1. There is no Amateur radio club in Crockett or the surrounding area.
•FALSE. The Houston County Amateur Radio Club meets at 7 PM on the second Tuesday of every month at the Emergency Management Operations Center (by the big tank in the park). We have a Facebook page and a website.
2. Is “Ham Radio” like the CB radios truckers use?
•FALSE. CB radios are limited to 4 watts of power and have a very limited range. Ham radio can be as powerful as 1500 watts and uses different frequencies.
3. Ham radio is just a hobby that has no practical uses
•FALSE. Local amateur radio operators assist in search and rescue events, disaster recovery, weather spotting, and as a backup to local
law enforcement and firefighting communications.
4. Getting a license is hard, and you must learn Morse code.
•FALSE. The Morse code requirement was dropped in 1991, and the test for an entry-level technician license can be passed with about 10 hours of online study.
5. The hobby is expensive.
•FALSE. The test is $15, and the equipment to get started is under $100 for a handheld radio
6. I am too young to get an FCC license.
•FALSE. There is no age requirement. If you can pass the test, you are a licensed Ham operator. The youngest Ham in the US passed the test at age 5 1/2 (and it was a girl if you think this hobby is just for guys)
7. You need a really high antenna, and my wife/husband would never let me put one up.
•FALSE. You don’t need any external antenna to use a handheld radio. Most base unit antennas are under 50 feet.
8. Ham radio is just “local.”
•FALSE. Depending on your radio and antenna, you can talk to other Hams 500 miles away or even further. Using new digital technology and “repeaters,” you can communicate with any operator worldwide.
9. You must be a high-tech “nerd” to understand the radios and how to use them.
•FALSE. Like all technology these days, it’s all pretty user-friendly.
10. I don’t know where to start.
•FALSE. Reach out to me, the club’s Facebook page, or any member of the HCARC, and we will be glad to hold your hand and help you get “on the air.”
KK5RFL standing by
Karl Kuenning, Crockett TX
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