9 ms·

Ask HN: How many of you hold an amateur radio license in your country?

80 points by ToddWBurgess 7mo ago

I am VE3HWO. I hold a basic with honours and advanced qualifications in Canada. Hoping to connect with other hams on HN. 73

giantg2 7mo ago
I do. I'm not sure I like exposing my home address by providing my callsign with my HN account (something to think about for other posters).
- mitchbob 7mo ago
  Ditto for me.
  - zikduruqe 7mo ago
    I hold an Extra Class license... the old 20 wpm kind. The cool thing is, I got my extra back when I was 19 years old and it set me up for a great tech career since I understood RF. Not going to dox myself here putting my callsign in a post.
    - deleted 7mo ago
      [deleted]
    - ProllyInfamous 7mo ago
      AD0NIS — that you?
      - zikduruqe 7mo ago
        Heh. I mean you are kinda close. My callsign is a 2x1 call.
- ProllyInfamous 7mo ago
  That's why I use a PO Box — still not sharing callsign though =P
- GJim 7mo ago
  > I'm not sure I like exposing my home address by providing my callsign with my HN account Please explain. Surely one simply opts out of having ones address published in your countries call book?
  - Jtsummers 7mo ago
    In the US it's a public database, and you don't get to opt out of providing your name and a mailing address (mailing, needs to be valid but doesn't need to be your home address, PO Boxes work). https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/searchLicense.jsp https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/searchLicense.jsp
    - blackfawn 6mo ago
      While PO boxes work, you would have had to set one up prior to getting any licensing since past addresses are retained in the system as well. And then you are paying an unending fee to maintain a PO box just to try and maintain some slight privacy online. It really is baffling they are so stuck on having full address available to the world. City/state, zip code, Maidenhead locator squares, or a number of other options would be more than enough to place one into a local area without an exact address listed publicly. Until that happens, I definitely will continue to refrain from mentioning it on any online accounts to help keep all the data miners a little more at bay.
    - GJim 7mo ago
      Wow! I know American data protection law is pretty poor, but that really is shocking; such data should not be made public without the users explicit opt-in consent.
      - Jtsummers 7mo ago
        A lot of information is out there for a lot of people in the US. Here you can find salary information for GA state employees by name: https://open.ga.gov/openga/salaryTravel/index https://open.ga.gov/openga/salaryTravel/index. If you don't know their name, you can search by organization and get a big list of people and how much they make each year.
PaulHoule 7mo ago
Kc2zzq
- deleted 7mo ago
  [deleted]
wglb 7mo ago
W8LVN. Licensed in 1961.
- ProllyInfamous 7mo ago
  Was dropping the morse code requirement a mistake?
mikewarot 7mo ago
KA9DGX since 1979
deleted 7mo ago
[deleted]
iamhamm 7mo ago
I'm an amateur extra, US. Licensed since I was 12 years old back in 1992.
CodeBit26 7mo ago
[dead]
Temporary_31337 7mo ago
My father was pretty serious about this as a hobby - SP7DRV - had shortware CW and voice connections with pretty much all the coutries, remote islands (when there was an expeditions) and some countries that do not exist anymore so his tally was more countries than there are in the world. Personally I prefer the convenience of fibre connection + TCP/IP but I get that in a time of hypothetical crisis or war this could prove useful. War in Ukraine shows it's more Starlink + Internet rather than HAM radio but there's still a use case.
- technothrasher 7mo ago
  My father, W1HDX, similarly was so into HAM that it was a large part of my childhood, even though I never got my license. I very much remember his explorations of packet radio in the very late 1970s. And when he put up a couple of large dish antennas in the yard to start receiving weather satellite transmissions, the entirely ignorant neighbors complained that he was "irradiating the neighborhood" and the other local kids thought he was talking to space aliens. These days he's into mapping the radio emissions of H1 regions.
- fidotron 7mo ago
  Did he (or anyone here) get to talk to King Hussein of Jordan? https://www.dx-world.net/the-ham-radio-operation-that-made-history/ https://www.dx-world.net/the-ham-radio-operation-that-made-h...
TomMasz 7mo ago
KC2TCK since 2007.
francis_lewis 7mo ago
I do in the UK, only foundation though
- subscribed 6mo ago
  There's a very little difference between foundation and intermediate, but a lot of bands and privileges. Jump between intermediate and full is more challenging, but IMO intermediate is well worth it (with minimal effort). Go for it.
BoredPositron 7mo ago
Since 1991.
tamimio 7mo ago
I have an ROC-A
srean 7mo ago
I find the technical side of the hobby very interesting but the thought that it requires having a conversation with strangers and that too synchronously, is a personal deterrent. I don't know if there are others like me. EDIT: Glad to see that there are others around. Happy to meet you. Async acks are great. So is the joy of engaging with something intellectually challenging.
- montroser 7mo ago
  There are dozens of us, friend. I got my license for the challenge and learning that came with. Tuned in to signals near and far but never sent my own voice over the air.
- olorton 7mo ago
  I've been licensed for a couple of years. All my QSOs are short and sweet, mostly activating and hunting POTA/SOTA contacts, where the activator prefers to have short QSOs in order to activate the park/summit. I have no interest in having a conversation with the other amateur, at most I would exchange what gear I'm using and what power I'm running. That is it. I like building kits, QRP, CW, and building my own antennas. I only make contact with other people to be able to improve my skills and validate my gear. My father has been licensed for nearly 50 years, he loves the technical side of the hobby, I've made more contacts over the last 2 years than he has in 15 years. There are others like you. Oliver, M7OCL
