Frequently Asked Questions

Amateur ("ham") radio is a licensed, non-commercial radio service that lets people communicate by voice, Morse code, digital modes, and more. Hams talk across town, across the country, and around the world, experiment with electronics and antennas, and provide emergency communication when other systems fail. In Indiana there is an active community of clubs, repeaters, nets, and exam sessions to help you get started.

No. Listening to and receiving amateur radio is completely legal and does not require any license. Anyone can buy a receiver or scanner and listen. A license is only required to transmit. Many people start by listening to a local repeater before they get on the air.

Yes. To transmit on amateur frequencies you must hold an FCC amateur radio license. You earn one by passing a multiple-choice exam given by volunteer examiners. The entry-level Technician exam is 35 questions and the full question pool is published, so you can study the exact questions. See our Get On The Air guide for step-by-step help studying, finding an exam, and getting your call sign.

The cost is modest. Most volunteer exam sessions charge a small session fee (commonly around $15, set by the examining team), and the FCC charges a $35 application fee for a new or renewed license. Study materials can be free online. Check our Exam Sessions page for sessions in Indiana and their current fees.

No. The Morse code requirement was dropped for all U.S. amateur license classes in 2007. You can earn any license, including Amateur Extra, without knowing Morse code. Many hams still enjoy learning and using Morse code (CW), but it is now entirely optional.

There are three U.S. amateur license classes: Technician, General, and Amateur Extra. Each higher class requires passing an additional exam and grants more operating privileges, especially additional access to the HF bands used for long-distance contacts. You must hold the lower class before testing for the next.

The Technician class is the entry-level license and gives full privileges on all amateur VHF and UHF bands, so you can use handheld and mobile radios, talk through local repeaters, check into nets, operate digital modes, and take part in emergency communication. Technicians also get limited HF privileges, including some voice on 10 meters and Morse code privileges on parts of 80, 40, and 15 meters.

A U.S. amateur radio license is valid for 10 years. It is renewable, and you can renew it without taking another exam. There is a grace period after expiration during which you may renew but may not transmit until the renewal is granted.

A repeater is a station, usually on a tall tower or building, that receives your signal and simultaneously retransmits it at higher power, greatly extending the range of handheld and mobile radios. Offset is the fixed difference between the repeater's receive and transmit frequencies; your radio transmits on one frequency and listens on the other. A PL tone (CTCSS) is a sub-audible tone your radio sends so the repeater knows to relay your signal. Our Indiana repeater listings show the output frequency, offset, and required tone.

A net (short for network) is a scheduled on-air gathering of operators on an agreed frequency or repeater at a set time, directed by a Net Control Station who takes check-ins one at a time. Nets are used to pass messages, share information, practice emergency communication, or simply socialize. Indiana has statewide traffic and ARES nets plus many local club nets — see the clubs directory to find one near you.

A common first radio is a dual-band (2 meter / 70 cm) handheld transceiver (HT), which is inexpensive and lets a Technician use local repeaters and nets right away. As you gain experience you might add a mobile radio with an outdoor antenna for better range, or an HF radio for long-distance contacts after upgrading your license. Ask local hams or your club for current recommendations.

It depends on the band, mode, antenna, terrain, and radio-wave propagation. A handheld on VHF/UHF might reach a few miles directly, but through a well-placed repeater you can cover a whole region. On the HF bands, signals can bounce off the ionosphere to reach across the country or around the world, and conditions vary with the time of day and the solar cycle.

CB and GMRS are simpler personal radio services with fixed channels and lower power limits; CB requires no license and GMRS requires only an inexpensive FCC license with no exam. Amateur radio requires passing an exam but offers far more frequencies, much higher power, the ability to use and build a wide variety of equipment and antennas, repeaters, satellites, digital modes, and worldwide communication.

This site has directories organized for Indiana: a Clubs directory of amateur radio clubs by county, a Repeaters list with frequencies, offsets, and tones, and an Exam Sessions page listing license testing opportunities. Browsing those pages is the fastest way to connect with local hams and get on the air.