Getting into HAM in 2024?

[cyberham]

I guess they don't make 'Elmers' like they used to. Many decades ago, VE7OF Steve (SK) spent the better part of a school year each Tuesday evening training my friend and I as high school students on all subjects required to write the exam. Besides the test material, Steve also indoctrinated us into the Amateur radio world by operating demos for us and telling us many stories.

This included the Morse test sending and receiving at 10 wpm as well as drawing schematic diagrams of a transmitter, receiver, power supply, etc. Training was all free of course. He made us attend these classes before he'd allow us to make an appointment with the radio inspector to write the test. We both passed our Amateur class licences on the first go, continuing to get our 10-metre band Phone certifications (6 months later by showing proof of operation via our logbooks) and Advanced licences (minimum one year later).

The old days.

 

[jayn_j]

For us, it was Mr Witte at our high school. He convinced the district to approve equipment and space for a station in the school. He also convinced them that study hall could be spent at the station and taught us thoery during that period. He came up with tapes for learning Morse as well. As a result, we all earned our novice license at 12 (6 year high school), and general about 6 months later.

 

[reubenray]

What would be a ballpark cost of getting into HAM radios? This would be for the equipment, antennas, etc.

 

[WhiteBeard]

What would be a ballpark cost of getting into HAM radios? This would be for the equipment, antennas, etc.

HF can be expensive if you want to put up a 50+ foot tower with a tri-band antenna and rotor - that would cost several thousands of dollars. But you can get HF radios that are under $1k and use a multiband dipole antenna that's under $100. It'll be additional cost for mobile radios and handheld radios that operate in the VHF/UHF bands. You can probably get into ham radio for under $200 but if you're serious you'll need to spend some bucks. The cost will depend on what you want to do.