- EL_Loco 7mo ago
  Humans can be so different, it's fascinating and awesome. I'm quite the opposite. Where I wanted to talk to people from around the world and have some interesting conversations about everything, the fact that they are mostly "Hello, I'm calling from x, using radio y, and your signal is z. 73" is a big let down for me. I somewhat like the technical sid of it, but just calling to say "Hello, x, y, z, bye." ends up feeling like a waste of time to me (in the sense that I could be using this time for other, more interesting things. I still find it somewhat interesting though). But, if you enjoy the technical aspect of it, then I think it's fine, you can focus more on cw, or the digital modes where the contacts are automated. edit: I know there are ragchews all the time, but it's still mostly about equipment.
pjdkoch 7mo ago
I intend to get one in Portugal!
logotype 7mo ago
Just a OFCOM basic business radio license (UK)
DrAwdeOccarim 7mo ago
QSL! Boston, MA
spants 7mo ago
I have a G6 uk licence that I took after being almost busted for CBs (in the old days) and all my radios have been packed up and in the garage for decades. Computers/BBS/Internet took over. I enjoyed the tech side of the hobby rather than the convo.
ngvrnd 7mo ago
General class in USA, not currently active. More interested in tech/building than conversation/contesting although POTA and SOTA hold some interest, as does field day. Perhaps when I retire those might become a thing I do.
astatine 7mo ago
VU3BNZ restricted class license
deleted 7mo ago
[deleted]
Aachen 7mo ago
FYI, HN has polls (since you asked "how many of you"): https://news.ycombinator.com/newpoll https://news.ycombinator.com/newpoll
- nubinetwork 6mo ago
  I honestly don't think I've ever seen one on the front page
  - Aachen 6mo ago
    Yeah they're not very popular, partly because they're not very powerful: it's always multiple-choice, answer order doesn't randomise, and I don't think you can see how many unique people even voted (which can vary wildly depending on how many options people click on average). Fwiw, I do like multi-voting better as a default than the usual default of FPTP, but still There was a short burst of activity shortly after introduction, probably a decade ago by now. Would be interesting to plot how many per week^W year make it to the front page or get more than a dozen votes
any1 7mo ago
I did a course on antennae and wave propagation as part of my university studies. The professor told us that with just a bit of extra studying we'd be able to qualify for the license, given that we already knew the engineering and physics side of things. I got the license, but never did anything with it.
opan 7mo ago
I spent a couple months memorizing the test questions/answers with Anki, without learning the theory, and passed the second level test (the one below Extra, I forget the name). I got a cheap Chinese (ABBREE brand I think) radio but never learned how to use it, and am a bit worried about accidentally transmitting if I poke around on it, even if it is probably legal for me to do so (assuming I announce my callsign periodically and such). I'd been meaning to learn things properly once the test was out of the way but I kinda lost interest, I guess. I'll still renew my license if it's about to expire anyway. Might as well. Callsign not shared because I tied it to my real address and haven't gotten a P.O. box (also as previously stated I am not actually active).
- jtickle 7mo ago
  If you are interested, find and go to an amateur radio club meeting. The licensing test makes sure you know the regulations and some theory. It does not help introduce you to "ham culture" which is definitely a thing. I learned all the practical stuff from talking with local club members. They are usually overjoyed for new members; if not just go to the next club. Youtube and whatnot helps but it's better to be able to ask someone a stupid question, and believe me, if you want to be overwhelmed with information, ask a ham a question. In my experience there are some assholes but more genuinely kind people, mostly older folks who just want to connect with someone.
  - opan 6mo ago
    Interesting idea, thanks!
ati 7mo ago
Hi! I'm UB3AGB since 2013
vighnesh_sawant 7mo ago
Anyone from India? I was looking to apply for one but the site to apply is down and there seems to be no alternative. Do I just cycle up to the monitoring station? It's like 10km away from me.
- jkdkdkdkrkrkr 7mo ago
  We are all from India here sir
shawn_w 7mo ago
US General since... 2008? Don't really use it for anything these days though.
pocketman 7mo ago
I have been licensed since the 90’s, but only rarely talk anymore. One day…
yardie 7mo ago
FCC Amateur Technician class and Marine Operator checking in. It's taken nearly 30 years, from buying the study guide in high school to finally sitting the test in my 40s. But glad I finally got it done.
darreninthenet 7mo ago
UK Foundation licence holder here, M7HUB
kotaKat 7mo ago
I hold both an amateur license and a conventional ‘itinerant’ LMR license good nationwide. The LMR license is more useful to me than my amateur license - I can just hand my friends my pile of cache radios and get yapping at an event. As a plus, we can run encryption and other fun things on the LMR license (within the bounds of our emissions) like APCO P25 (Project25) data transmissions.
fidotron 7mo ago
Similar. Experience of Canadian ham scene though is it's almost all just buying/selling equipment, to the point some channels were occupied by automated announcements of what people were buying and selling. APRS is fairly well used though, and by far the best way to find what is in the local area. For better or worse the more dynamic and technically interesting stuff now seems to be with SDR and Meshtastic/Meshcore. Even the people with envy inspiring antenna arrays are mainly on the mesh stuff.
- markus_zhang 7mo ago
  Also Canadian, and struggling to find a usage out of it. I don't even have a ham radio, yet. Maybe I'll just the connection to purchase some equipment, such as an oscilloscope.
jtickle 7mo ago
