1 What is ham radio?Ham radio (also called amateur radio ) lets regular people talk to each other by radio: across town, across the country, and all the way around the world. You don't need a cell phone, the internet or even electricity from the wall. A radio, an antenna and a battery are enough!
Hams have a license from the government and their own call sign , like a name tag for the radio. There are more than 750,000 hams in the United States, and millions around the world. Nobody knows for sure where the name "ham" came from, but hams wear it proudly!
2 Why is ham radio important?🆘 When everything else stops working Big storms, floods and earthquakes can knock out power, cell phone towers and the internet. Ham radio still works, because it doesn't need any of them. Volunteer hams help pass messages for shelters, hospitals and emergency teams when phones are down. Some hams are trained storm spotters who report what they see to the National Weather Service so warnings can go out faster.
🔬 Science you can touch Hams learn about electricity, antennas, weather, space and even math, by doing it instead of just reading about it.
🛠️ Builders and inventors Lots of hams build their own antennas and radio kits. Some of today's engineers and astronauts started as kid hams!
🌎 Friends everywhere You can talk with someone on a mountaintop, on a boat, or in another country, and learn where they live and what they like.
🤝 Helping your town Hams help with communication at parades, bike races and marathons, keeping everyone safe.
3 What can you DO with ham radio?
🏞️ Parks on the Air Take your radio to a park and talk to people from there. Other hams try to "hunt" your park. That's what the Kentucky Portable Club loves to do!
⛰️ Summits on the Air Hike to the top of a mountain and make contacts from the summit.
⛺ Field Day Every June, hams across North America set up radios outdoors, like a giant radio campout, and practice for emergencies.
🚀 Talk to astronauts Students at schools have talked to astronauts on the International Space Station by ham radio!
🛰️ Bounce off satellites Use a handheld radio and antenna to talk through a ham satellite as it flies over.
🦊 Fox hunts Someone hides a little radio transmitter and you use a radio and antenna to track it down, like a treasure hunt!
🎈 High-altitude balloons Hams launch balloons with tiny radios that send their location from high in the sky, sometimes all the way around the world.
🔤 Morse code Learn the beeping language of radio. It still works when signals are super weak. Try it in the
Kids Room !
🏆 Contests and awards See how many people you can talk to in a weekend, or collect contacts from all 50 states.
📮 QSL cards Hams mail each other postcards to say "we talked!" Kids love collecting them from faraway places.
4 Can kids get a license?✅ Yes! There's no age limit in the United States. Kids as young as 5 and 6 years old have passed the test! The first license is called Technician . The test has 35 multiple-choice questions, and you need 26 right to pass. All the questions come from a list that's public, so you can study every one ahead of time with free practice tests online.
Find a radio club. Clubs (like the Kentucky Portable Club!) love helping new hams. Many have a mentor, called an Elmer , who helps you learn.Listen first. Listen to hams online or at a club meeting to see how they talk.Study. Practice tests, apps and books help. A little each day works best.Take the test with volunteer examiners. There's a small fee, and a grown-up helps you sign up.Get your call sign and make your first contact!
🛡️ Stay safe on the air Always operate with a parent or trusted grown-up nearby. It's okay to share your first name, call sign, and your state. Never share your home address, school or phone number. Hams are friendly, but if anything ever feels weird, stop and tell a grown-up. 📖 Words to know
Ham A licensed amateur radio operator.
Call sign Your radio name, like a license plate for your voice.
Contact (QSO) A conversation with another ham.
CQ "Calling anyone!"
73 "Best wishes," said at the end.
Elmer A ham who helps new hams learn.
Rig A ham's radio.
Activator The ham operating from a park or summit.
⭐ Quick quiz
1. Why can ham radio help in an emergency?
It doesn't need cell towers or the internet It's louder than a siren It only works in storms
2. How old do you have to be to get a ham license in the U.S.?
16 18 There's no age limit
3. What is an "Elmer"?
A kind of antenna A ham who helps new hams learn A radio battery
4. What does "73" mean?
Best wishes, goodbye Turn up the volume I'm 73 years old
Right answers earn stars in the Kids Room ! Want to learn how the signals get there? Read Guide 1: How Radio Waves Travel .