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Using APRS Requires an Amateur Radio License

Folks,

APRS is an outstanding service, and it is part of a much greater digital service developed by amateur radio operators -- "hams". With all this talk about APRS in our airplanes, it may need to be restated that you need a license to use APRS.

The license involves studying electronics and radio theory and operation, and passing an FCC test. The test isn't difficult, but it isn't a gimme either. It will take you about a month of study, and then another month to get your testing scheduled and taken. Then, assuming you pass the test, you will be issued an amateur radio callsign. Only after obtaining your callsign are you able to operate an APRS station (or other type of amateur station).

I'm sure not trying to scare anyone away from APRS or ham radio....but I wanted to make sure everyone knows that using APRS is not like getting a CB radio..... the license is NOT just a "permit." Its a real license, just like that pilot certificate you exercise and worked hard to obtain.

Thanks for listening.... now, everybody, go out there and get those ham licenses and get on APRS.

Rich Wilson, WR4RW (ham callsign)
N707RW (RV-8)
 
Good to Re-state

Rich,

Good to bring this up again - a technician license is required to operate the within the APRS system.

My experience was a bit different with studying. The only studying I did was to take a few - Ok, about 10, practice exams on the web over 2 nights. I was then able to walk in for the exam the next Saturday. I know I did not get 100%, but I did pass. Hopefully Sam will chime in with his experience.

The exam is offered at my city hall every 2 weeks. Many Ham radio clubs also offer the exam on regular basis.

Practice exams can be found here:

http://www.qrz.com/testing.html

Good Luck!!
 
The license involves studying electronics and radio theory and operation, and passing an FCC test. The test isn't difficult, but it isn't a gimme either. It will take you about a month of study, and then another month to get your testing scheduled and taken.

I'm totally with you on all that you wrote, but these times vary widely - especially if the applicant has some basic electrical knowledge. To get the test scheduled, many local Ham groups have frequent weekend tests (or even 'ham crams').

I spent a couple of evenings reading web articles and taking practice tests and went to one of the biweekly test days we have in my town. 30% ohms law, 30% relation between freq and wavelength, 40% other (mostly regs).

I originally got my ham license because local pg types use ham radios as the preferred form of communication - aprs turned out to be a nice bonus.

KI6GII
 
Folks,

APRS is an outstanding service, and it is part of a much greater digital service developed by amateur radio operators -- "hams". With all this talk about APRS in our airplanes, it may need to be restated that you need a license to use APRS.

The license involves studying electronics and radio theory and operation, and passing an FCC test. The test isn't difficult, but it isn't a gimme either. It will take you about a month of study, and then another month to get your testing scheduled and taken...
Rich, as a fairly long time ham and APRS operator I have been following the thread fairly closely. I think it has been made clear that an amateur radio license is necessary. I do disagree that this should take 2 months. I think just a few hours of study would suffice for most people on this forum to prepare for the necessary license, as it is now. A local storm chasing group has emphasized licensing and many people have done it in one day, with the help of a class and prescheduled testing.

Radio operator N5LP (somewhat mourning the demise of morse code requirements).
 
Folks,

APRS is an outstanding service, and it is part of a much greater digital service developed by amateur radio operators -- "hams". With all this talk about APRS in our airplanes, it may need to be restated that you need a license to use APRS.

The license involves studying electronics and radio theory and operation, and passing an FCC test. The test isn't difficult, but it isn't a gimme either. It will take you about a month of study, and then another month to get your testing scheduled and taken. Then, assuming you pass the test, you will be issued an amateur radio callsign. Only after obtaining your callsign are you able to operate an APRS station (or other type of amateur station).

I'm sure not trying to scare anyone away from APRS or ham radio....but I wanted to make sure everyone knows that using APRS is not like getting a CB radio..... the license is NOT just a "permit." Its a real license, just like that pilot certificate you exercise and worked hard to obtain.