I don't have you in my log! Southeast US here. What aspects of ham radio are you into? Any HF nets you frequent? To be honest, life keeps me away from radio most of the time so there is nothing "regular" that I participate in outside the two Field Days, but if things ever slow down I will have the license and the equipment for it. I got in due to a general interest in technology but I like contesting, the occasional net, and someday I would like to practice CW (have "learned it" twice now but have been unable to dedicate the time to practice). I like digital modes and am not anti-FT8 but I wish there was more use of the "conversational" modes like RTTY or others in fldigi.
zhrvoj 7mo ago
73 DE 9A5AFV. 1983-1985 as a youngster active mostly on 40m band CW from Radio Club Zagreb (est.1924) ex.YU2ADE - now 9A1ADE. FT-277 / windom antenna.
lb1lf 7mo ago
LB1LF here - much to my dismay, I currently have no antennas at home, but I take part in the IARU Region 1 Field Day every year - some friends and I, alumni from the Norwegian University of Technology and Science in Trondheim, Norway created a ham radio club - LA1AFP - for the express purpose of having an excuse to meet up annually and have a good time. I have mostly worked HF phone, but in latter years I've (finally!) become reasonably proficient in CW, too. I enjoy the technical aspects of the hobby, being a radio frequency engineer - but also enjoy chatting to others, particularly to improve my language skills - Portuguese and Brazilian hams are an absolute delight and quite patient as I try to make myself understood in Portuguese! Oh, and chasing the occasional award - but I am not very good at sending in the paperwork, so I guess I had better do that soon and get some paperwork for my shack. I have a particular soft spot for the RSGB IOTA program, as I live on one - EU-079 - myself. I hope to be QRV from home again before long, though - I live on a farm, have lots of room, and I have a small mast and an almost finished wire beam in the barn, so with any luck I'll be able to put it all together and have a working station again sometime this spring!
Simulacra 7mo ago
Third generation Extra here!
ProllyInfamous 7mo ago
I am extremely saddened that USA began requiring email for all callsign updates (circa 2022). This led to my vanity expiring, but I still carry it as my vehicle tag (state renews without checking active status). —73
signaturefish 7mo ago
Foundation licensee here in the UK, working on my Intermediate (and hoping to pass that exam this year). I manage the radio system for the UK Discworld Convention (every other year, next instance August 2026), and I spend a chunk of time on the VHF repeater near me, in the Cambridge area (mostly listening). 5 and 5, 73.
pwinwood 7mo ago
73 from G8KIG. Licensed in 1974.
luxpir 7mo ago
Yep, did a speed run of foundation, intermediate and full in the UK back in 2016 (within the year). Full means I can build radios up to 400W, which is nice. Not sure I actually could though now, without a LOT of revision. At least if "the collapse" comes in my lifetime I might know which components to gather. Sold Yaesu portable unit at the height of COVID after some fun with it. Still mess with the HTs sometimes but looking for an opportunity (time wise) to get back into it. I'm part of a code club at the local school, and would love to show them radio too, spark that curiosity and imagination. I think it'll be out of scope for this year though.
dgacmu 7mo ago
AC3ME. Probably the most useless ham licensee ever. Wanted to be able to say hi on a local repeater for fun and testing a handheld I got, turns out it's not too hard to get US amateur extra when you already know most of the electronics theory and just need to memorize some rules and adapt to terminology, but I don't really use it very actively. But glad I have it - I have some beacon design projects in mind for the someday maybe pile, but basically everything I play with is in the ISM bands and I usually work a layer or three above physical.
ferguess_k 7mo ago
I do. But I haven't found a use of it, yet. I don't even have a ham radio. I guess I just impulsively got a license and that was it. For people who don't use radio for communication (chat), what do you do? I guess it's useful as an emergency measure, but I could simply purchase an ordianry radio or use my car's, not a ham radio.
airbreather 7mo ago
I am in Australia and got a US General class license because for some time the Australian licensing was in total chaos while changing over to new arrangements. I did it online thru the New York Radio Club (?). I did Novice then General in about 30 minutes. I studied for maybe 6 hours immediately prior. I grew up from age 5 in my Dads ham shack in NZ - every single thing he had made, transmitters, receivers, antennas, the feed wire, oscilloscope, signal gens, grid dip oscillator etc with many parts salvaged. In NZ in those days that is how most people did it, at least partially. I also have an Electrical Engineering degree. So sort of had a bit of background working knowledge, which meant I wasn't starting from scratch. KK7RBX
doom2 7mo ago
Not sharing my call on HN, but I got my tech back in 2010 with my college club (W2SZ), upgraded to general a year later, and only in 2024 did I upgrade to Extra. I can't have a station at home currently, so mostly work QRP.
tablarasa 7mo ago
I got my license because I'm an offshore sailor. It is useful as safety and communication equipment (radio nets to keep track of other boats, their weather and fishing conditions :), and let your would-be-rescuers know your position and status), but also for sending and receiving data. It is my primary interface for weather info at sea using traditional weatherfax, but also more modern GRIB extraction. I can even update my blog using my SSB on HAM frequencies at sea. It's fun. Never had a shoreside station though.
- sand500 7mo ago
  > Let your would-be-rescuers know your position and status Stupid question, do search and rescue services even have equipment that can tune into HAM frequencies, are they even listening on those frequencies, and do they regularly train on communicating with the HAM community? I'm sure there are more established ways of radioing for help in the maritime world(Aviation has the guard frequency)
