Get your amateur radio license

You don't need to be a member of DeKalb ARES — or even particularly interested in emergency communications — to get a ham radio license. Anyone can. It takes a few weeks of study, a 35-question multiple-choice exam, and a small fee. This page walks you through the path.

The three license classes

• Technician — entry level. Grants full operating privileges on VHF and UHF (the bands DeKalb ARES uses on W4BOC 146.760 (-) PL 107.2) plus a small slice of HF. 35 questions, multiple choice. This is the one to start with.
• General — adds substantial HF privileges, opening up long-distance and global operation. 35 more questions.
• Extra — adds the remaining HF privileges. 50 questions, hardest of the three.

You can take the exams in order, or back-to-back at the same session. Most people start with Technician and decide later whether to upgrade.

Study materials

DKARES study guide

A condensed Technician study guide built around the current FCC question pool (2022–2026 cycle) — the entire syllabus with the answers worked out. Free, self-paced.

→ Technician Pool & Syllabus 2022–2026 (PDF)

Apps and websites

Most people who pass the Technician exam used at least one of these. They drill the same FCC question pool the exam comes from, so by the time you're getting most questions right in practice, you're ready.

What the exam is like

• 35 questions, multiple choice, drawn from the public question pool.
• Pass with 26 correct (74%).
• One hour allowed, most people finish in 15–20 minutes.
• Administered by three volunteer examiners (VEs) — licensed hams at a local club.
• $15 fee (sometimes $14), paid to the VE team in cash or check.
• Bring photo ID. If you've passed any element before, bring your CSCE too.
• Results are processed within ~10 business days; your callsign is assigned by the FCC and appears in the ULS database.

Where to take the exam

• Alford Memorial Radio Club (TOTR) — DKARES's partner club. Regular VE sessions in metro Atlanta.
• ARRL Exam Session Search — nationwide search by ZIP code and date.
• HamStudy session finder — alternative search, sometimes shows sessions ARRL's list doesn't.

What to do once you pass

1. Your callsign appears in the FCC ULS database within ~10 business days. Look it up here.
2. Come to a monthly meeting. Third Saturday of each month at 1:00 PM, DeKalb Fire/Rescue Administration Building in Tucker. Visitors welcome, licensed or not.
3. Talk to experienced hams. Radio choice is one of the most consequential first decisions — people at the meeting will be generous with advice on what they bought first, what they wish they'd known, and what works for the kinds of operating you want to do.
4. Get a radio. For VHF/UHF starting out, a few common entry points:
   • Baofeng UV-5R (about $25) — the bare-minimum option. Gets you on the air; build quality and audio are basic.
   • Yaesu or Icom handheld ($100–$450) — a meaningful upgrade in build, audio, and reliability. What most members carry.
   • Vero VR-N76 (about $130) — a modern HT with built-in APRS (no extra TNC needed), GPS, Bluetooth, USB-C charging, and IP67 waterproofing. Configured via a phone app rather than menu hierarchies, which makes it an easier first radio for people who'd rather tap a screen than navigate buttons. Popular with DKARES members.

   Upgrade the antenna. Whatever radio you buy, the stock "rubber duck" is the weakest part of it. A flexible whip antenna costs $20–30 and is the single best dollar-for-dollar improvement you can make. The Signal Stick from Signal Stuff (same folks who run HamStudy.org) is the consensus recommendation — dual-band 2m/70cm, durable, available in SMA-male or SMA-female to match your radio.

   Add a tiger tail. A tiger tail is a ~19-inch wire that clips to the base of your antenna and acts as a quarter-wave counterpoise on 2 m — it gives your HT a proper "ground plane" that the radio body alone can't provide. Cheap ($5–10) and a meaningful boost on top of a whip upgrade. Signal Stuff sells them too, alongside their Signal Stick.

5. Check into the DeKalb ARES Sunday net at 8:00 PM on W4BOC 146.760 (-) PL 107.2. No membership needed — just give your callsign and say you're new.
6. If you're interested in emergency communications, join DeKalb ARES. No dues, no fees, no mandatory deployments.

Already licensed? Head to Join DeKalb ARES.