What Type Of Ham Broadcasting Licenses Are There
Posted in Personal Tech on July 28th, 2010 by contributor – Be the first to commentOnce the technology became affordable almost immediately people began forming amatuer radio organizations fascinated by the possibility of long distance communication. One reason people choose amateur radio is that you can broadcast up to 1000 watts of power as compared to only 4 watts with CB radio. The wavebands available are wider and less cluttered, communication can be made via AM, SSB, FM radio-teletype, even certain TV signals. With new satellite technology it is possible to reach anywhere in the world. Of course with power comes responsibility, in order to acquire all this you must pass severl exams..
There are several different types of amateur radio license available.
Acquiring a Novice licence means you can access some HF frequencies and transmit between 28.3 and 28.5 MHz also between 28.1 and 28.3 for radio teletype. To access these channels all you need is a 10 Meter Radio even though these radios are often referred to as a 10 Meter CB Radio they are actually quite different as a CB radio does not require you to have a license and a 10 Meter Radio does. SSB and FM voice as well as two-way broadcasting via television frequencies are permissable between 222.01 and 223.91 Mhz and also 1270 – 1295 Mhz.They make it rather simple to gain a Novice license, just pass a simple theory test and be a little profecient in Morse code.
Becoming a Technician class operator gratns transmission on the Very High Frequency and Ultra High Frequency bands.Achieveing a Technicians license opens up the VHF and UHF bands.~The Technicians license means that you can now broadcast on the UHF and VHF channels. To acquire this license you must pass a theory exam which includes questions about FCC requirements.
After that the next license, the General radio amateurs license, allows you to operate on the UHF band. In order to get this license you need to take a test on FCC regulations, general radio theory and demonstrate that you can transmit Morse Code at a speed of 13 words per minute.
The Advanced class license opens up more HF band frequencies but you must pass a more difficult radio theory exam.
The highest license you can get for ham radio is the Extra Class license. Extra class license holders are access to the entire spectrum of HF VHF and UHF channels delegated to ham radio. To get this license you must already completed the earlier licencing exams and complete a new, more difficult theory and morse code test..
The American Radio Relay League is a non profit organization that helps amatuer radio operators complete their exams by distributing all the materials you may need.
But if you have better things to do with your time and don’t enjoy examinations, there is an alternative in CB radio. There are no examinations to pass and there is no license to obtain. CB’ers use a more relaxed language and there is noone broadcasting Morse code. Just go get a radio and an antenna and are ready to go. Sound interesting?