  - tablarasa 6mo ago
    Not a stupid question at all. But these aren't search and rescue services, they are just other sailors. I'm talking about locales that are far far outside of the realm of typical rescue services, and in no particular jurisdiction. Your best bet for rescue is your fellow sailors or commercial shipping traffic. Radio nets like the Pacific Seafarers Net allow you to make yourself known so that folks can keep tabs on you (and you them) in case something happens. EPIRB and other emergency beacons still use HF radio frequencies (not HAM of course) and countries like the U.S., Australia, New Zealand and others I'm sure are monitoring those signals. But even then, they will first and foremost look to the seafaring community to actually render assistance, and that kind of call to action does often make its way through HAM radio nets, though I'm not sure exactly how, e.g., the U.S. Coast Guard makes that first outreach as the rescue coordinator.
subscribed 7mo ago
I do, also full (CEPT equivalent) licence. Poll would be better for that :p
ynac 7mo ago
Newbie here! Still shopping for elements of my system. : )
fullstick 7mo ago
I do, general license in US.
msylvest 7mo ago
I had a VHF+UHF bands, no morse, in Denmark half a century ago. Dropped it after a few years.
mindcrime 7mo ago
Count me in. KM4VLN. USA.
schlauerfox 7mo ago
Yes, but it's doxxing to post a callsign with a US license. Hello!
tagami 7mo ago
I just renewed my 10-year. Use it almost exclusively with APRS to track student HAB projects
scarecrowbob 7mo ago
Yo. Tech here, who is between studying for general ticket and taking the exam. 73
frrlpp 6mo ago
I do.
LeskoIam 6mo ago
From Slovenia S58..
lormayna 6mo ago
I do, IU5RQT from Italy
Pfhortune 6mo ago
Taking my technician test tomorrow! Wish me luck! Not only am I pursuing this because I want long-range emergency comms in case cell networks go down (like what happened with Verizon recently), but also because I see a very notable contraction on what communication is allowed to be done on the internet, especially in the last year. Censorial regimes around the world seem to be accelerating and I don't want to be cut off from communications because I am not of an "accepted" identity. And yes, I'm aware that states police the amateur airwaves too. But I see it more like how getting a driver's license doesn't mean I can't flee a country with my car... Learning to drive, or operate a radio, is still a valuable skill to learn and practice.
deleted 6mo ago
[deleted]
quux 6mo ago
I’ve had my technicians license for about 10 months and it’s been fun, especially when I’ve spent some time in a desert with a bunch of other hams around. Getting my general and maybe extra are goals for the year. Want to get on HF before the sun cycle starts winding down 73!
K7PJP 6mo ago
Active General license holder here, although mostly on 2m as of late. I hope to get my HF station set up this spring.
hakfoo 6mo ago
I got my General in late 2024, but haven't done much with it. Collected a few HTs, built one little 2m-specific antenna, but I'm a bit embarrassed to hit Transmit when I'm not sure I've got everything configured right to not intrude on other repeater users. I had two atypical goals with it: - If I could present a certificate that says "the Government admits that I know something about how RF operates" maybe my irritating brother would acknowledge me when I tried to explain that Wi-Fi multipath concerns no longer apply when we plugged his machine into a hard-wired Ethernet socket. - Being able to brandish "the FCC allows me to build a 200-metre antenna tower in the backyard" as a counterargument when the local HOA hassles me about the weeds that apparently have evolved beyond vulnerability to the stuff they sell at the local home centre. It feels very "bifurcated" as a hobby -- you either do 2m/70cm stuff with little $100 handhelds, or you start doing outright construction projects to deal with antenna sizes, and spending four figures to explore HF.
theodric 6mo ago
I refuse to get one on principle, even though I'm very into radio.
8192kjshad09- 6mo ago
I hold a general license in the US. I started 2m and 70cm with a cheap Baofeng but eventually CW caught my interest and now I design and sell a semi-open-source Morse Code trainer on https://katnisslabs.com/ https://katnisslabs.com/ for folks looking to learn Morse Code. It's been quite the journey!
GarnetFloride 6mo ago
US Extra license holder checking in. I'm also involved with a local ham group because we live in an earthquake zone.
indianmouse 6mo ago
From India and in the process of getting one pretty soon. Been reading and preparing for the exams!
anelson 6mo ago
US General class here. I got into it recently mainly to play with digital modes on HF for emergency comms and also because it’s an interesting and unexplored field for me.
dundercoder 6mo ago
KG7SYA - sometimes found on the intertie https://www.k0tfu.org/repeater-systems/intermountain-intertie https://www.k0tfu.org/repeater-systems/intermountain-interti...
holgerschurig 6mo ago
I am one of ~61300 licensee holders in my country of ~85 million inhabitants. We now have 3 classes, I hold the "highest" class, A, but I'd still suck on the air, mostly because I'm almost never on the air.
rustyhancock 6mo ago
I have one, I've not made much use of it its a couple of short exams here so I didn't see a reason not to.
jbgreer 6mo ago
I have an Amateur Extra license in the US. I am also a Volunteer Examiner with a couple of organizations. Locally I am a Net Controller for a VHF Net. I am working on my ARES Level 1 Qualification.
ravenstine 6mo ago
I have a GMRS license, which isn't "amateur radio" per se, but can be used in much the same way. The main differences are that you're limited to a narrow band of "channels", and repeaters are not allowed to form networks. The tradeoff is that the license is basically just a fee and requires no test or advanced knowledge.
apple4ever 6mo ago
I have mine! Good to see other operators. Check out 44Net - right up our alley!

