Are you interested in communicating with people thousands of miles away over ham radio? Do you want to get a license to operate? This course will give you the tools you need to accomplish just that!

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Ham radio, also known as Amateur Radio, is not your typical method for communication. Rather than relying on man-made networks like the internet or telephone wires, ham radio utilizes the pure power of radio waves, using only a small radio, a few cables, an antenna sitting outside, and a layer in the sky called the ionosphere.

You don’t need to be a science/electronics nerd to get into ham radio. Ordinary people like you can get licensed to operate a ham radio at your own home. Ham Radio is great if:

1. You’re a boy scout

Ham Radio can help you earn your Radio Merit Badge! Boy scouts even have their own ham radio day every year, called JOTA, where boy scouts get to operate ham radio.

2. You want to be prepared for natural disasters

Because ham radio doesn’t rely on the internet or cell phone networks, it is very reliable, especially when said networks go down during natural disasters. When Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, the area went off the grid. But not ham radio! Volunteers helped out from the ham community, and these hams played a crucial role in Hurricane Katrina and many other major natural disasters, using ham radio to communicate when nothing else worked.

3. You just want to have some fun!

Here’s a list of just some of the exciting things you can accomplish using ham radio:

• Talk to interesting people from all sorts of different backgrounds
• Talk to astronauts on the International Space Station
• Bounce radio waves off the ionosphere (part of the sky) to contact people from other countries all around the globe! (usually requires the 2nd level of licensing)
• Bounce radio signals off the moon
• Accomplish all of the above (with some extra cash) using only a 2-pound radio and a giant stick (metal antenna) in the backyard (Note: contacting astronauts and bouncing signals off moon require more complicated antennas.)

This self-paced course uses easy-to-understand video lectures and a plain-English textbook/manual to help you study to take a 35-question multiple-choice test to earn your Technician class ham radio license, which gives you basic privileges to set up and operate your own ham radio. (Note: if you don’t want to take the real licensing exam at your local ham radio club, that’s OK! You can still learn a lot from this course).    

Instructor’s Credentials

Tobias Park is a college student who has attained the highest (3rd) level of ham radio licensing (Amateur Extra Class). He has made over 3,000 contacts via ham radio to date.

Learning Outcomes

After completing this course, the student will:

• Understand what ham radio is, how it works, and what it can be used to accomplish
• Understand basic rules and regulations regarding ham radio
• Understand basic electrical and radio concepts such as frequency, wavelength, current, voltage, resistance, and capacitance
• Be able to pass the Ham Radio Technician class licensing test to receive a license to operate using ham radio
• Know how to operate a ham radio and speak to others on the air!