"Amateur radio is the use of the radio frequency spectrum for purposes of non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, private recreation, radiosport, contesting, and emergency communications."
- Wikipedia
This lesson provides information on the types of licenses, how to prepare for the exam, and ideas of what to do after obtaining a license.
From the ARRL site: http://www.arrl.org/ham-radio-licenses
The Technician class license is the entry-level license of choice for most new ham radio operators. To earn the Technician license requires passing one examination totaling 35 questions on radio theory, regulations and operating practices. The license gives access to all Amateur Radio frequencies above 30 megahertz, allowing these licensees the ability to communicate locally and most often within North America. It also allows for some limited privileges on the HF (also called "short wave") bands used for international communications.
The General class license grants some operating privileges on all Amateur Radio bands and all operating modes. This license opens the door to world-wide communications. Earning the General class license requires passing a 35 question examination. General class licensees must also have passed the Technician written examination.
The Amateur Extra class license conveys all available U.S. Amateur Radio operating privileges on all bands and all modes. Earning the license is more difficult; it requires passing a thorough 50 question examination. Extra class licensees must also have passed all previous license class written examinations.
An FCC Registration Number (FRN) is required prior to taking the exam. Have this number available when showing up for the test. It's easy to do.
This is the main search site:
Search the local radio clubs in your area to see if they offer exams. They may not show up in the search.
The question pools for each license can be found online and some .pdf versions are included with FISSURE. See Tools>>Ham Radio>>Exam to locate the Technician and General pools.
One of the best free tools to study for the exam is Anki. The pool questions can be downloaded and imported as decks (Tools>>Ham Radio>>Exam>>Anki Decks). Anki controls how many questions get asked and how frequently depending on your difficulty ranking. Anki is a little confusing to configure but the ability to isolate the hard questions is a great timesaver. It is possible to use the web version of Anki for free after creating an account but the mobile app is not free.
Typically the only things needed for the exam are the FRN, cash for a nominal fee, pencils, and your contact information. If you pass the Technician exam you usually are allowed to take the General exam for free immediately after. It might be a good idea to brush up on both to save multiple visits.
After passing the exam, a few weeks may go by before the FCC assigns you a callsign. You can change it to something else for a fee. There are rules for which vanity callsign you can select based on your region and license level. Visit the following links to see what is available:
- http://www.radioqth.net/howtofile/
- http://www.radioqth.net/vanity/available
- https://www.ae7q.com/query/
Do whatever you like. Find a local club and see what goes on. Check out an ARRL Field Day location near you. On the fourth weekend of June of each year, thousands of radio amateurs gather with their clubs, groups or with friends to operate from remote locations. The contest part is simply to contact as many other stations as possible and to learn to operate radio gear in abnormal situations and less than optimal conditions.