Re:When everything else fails, amateur radio will still be t...
by grandalf on Tuesday June 21, 2016 @11:16AM
(#11946259)
The licensing requirements in the US are largely guided by the American Radio Relay League, which is Amateur Radio's lobbying group.
The requirements are quite minimal. I was licensed as a pre-teen with no trouble, and many on HN describe passing after studying for a few hours.
The important thing about the license is that it is a knowledge-based test. Even though you can memorize the answers to the questions, you learn that there is theory behind it and it's not just magical technology.
There are also a lot of questions about band plans and operating procedure, which help keep things civil and organized (though we could use more FCC enforcement).
The requirements are quite minimal. I was licensed as a pre-teen with no trouble, and many on HN describe passing after studying for a few hours.
The important thing about the license is that it is a knowledge-based test. Even though you can memorize the answers to the questions, you learn that there is theory behind it and it's not just magical technology.
There are also a lot of questions about band plans and operating procedure, which help keep things civil and organized (though we could use more FCC enforcement).