Kim Chance made a Bucket List in 2014 and one of her 46 itemized goals was to get a ham radio license.  She recalls spending time with her uncle, at his house when she was a kid, and the little room he used as his “radio shack.”  

“I was amazed at all of the cool equipment but had no idea what it was all about. Years later my dad got his ham license and started telling me how he talked to people around the world and even astronauts on the International Space Station!  How cool is that?”

Kimberly M. Chance, Flower Mound, Texas

Amateur radio is also called “ham radio,” and once again growing in popularity. More than 700,000 now people hold an amateur radio license. One of the main reasons for the renewed interest is the decision by the FCC in 2007 to no longer require ham operators to learn Morse code. Previously five words a minute was the requirement for an entry level Novice license.

“After much cramming, I passed the ham radio technician exam on the first try!  I’m proud to say that my call sign is now KG5DPS.  Stuart also passed the technician exam and went on to pass the general exam as well.  His call sign is KG5DPT.  I love that our call signs are sequential!”

Kimberly M. Chance, KG5DPS

“We had a neat opportunity to use our new licenses at the Plano Balloon Festival.  They use ham radio operators on the field, in balloon chase crews, and to promote the event around the world to other ham operators.  We took on the last role and each of us helped to log contacts made about the balloon festival. The local ham radio club had a trailer set up at the event with two high frequency radio set ups and this is where we hung out for our 2 hour volunteer shift.

As loggers, we would listen in to the conversation that the controller was having with a contact somewhere else.  We would fill out a form to show the person’s name, location, call sign, and how well they could hear us from where they were.  We spoke to people across the country and even in Quebec and Montreal!” 

The Uncertain Future of Ham Radio

Ham Radio Technician Class Practice Test

Kimberly Chance is the author of Savor The Days, a blog about parenting, homeschooling, and fun things to do with kids.