80 points by ToddWBurgess 7mo ago

I am VE3HWO. I hold a basic with honours and advanced qualifications in Canada. Hoping to connect with other hams on HN. 73

giantg2 7mo ago

I do. I'm not sure I like exposing my home address by providing my callsign with my HN account (something to think about for other posters).

mitchbob 7mo ago
Ditto for me.
- zikduruqe 7mo ago
  I hold an Extra Class license... the old 20 wpm kind. The cool thing is, I got my extra back when I was 19 years old and it set me up for a great tech career since I understood RF. Not going to dox myself here putting my callsign in a post.
  - deleted 7mo ago
    [deleted]
  - ProllyInfamous 7mo ago
    AD0NIS — that you?
    - zikduruqe 7mo ago
      Heh. I mean you are kinda close. My callsign is a 2x1 call.
ProllyInfamous 7mo ago
That's why I use a PO Box — still not sharing callsign though =P
GJim 7mo ago
> I'm not sure I like exposing my home address by providing my callsign with my HN account Please explain. Surely one simply opts out of having ones address published in your countries call book?
- Jtsummers 7mo ago
  In the US it's a public database, and you don't get to opt out of providing your name and a mailing address (mailing, needs to be valid but doesn't need to be your home address, PO Boxes work). https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/searchLicense.jsp https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/searchLicense.jsp
  - blackfawn 6mo ago
    While PO boxes work, you would have had to set one up prior to getting any licensing since past addresses are retained in the system as well. And then you are paying an unending fee to maintain a PO box just to try and maintain some slight privacy online. It really is baffling they are so stuck on having full address available to the world. City/state, zip code, Maidenhead locator squares, or a number of other options would be more than enough to place one into a local area without an exact address listed publicly. Until that happens, I definitely will continue to refrain from mentioning it on any online accounts to help keep all the data miners a little more at bay.
  - GJim 7mo ago
    Wow! I know American data protection law is pretty poor, but that really is shocking; such data should not be made public without the users explicit opt-in consent.
    - Jtsummers 7mo ago
      A lot of information is out there for a lot of people in the US. Here you can find salary information for GA state employees by name: https://open.ga.gov/openga/salaryTravel/index https://open.ga.gov/openga/salaryTravel/index. If you don't know their name, you can search by organization and get a big list of people and how much they make each year.

PaulHoule 7mo ago

Kc2zzq

deleted 7mo ago
[deleted]

wglb 7mo ago

W8LVN. Licensed in 1961.

ProllyInfamous 7mo ago
Was dropping the morse code requirement a mistake?

mikewarot 7mo ago

KA9DGX since 1979

deleted 7mo ago

[deleted]

iamhamm 7mo ago

I'm an amateur extra, US. Licensed since I was 12 years old back in 1992.

CodeBit26 7mo ago

[dead]

Temporary_31337 7mo ago

My father was pretty serious about this as a hobby - SP7DRV - had shortware CW and voice connections with pretty much all the coutries, remote islands (when there was an expeditions) and some countries that do not exist anymore so his tally was more countries than there are in the world. Personally I prefer the convenience of fibre connection + TCP/IP but I get that in a time of hypothetical crisis or war this could prove useful. War in Ukraine shows it's more Starlink + Internet rather than HAM radio but there's still a use case.

technothrasher 7mo ago
My father, W1HDX, similarly was so into HAM that it was a large part of my childhood, even though I never got my license. I very much remember his explorations of packet radio in the very late 1970s. And when he put up a couple of large dish antennas in the yard to start receiving weather satellite transmissions, the entirely ignorant neighbors complained that he was "irradiating the neighborhood" and the other local kids thought he was talking to space aliens. These days he's into mapping the radio emissions of H1 regions.
fidotron 7mo ago
Did he (or anyone here) get to talk to King Hussein of Jordan? https://www.dx-world.net/the-ham-radio-operation-that-made-history/ https://www.dx-world.net/the-ham-radio-operation-that-made-h...

TomMasz 7mo ago

KC2TCK since 2007.

francis_lewis 7mo ago

I do in the UK, only foundation though

subscribed 6mo ago
There's a very little difference between foundation and intermediate, but a lot of bands and privileges. Jump between intermediate and full is more challenging, but IMO intermediate is well worth it (with minimal effort). Go for it.

BoredPositron 7mo ago

Since 1991.

tamimio 7mo ago

I have an ROC-A

srean 7mo ago

I find the technical side of the hobby very interesting but the thought that it requires having a conversation with strangers and that too synchronously, is a personal deterrent. I don't know if there are others like me. EDIT: Glad to see that there are others around. Happy to meet you. Async acks are great. So is the joy of engaging with something intellectually challenging.

