Ham radio is still a substantial hobby in the United States, with 710,788 active individual FCC licenses in the latest count checked on July 20, 2026. That total is below the 2018 high, so the honest answer is not that the hobby is booming everywhere. It is also not disappearing: activity remains visible in major … Read more
CB can be the better choice when the people you need to reach already use CB for highway, convoy, work-group, or local road communication. Ham radio is the stronger platform when you want a technical hobby, access to multiple bands and modes, local repeaters, organized nets, or broader HF operating privileges. Neither service has a … Read more
The safest way to program a ham radio with CHIRP is to confirm exact support, download first, save a clean backup, edit the downloaded image, validate transmit-related fields, and only then upload. A blank spreadsheet, similar-looking model profile, or assumed cable driver can cause connection failures or a damaged configuration. This guide covers CHIRP-next, CSV … Read more
The best budget handheld ham radio is not automatically the cheapest listing or the radio claiming the most watts. A useful low-cost HT must support the analog repeater functions you actually need, accept obtainable batteries and programming accessories, and behave well enough in your local RF environment. Because similar listings can hide different variants and … Read more
An FCC Registration Number, or FRN, is the 10-digit identifier the FCC uses to connect you with license applications, fees, and future license records. Get it before your amateur radio exam registration deadline, save it somewhere accessible, and bring it with you in the format your exam team requests. The FRN is not your call … Read more
Ham radio feels less like owning one device and more like entering a collection of small operating worlds. Your first weeks are usually spent listening, learning when local activity happens, and working up the nerve to make a short contact. Some operators settle into local conversations, while others prefer HF, digital modes, portable operating, or … Read more
Ham radio, GMRS, FRS, and CB can all put a voice over the air, but they are not interchangeable versions of the same service. The right choice starts with the people you need to reach and the radio network they already use, then moves to licensing, legal equipment, antennas, and operating conditions. CB fits established … Read more
A reliable ham radio programming guide should start with the radio and the repeater data, not with the software. Confirm the exact radio variant, choose CHIRP or front-panel entry based on what that radio supports, and verify the repeater’s output, offset, and access tone before saving anything. Program and test one channel first, keep a … Read more
The best handheld ham radio is the one that fits the communication you can actually make in your area, not the one with the longest feature list. Start by deciding between analog FM and a specific digital voice system, then judge the radio by receiver behavior, controls, battery support, environmental claims, and local repeater compatibility. … Read more
Getting a ham radio Technician license takes five steps in a fixed order: obtain an FCC Registration Number, study the current question pool, register for an exam session, pass the exam, and complete the FCC payment process. The part most beginners miss is that the FRN comes before the test, while the $35 FCC application … Read more
Ham radio as a hobby is less like buying one gadget and more like choosing a direction you want to explore. One operator may spend an evening listening to a local repeater, another may join a scheduled net, and someone else may take a compact station outdoors or experiment with an antenna. The hobby fits … Read more
The question I wish someone had asked me at the start was not which radio I planned to buy. It was what I actually wanted to do with ham radio. Local repeater conversations, long-distance HF contacts, emergency communication, balloon tracking, and an ISS contact may all belong to the same hobby, but they lead a … Read more