Thanks for listening.... now, everybody, go out there and get those ham licenses and get on APRS.

Rich Wilson, WR4RW (ham callsign)
N707RW (RV-8)

Rich,

Have you looked at the Technician test lately? It's been diluted quite a bit from what I remember years ago. The code requirement has even been dropped. With every verbatim test question being made availabe for 17 bucks, anyone with a passing interest in APRS or electronics will easily pass the test with a couple evenings of study.
 
For the simple (simple) amateur license if you can spell you name correctly you have the ability to pass the written exam. They have gone and made them so simple to keep the ham numbers up. Not like it was 40 years ago.

VE7SAY advanced.
 
For the simple (simple) amateur license if you can spell you name correctly you have the ability to pass the written exam. They have gone and made them so simple to keep the ham numbers up. Not like it was 40 years ago.

VE7SAY advanced.

Sorry to tell you Norm, but they have even stopped issuing the "advanced" license! What's the country coming to?
 
Radio license

ok now that I am getting a lic what kind of handheld
ham radio do I need to get so I can do some ham radio
stuff too.

It been a long time since I talked
On am or side band this could
be another fun hobbie

Danny
 
Old "technician license" ?

Years ago, a friend and I used 2-meter rigs to talk between our old airplanes. We did not have shielded ignitions, so an FM radio did very well communicating between aircraft, plus we could trigger repeater stations and call on the telephone network. However, that was 30 years ago and my radio license has expired. Do I retest to get it validated or just pay a fee?

Also, I assume that we need to trigger repeater stations to make this system work. We live on the western slope of the Rocky Mtns and are concerned about coverage. Any scoop on coverage?
 
Folks,

APRS is an outstanding service, and it is part of a much greater digital service developed by amateur radio operators -- "hams". With all this talk about APRS in our airplanes, it may need to be restated that you need a license to use APRS.

The license involves studying electronics and radio theory and operation, and passing an FCC test. The test isn't difficult, but it isn't a gimme either. It will take you about a month of study, and then another month to get your testing scheduled and taken. Then, assuming you pass the test, you will be issued an amateur radio callsign. Only after obtaining your callsign are you able to operate an APRS station (or other type of amateur station).

I'm sure not trying to scare anyone away from APRS or ham radio....but I wanted to make sure everyone knows that using APRS is not like getting a CB radio..... the license is NOT just a "permit." Its a real license, just like that pilot certificate you exercise and worked hard to obtain.

Thanks for listening.... now, everybody, go out there and get those ham licenses and get on APRS.

Rich Wilson, WR4RW (ham callsign)
N707RW (RV-8)

This is a very timely thread. I came to the computer this morning with the intention of creating a "sticky" about how to get a Technician license. The need for a license in order to operate an APRS rig in our planes has been very clearly stated in every thread so far about APRS. I will still write the sticky for the benefit of future readers of this forum.

If it takes somebody two months to study for the Tech exam they don't need to be out walking around by themselves! Wait...that wasn't very politically correct. But the point is preparation for the test is a breeze for anyone who has taken a written PPL exam. There is very little theory involved, and even that is extremely basic, much of it already familiar to anyone who has wired the panel in their plane. One of the questions was "Why do you wear a hard hat and safety goggles when working around an antenna tower?" Guess what the answer is........"In order to protect yourself in case something falls". ;)

I bought a study guide, read though it one evening, took a few practice exams on-line (scored 90 or above on all of them) and took the exam a week later. Two days after the exam my callsign (KJ4CKK) appeared on the FCC database and I was in business. From buying the study guide to having a call sign took less than ten days. By the way, there were about a dozen individuals taking an exam the morning I did, and all passed (one guy aced the Technician test in about three minutes...). Alan Jackson, fellow TVRVBG RVer, needed almost five minutes to complete the test, I took a few minutes longer to review my answers. :eek: The VEC fellows administering the test (fellow hams who are just as enthusiastic about their hobby as we are about ours....good guys) gave all us Tech folks the chance to also take the General exam following the Tech test. I wish I had boned up a little on the General material, it would have been neat to have walked out with a General certificate. I had taken one General practice test online, but since I only scored 60 (no study guide) I didn't think there was any point in taking the General exam. But a little more study and I think the General would have been mine.