montroser 7mo ago
There are dozens of us, friend. I got my license for the challenge and learning that came with. Tuned in to signals near and far but never sent my own voice over the air.
olorton 7mo ago
I've been licensed for a couple of years. All my QSOs are short and sweet, mostly activating and hunting POTA/SOTA contacts, where the activator prefers to have short QSOs in order to activate the park/summit. I have no interest in having a conversation with the other amateur, at most I would exchange what gear I'm using and what power I'm running. That is it. I like building kits, QRP, CW, and building my own antennas. I only make contact with other people to be able to improve my skills and validate my gear. My father has been licensed for nearly 50 years, he loves the technical side of the hobby, I've made more contacts over the last 2 years than he has in 15 years. There are others like you. Oliver, M7OCL
EL_Loco 7mo ago
Humans can be so different, it's fascinating and awesome. I'm quite the opposite. Where I wanted to talk to people from around the world and have some interesting conversations about everything, the fact that they are mostly "Hello, I'm calling from x, using radio y, and your signal is z. 73" is a big let down for me. I somewhat like the technical sid of it, but just calling to say "Hello, x, y, z, bye." ends up feeling like a waste of time to me (in the sense that I could be using this time for other, more interesting things. I still find it somewhat interesting though). But, if you enjoy the technical aspect of it, then I think it's fine, you can focus more on cw, or the digital modes where the contacts are automated. edit: I know there are ragchews all the time, but it's still mostly about equipment.

pjdkoch 7mo ago

I intend to get one in Portugal!

logotype 7mo ago

Just a OFCOM basic business radio license (UK)

DrAwdeOccarim 7mo ago

QSL! Boston, MA

spants 7mo ago

I have a G6 uk licence that I took after being almost busted for CBs (in the old days) and all my radios have been packed up and in the garage for decades. Computers/BBS/Internet took over. I enjoyed the tech side of the hobby rather than the convo.

ngvrnd 7mo ago

General class in USA, not currently active. More interested in tech/building than conversation/contesting although POTA and SOTA hold some interest, as does field day. Perhaps when I retire those might become a thing I do.

astatine 7mo ago

VU3BNZ restricted class license

deleted 7mo ago

[deleted]

Aachen 7mo ago

FYI, HN has polls (since you asked "how many of you"): https://news.ycombinator.com/newpoll https://news.ycombinator.com/newpoll

nubinetwork 6mo ago
I honestly don't think I've ever seen one on the front page
- Aachen 6mo ago
  Yeah they're not very popular, partly because they're not very powerful: it's always multiple-choice, answer order doesn't randomise, and I don't think you can see how many unique people even voted (which can vary wildly depending on how many options people click on average). Fwiw, I do like multi-voting better as a default than the usual default of FPTP, but still There was a short burst of activity shortly after introduction, probably a decade ago by now. Would be interesting to plot how many per week^W year make it to the front page or get more than a dozen votes

any1 7mo ago

I did a course on antennae and wave propagation as part of my university studies. The professor told us that with just a bit of extra studying we'd be able to qualify for the license, given that we already knew the engineering and physics side of things. I got the license, but never did anything with it.

opan 7mo ago

I spent a couple months memorizing the test questions/answers with Anki, without learning the theory, and passed the second level test (the one below Extra, I forget the name). I got a cheap Chinese (ABBREE brand I think) radio but never learned how to use it, and am a bit worried about accidentally transmitting if I poke around on it, even if it is probably legal for me to do so (assuming I announce my callsign periodically and such). I'd been meaning to learn things properly once the test was out of the way but I kinda lost interest, I guess. I'll still renew my license if it's about to expire anyway. Might as well. Callsign not shared because I tied it to my real address and haven't gotten a P.O. box (also as previously stated I am not actually active).

jtickle 7mo ago
If you are interested, find and go to an amateur radio club meeting. The licensing test makes sure you know the regulations and some theory. It does not help introduce you to "ham culture" which is definitely a thing. I learned all the practical stuff from talking with local club members. They are usually overjoyed for new members; if not just go to the next club. Youtube and whatnot helps but it's better to be able to ask someone a stupid question, and believe me, if you want to be overwhelmed with information, ask a ham a question. In my experience there are some assholes but more genuinely kind people, mostly older folks who just want to connect with someone.
- opan 6mo ago
  Interesting idea, thanks!

ati 7mo ago

Hi! I'm UB3AGB since 2013

vighnesh_sawant 7mo ago

Anyone from India? I was looking to apply for one but the site to apply is down and there seems to be no alternative. Do I just cycle up to the monitoring station? It's like 10km away from me.

jkdkdkdkrkrkr 7mo ago
We are all from India here sir

shawn_w 7mo ago

US General since... 2008? Don't really use it for anything these days though.

pocketman 7mo ago

I have been licensed since the 90’s, but only rarely talk anymore. One day…

yardie 7mo ago

FCC Amateur Technician class and Marine Operator checking in. It's taken nearly 30 years, from buying the study guide in high school to finally sitting the test in my 40s. But glad I finally got it done.

darreninthenet 7mo ago

UK Foundation licence holder here, M7HUB

kotaKat 7mo ago

I hold both an amateur license and a conventional ‘itinerant’ LMR license good nationwide. The LMR license is more useful to me than my amateur license - I can just hand my friends my pile of cache radios and get yapping at an event. As a plus, we can run encryption and other fun things on the LMR license (within the bounds of our emissions) like APCO P25 (Project25) data transmissions.

fidotron 7mo ago

Similar. Experience of Canadian ham scene though is it's almost all just buying/selling equipment, to the point some channels were occupied by automated announcements of what people were buying and selling. APRS is fairly well used though, and by far the best way to find what is in the local area. For better or worse the more dynamic and technically interesting stuff now seems to be with SDR and Meshtastic/Meshcore. Even the people with envy inspiring antenna arrays are mainly on the mesh stuff.

markus_zhang 7mo ago
Also Canadian, and struggling to find a usage out of it. I don't even have a ham radio, yet. Maybe I'll just the connection to purchase some equipment, such as an oscilloscope.

