New user and wanting a licensing

[Wulv]

hi guys well im new and trying to learn and find out how i would get my license i dont know where to start as the sites take me in circles any help would be great thank you I have been listerning to 433.225 / 430.900 but with not being able to speak i want to get involved by the way hello des and the others

[paulears]

Join a local club is the best advice, as almost certainly it will be them who organise your test, depending where in the world you are. Meet them and have a chat and find out if the hobby is for you. Thee is so much info on ham radio on the net, I’m surprised you’ve not found it? If research is failing, the studying for the test might be bit tricky. Remember, the purpose of ham radio includes the phrase “self-training in amateur radio”. Everything in the hobby revolves are reading, listening and reacting. If this is not your thing, not coming naturally, you will hate ham radio, and even buying a small cheap radio will be so difficult If you don’t know what the hobby is about.

[Wulv]

what there are clubs ive never herd of these lol but im stoke/alton. ive already got some radios (UV-5R/Radtel 590/TH-1S) to here people and im wanting to get involved but i thought it was as easy as going to a website and taking a test for my call sign i didnt think it would eveolve around a club

so where do i start first

[Alan Pilot]

Have a look here.
https://www.essexham.co.uk/train/foundation-online/

[paulears]

Visit the OFCOM site. It is a government site and looks after radio, to and broadcasting.they give you loads of info on the rules and how to go forward. There are grades of ham licence and what you can do in the hobby is set out. The basic licence is not too hard if you are moderately bright, but very hard if you don’t understand a bit of science and cannot learn the rules and regs. It takes study, but people do it.

The exams are administered by the local clubs because they have people to do the testing locally, and often then get new members from people who pass. Many even do the training.

The radio society of Great Britain is an organisation that supports ham radio in the U.K. hams seems split in either supporting or rejecting membership. However, OFCOM support them and many privileges and licences go through the RSGB. Google them for very detailed info.

If you do the training, you will learn about things you need to do, so most people treat it as dull an and boring, but necessary. For a hobby based around communication, you’ve not really done much research it appears.

Ham radio is very much a two way thing. Some people discover they can buy expensive, complicated equipment, but have trouble getting people to respond. Remember that when you call, maybe twenty plus people will be listening, and your voice, your style and your words get used to decide if they should press the button to talk to you. Ham radio is very selective. You need to learn this too. I have driven long journeys in my van with all sorts of radio gear and often heard people calling and calling, and from the first appearance, I decided there was no way I wanted to talk to them, from their conversations with a few others. Grumpy, annoying, arrogant, and stuffy, possibly, but like in real life, I just decided I didn’t want to talk with them.

Ham radio has always had little groups, if you fit into one, you have fun. If you are a group of one, you don’t. That’s why you need to visit the local clubs in person. Do you fit in with the people. After a gap of nearly 25 years I visited my local club that I used to belong to, for many years. I had nothing in common with the current people, so never went back. I’m old, and they were mainly younger so we had little in common.

[Transwarp]

what there are clubs ive never herd of these lol but im stoke/alton. ive already got some radios (UV-5R/Radtel 590/TH-1S) to here people and im wanting to get involved but i thought it was as easy as going to a website and taking a test for my call sign i didnt think it would eveolve around a club

so where do i start first

You been on CB or used one?

[Wulv]

i havent used one but i listen to people talking just wish i could be involved and talk back

[Transwarp]

You don't need a licence or to pass an exam for a CB, just get a radio and antenna and start talking. If you prefer handheld radios get a CB one. Spend some time on CB first before thinking about sitting for a ham licence.

Many CB'ers progressed to amateur radio, and quite a few still use CB. I've been a licenced ham for a long time but been a CB'er way longer.

[Wulv]

so can i talk on a UV-5R handheld ? with out a licence/exam and how would i announce myself without a call sign

[Transwarp]

Err no, that handheld is a dual band ham radio. CB radio is on 26/27mhz - Modes FM/AM/SSB

You can call yourself what you want on CB - a callsign is called a 'handle' on CB - For example: "Yeah roger, the handle's Pianoman this side"

If talking on SSB or DX'ing in general operators usually use a more formal callsign though, like for example: Mike Delta Romeo 375, again you can make one up, or even better, request a callsign from this forum and become a Tango Mike DX group member.

[Wulv]

i thought so with that one. yeah i need to figure out how to get myself sorted to a new person coming into things like this there is not much help out there to point in the correct direction i search up clubs and its over 2 hours from me and thats only 1 of them thats to far to travel for me

[Transwarp]

Ok, if your heart is set on just being an amateur radio operator and no interest in CB then just keep listening with the radios you have, you'll learn quite a bit by listening. Go watch videos on YouTube about being a ham radio operator, there's loads to watch. My opinion, you don't need to join any club just yet if you don't feel comfortable with at the moment. Listening, watching and reading is a good place to start, but if you're really eager to get actually talking on radio for confidence then CB is the place to do it.

[Wulv]

what model cb would you suggest ? would the THUNDERPOLE T-800 CB Radio be a good start with standard Cb setup

[paulears]

If your local club is an hour away, are you sure you live where there are actual hams you could talk to on a hand held? Have you looked for the nearest repeater online and entered its frequency? Can you Hear it? Hand held means a few miles of coverage. Cb and PMR446 can be great for chatting, if you live near other users, but if there are none local, you’re stuffed. What town are you in, we may be able to help.

[Wulv]

yeah there is alot of repeaters by me i listen to 4 guys talking daily and im st13