Learning how to get started with ham radio is easier when you follow the decisions in the right order: define what you want to do, set a realistic budget, choose a license goal, pass the correct exam, match the radio to the activity, and plan your first contact. The equipment side of a first setup … Read more
Ham radio is worth pursuing when you enjoy learning how a system works, solving small setup problems, and building a skill over time. The license can remain useful for 10 years, the equipment commitment can scale from modest to substantial, and the hobby can operate independently of cellular or internet service when both stations have … Read more
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
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
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