jtickle 7mo ago

I don't have you in my log! Southeast US here. What aspects of ham radio are you into? Any HF nets you frequent? To be honest, life keeps me away from radio most of the time so there is nothing "regular" that I participate in outside the two Field Days, but if things ever slow down I will have the license and the equipment for it. I got in due to a general interest in technology but I like contesting, the occasional net, and someday I would like to practice CW (have "learned it" twice now but have been unable to dedicate the time to practice). I like digital modes and am not anti-FT8 but I wish there was more use of the "conversational" modes like RTTY or others in fldigi.

zhrvoj 7mo ago

73 DE 9A5AFV. 1983-1985 as a youngster active mostly on 40m band CW from Radio Club Zagreb (est.1924) ex.YU2ADE - now 9A1ADE. FT-277 / windom antenna.

lb1lf 7mo ago

LB1LF here - much to my dismay, I currently have no antennas at home, but I take part in the IARU Region 1 Field Day every year - some friends and I, alumni from the Norwegian University of Technology and Science in Trondheim, Norway created a ham radio club - LA1AFP - for the express purpose of having an excuse to meet up annually and have a good time. I have mostly worked HF phone, but in latter years I've (finally!) become reasonably proficient in CW, too. I enjoy the technical aspects of the hobby, being a radio frequency engineer - but also enjoy chatting to others, particularly to improve my language skills - Portuguese and Brazilian hams are an absolute delight and quite patient as I try to make myself understood in Portuguese! Oh, and chasing the occasional award - but I am not very good at sending in the paperwork, so I guess I had better do that soon and get some paperwork for my shack. I have a particular soft spot for the RSGB IOTA program, as I live on one - EU-079 - myself. I hope to be QRV from home again before long, though - I live on a farm, have lots of room, and I have a small mast and an almost finished wire beam in the barn, so with any luck I'll be able to put it all together and have a working station again sometime this spring!

Simulacra 7mo ago

Third generation Extra here!

ProllyInfamous 7mo ago

I am extremely saddened that USA began requiring email for all callsign updates (circa 2022). This led to my vanity expiring, but I still carry it as my vehicle tag (state renews without checking active status). —73

signaturefish 7mo ago

Foundation licensee here in the UK, working on my Intermediate (and hoping to pass that exam this year). I manage the radio system for the UK Discworld Convention (every other year, next instance August 2026), and I spend a chunk of time on the VHF repeater near me, in the Cambridge area (mostly listening). 5 and 5, 73.

pwinwood 7mo ago

73 from G8KIG. Licensed in 1974.

luxpir 7mo ago

Yep, did a speed run of foundation, intermediate and full in the UK back in 2016 (within the year). Full means I can build radios up to 400W, which is nice. Not sure I actually could though now, without a LOT of revision. At least if "the collapse" comes in my lifetime I might know which components to gather. Sold Yaesu portable unit at the height of COVID after some fun with it. Still mess with the HTs sometimes but looking for an opportunity (time wise) to get back into it. I'm part of a code club at the local school, and would love to show them radio too, spark that curiosity and imagination. I think it'll be out of scope for this year though.

dgacmu 7mo ago

AC3ME. Probably the most useless ham licensee ever. Wanted to be able to say hi on a local repeater for fun and testing a handheld I got, turns out it's not too hard to get US amateur extra when you already know most of the electronics theory and just need to memorize some rules and adapt to terminology, but I don't really use it very actively. But glad I have it - I have some beacon design projects in mind for the someday maybe pile, but basically everything I play with is in the ISM bands and I usually work a layer or three above physical.

ferguess_k 7mo ago

I do. But I haven't found a use of it, yet. I don't even have a ham radio. I guess I just impulsively got a license and that was it. For people who don't use radio for communication (chat), what do you do? I guess it's useful as an emergency measure, but I could simply purchase an ordianry radio or use my car's, not a ham radio.

airbreather 7mo ago

I am in Australia and got a US General class license because for some time the Australian licensing was in total chaos while changing over to new arrangements. I did it online thru the New York Radio Club (?). I did Novice then General in about 30 minutes. I studied for maybe 6 hours immediately prior. I grew up from age 5 in my Dads ham shack in NZ - every single thing he had made, transmitters, receivers, antennas, the feed wire, oscilloscope, signal gens, grid dip oscillator etc with many parts salvaged. In NZ in those days that is how most people did it, at least partially. I also have an Electrical Engineering degree. So sort of had a bit of background working knowledge, which meant I wasn't starting from scratch. KK7RBX

doom2 7mo ago

Not sharing my call on HN, but I got my tech back in 2010 with my college club (W2SZ), upgraded to general a year later, and only in 2024 did I upgrade to Extra. I can't have a station at home currently, so mostly work QRP.

tablarasa 7mo ago

I got my license because I'm an offshore sailor. It is useful as safety and communication equipment (radio nets to keep track of other boats, their weather and fishing conditions :), and let your would-be-rescuers know your position and status), but also for sending and receiving data. It is my primary interface for weather info at sea using traditional weatherfax, but also more modern GRIB extraction. I can even update my blog using my SSB on HAM frequencies at sea. It's fun. Never had a shoreside station though.

