phone patch. You may feel I am being a bit vague by using the term "the right combination". You are right. I am being vague. What? Oh, you want to know why I am being vague. Well, ok, I'll tell you. The plain truth is I can't tell you the right combination. For each repeater it is different so it would not do you much good anyway unless you were using the same repeater I use. Another thing to remember is when you use a repeater you are actually borrowing the use of it. Repeaters are often owned by big-hearted groups of people who want to make ham radio better. Usually, they won't mind you using the repeater, but you should ask them first, and if it is ok they will tell you the access codes and show you how to use the repeater. Some repeaters are private and you should not use them. So, its always a good idea to check first. Also, you may want to ask if there are ways you can help.

What is the difference between Ham radio and CB?

CB radios have a very limited number of frequencies that you can use. With few frequencies they can be very busy. With Ham radio, the potential number of frequencies is almost infinite within a specific range. Also, with ham radio, you need an FCC issued license. You don't use any ten codes on Ham radio!!!