It’s a sad truth: Many people in the ham radio community never explore the opportunities afforded to them by their Technician license. You pored over the ham radio study guide, learned the basic math, asked your Elmer a million questions, and passed the test with flying colors.
But that’s as far as things progressed. It’s a common story: Life gets in the way.
While there are many reasons why new hams don’t make use of their first license, one of them isn’t a lack of opportunity to have a blast on the air. A Tech license opens up a vista of privileges, some of which are the coolest and most valuable among the long list of ham radio activities.
In today’s OnAllBands video, Michael Murphy, KI8R, DX Engineering customer/technical support specialist, shows some of the ways you can take advantage of punching your amateur radio ticket, along with encouraging words and practical advice on making your operating goals a reality.
But the question, “I just got my license. What’s next?” doesn’t just apply to new operators, as KI8R explains. Moving up the ham radio licensing ladder to General and Amateur Extra brings new opportunities but also may elicit more questions about how you may want to move into other areas of interest.
Enjoy the video below. And if you’re new to the hobby, welcome aboard! We can’t wait to hear you on the air!
We also recommend this excellent article by blogger Sean, KX9X, “Beyond Your Local Repeater: 15 Things to Do with a Technician License.”
Need help getting your first station together? DX Engineering offers handheld, mobile, base station, Go Box, and POTA ham radio getting started packages that take the worry out of choosing the right transceivers, antennas, and station components for your goals and budget.