sand500 7mo ago
> Let your would-be-rescuers know your position and status Stupid question, do search and rescue services even have equipment that can tune into HAM frequencies, are they even listening on those frequencies, and do they regularly train on communicating with the HAM community? I'm sure there are more established ways of radioing for help in the maritime world(Aviation has the guard frequency)
- tablarasa 6mo ago
  Not a stupid question at all. But these aren't search and rescue services, they are just other sailors. I'm talking about locales that are far far outside of the realm of typical rescue services, and in no particular jurisdiction. Your best bet for rescue is your fellow sailors or commercial shipping traffic. Radio nets like the Pacific Seafarers Net allow you to make yourself known so that folks can keep tabs on you (and you them) in case something happens. EPIRB and other emergency beacons still use HF radio frequencies (not HAM of course) and countries like the U.S., Australia, New Zealand and others I'm sure are monitoring those signals. But even then, they will first and foremost look to the seafaring community to actually render assistance, and that kind of call to action does often make its way through HAM radio nets, though I'm not sure exactly how, e.g., the U.S. Coast Guard makes that first outreach as the rescue coordinator.

subscribed 7mo ago

I do, also full (CEPT equivalent) licence. Poll would be better for that :p

ynac 7mo ago

Newbie here! Still shopping for elements of my system. : )

fullstick 7mo ago

I do, general license in US.

msylvest 7mo ago

I had a VHF+UHF bands, no morse, in Denmark half a century ago. Dropped it after a few years.

mindcrime 7mo ago

Count me in. KM4VLN. USA.

schlauerfox 7mo ago

Yes, but it's doxxing to post a callsign with a US license. Hello!

tagami 7mo ago

I just renewed my 10-year. Use it almost exclusively with APRS to track student HAB projects

scarecrowbob 7mo ago

Yo. Tech here, who is between studying for general ticket and taking the exam. 73

frrlpp 6mo ago

I do.

LeskoIam 6mo ago

From Slovenia S58..

lormayna 6mo ago

I do, IU5RQT from Italy

Pfhortune 6mo ago

Taking my technician test tomorrow! Wish me luck! Not only am I pursuing this because I want long-range emergency comms in case cell networks go down (like what happened with Verizon recently), but also because I see a very notable contraction on what communication is allowed to be done on the internet, especially in the last year. Censorial regimes around the world seem to be accelerating and I don't want to be cut off from communications because I am not of an "accepted" identity. And yes, I'm aware that states police the amateur airwaves too. But I see it more like how getting a driver's license doesn't mean I can't flee a country with my car... Learning to drive, or operate a radio, is still a valuable skill to learn and practice.

deleted 6mo ago

[deleted]

quux 6mo ago

I’ve had my technicians license for about 10 months and it’s been fun, especially when I’ve spent some time in a desert with a bunch of other hams around. Getting my general and maybe extra are goals for the year. Want to get on HF before the sun cycle starts winding down 73!

K7PJP 6mo ago

Active General license holder here, although mostly on 2m as of late. I hope to get my HF station set up this spring.

hakfoo 6mo ago

I got my General in late 2024, but haven't done much with it. Collected a few HTs, built one little 2m-specific antenna, but I'm a bit embarrassed to hit Transmit when I'm not sure I've got everything configured right to not intrude on other repeater users. I had two atypical goals with it: - If I could present a certificate that says "the Government admits that I know something about how RF operates" maybe my irritating brother would acknowledge me when I tried to explain that Wi-Fi multipath concerns no longer apply when we plugged his machine into a hard-wired Ethernet socket. - Being able to brandish "the FCC allows me to build a 200-metre antenna tower in the backyard" as a counterargument when the local HOA hassles me about the weeds that apparently have evolved beyond vulnerability to the stuff they sell at the local home centre. It feels very "bifurcated" as a hobby -- you either do 2m/70cm stuff with little $100 handhelds, or you start doing outright construction projects to deal with antenna sizes, and spending four figures to explore HF.

theodric 6mo ago

I refuse to get one on principle, even though I'm very into radio.

8192kjshad09- 6mo ago

I hold a general license in the US. I started 2m and 70cm with a cheap Baofeng but eventually CW caught my interest and now I design and sell a semi-open-source Morse Code trainer on https://katnisslabs.com/ https://katnisslabs.com/ for folks looking to learn Morse Code. It's been quite the journey!

GarnetFloride 6mo ago

US Extra license holder checking in. I'm also involved with a local ham group because we live in an earthquake zone.

indianmouse 6mo ago

From India and in the process of getting one pretty soon. Been reading and preparing for the exams!

anelson 6mo ago

US General class here. I got into it recently mainly to play with digital modes on HF for emergency comms and also because it’s an interesting and unexplored field for me.

dundercoder 6mo ago

KG7SYA - sometimes found on the intertie https://www.k0tfu.org/repeater-systems/intermountain-intertie https://www.k0tfu.org/repeater-systems/intermountain-interti...

holgerschurig 6mo ago

I am one of ~61300 licensee holders in my country of ~85 million inhabitants. We now have 3 classes, I hold the "highest" class, A, but I'd still suck on the air, mostly because I'm almost never on the air.

rustyhancock 6mo ago

I have one, I've not made much use of it its a couple of short exams here so I didn't see a reason not to.

jbgreer 6mo ago

I have an Amateur Extra license in the US. I am also a Volunteer Examiner with a couple of organizations. Locally I am a Net Controller for a VHF Net. I am working on my ARES Level 1 Qualification.

ravenstine 6mo ago

I have a GMRS license, which isn't "amateur radio" per se, but can be used in much the same way. The main differences are that you're limited to a narrow band of "channels", and repeaters are not allowed to form networks. The tradeoff is that the license is basically just a fee and requires no test or advanced knowledge.

apple4ever 6mo ago

I have mine! Good to see other operators. Check out 44Net - right up our alley!