Public Service and Licensing

Catalina Radio Club, along with other Amateur Radio operators and clubs in the Tucson area, support a variety of non-profit organizations by providing communications support for organization events.

Licensing for Amateur Radio

Participation in most Amateurs Radio events requires a license to operate from the FCC. There are many avenues to obtain a license, but each involves studying the theory of radio and the rules for legal operation of a transmitter.  There are several levels of license available, each with its own knowledge requirements and with transmission privileges. The licenses currently available are Technician, General,  and Extra.  In the past, there was a requirement to be able to send and receive Morse code, but that is no longer the case (although many amateurs still consider this a core skill.)  The Technician license is the entry level license and allows limited operations below 30 MHz (the "HF" bands), but complete privileges at higher frequencies, as these are mostly local communications.  The General and Extra class licenses allow voice and digital mode communication in the HF bands, which can span the globe under the right conditions.

To demonstrate competency in the operation of a station, consistent with the rules, at test is required.  Traditionally, Volunteer Examiners or "VE's" administer these tests in various ways, often sponsored by radio clubs.  Due to COVID, the FCC opened up online testing. This has been a very popular means to accomplish the testing without waiting for a scheduled event.  Refer to www.arrl.org/online-exam-session