This is probably hard for old-timer hams to accept, sort of like RVers who built the non-prepunched kits and had to go out and mine the bauxite ore. :) But that is the state of amateur radio exams today.

Rich, thanks for the reminder, but fortunately we can now add the great capabilities of APRS to our planes without having to jump through all the hoops you may have encountered.
 
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Years ago, a friend and I used 2-meter rigs to talk between our old airplanes. We did not have shielded ignitions, so an FM radio did very well communicating between aircraft, plus we could trigger repeater stations and call on the telephone network. However, that was 30 years ago and my radio license has expired. Do I retest to get it validated or just pay a fee?

Also, I assume that we need to trigger repeater stations to make this system work. We live on the western slope of the Rocky Mtns and are concerned about coverage. Any scoop on coverage?

You will need to retest (the exam will be much easier this time!) if your two-year grace period has expired.

Here is a link showing digipeater population:

http://wa8lmf.net/APRSmaps/NorthAmericaLarge.htm

There are definite holes in coverage but overall it looks pretty good. Of course an airborne tracker will be hitting digipeaters at greater ranges than a ground-bound tracker. Not sure what you can expect in the Rockies, guess higher is better.
 
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Hi All,

The face of Ham radio sure has changed Just like flying licensing. When I took my exam back in 1956 it was in fromt of two FCC suites in a small cramped office in downtown NYC. The test was 50 questions that you had to write in the answer, no multiple guess. Then the code you had to copy 5 minutes of random characters with no errors. Today it is a piece of cake or pie as you wish.

John H. KQ4FT
 
First, anyone thinking about testing into amateur radio - welcome! It's (another) interesting hobby that ties in well with flying. It's amazing how far you can send and receive signals from 9,000 feet up!

As far as where to test, the ARRL (like AOPA for amateur radio folks) has a listing of testing locations and times here:

http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/examsearch.phtml

As people have said, the tests aren't that hard. The intro test (called the Technician exam) covers BASIC laws and theory about radio transmissions. Like the private pilot examination, the question pool used for the exam is posted (can be found online at: http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/pools.html).

If you become interested in the hobby, there are (now) two additional testing levels - the General and the Extra exam. They allow you to transmit on additional frequencies, and as you progress, allow you to administer licensing tests to other people.

Some amateur radio clubs offer licensing classes to go over the material from the tests, and help people to pass the exam.

Mike
NM8F
 
Oops! -- I guess I haven't tested lately!

Wow, I haven't tested recently and I didn't realize how easy some of the licensing has become! I'm another of those who took their first General exam at the FCC (sometime in another time dimension...) and things sure have changed.

My only goal on my first post in the thread was just to emphasize to everybody about the license.... I envisioned some folks installing an APRS unit and getting a knock on the door from the Friendly Candy Company (sorry guys, that's what we used to call them way back when) asking "where is your license?"

I guess I can rest easy now... everybody seems to be getting the idea that the license, easy as it appears to be, is required to stay out of trouble.

And, hey, it may open up some other modes of ham radio that are of interest as well. As someone else said in the thread, it is another great hobby (which, by the way, doesn't suffer from rising fuel costs!!).

OK, enough said. Thanks everybody for responding and reminding everyone how to do it right.

73 and fly safe,

Rich
 
Also, remember that after you pass the test, you aren't legal to transmit until you've been assigned a callsign by the FCC. You can search for your name on the FCC's site here:

http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/searchLicense.jsp

but until you show up in the database, you can't transmit... even if you've passed.

Once you have a callsign, you're legal to transmit with your new class with the CSCE and your old callsign, whether it's shown in the database or not.
 
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