Welcome to Ham Radio!
New Ham Guide
Just got your license? Congratulations! Southern California is one of the best places in the world to be a ham. Here's everything you need to get on the air fast.
Welcome to the hobby! Ham radio has been around over 100 years and Southern California has one of the most active ham communities anywhere. You picked a great time and place to get licensed.
Step 1 — Get Your First Radio
You don't need to spend a lot to get started. Most new hams in SoCal start with a handheld transceiver (HT) that covers 2m and 70cm — the two most active bands locally.
| Radio | Price Range | Why It's Good for Beginners |
|---|---|---|
| Baofeng UV-5R / UV-82 | $25–$35 | Cheapest way to get on the air. Covers 2m and 70cm. Programming can be tricky — use CHIRP software (free). Popular, lots of online help available. Not the best audio quality but works fine for local nets and repeaters. |
| Yaesu FT-60R | ~$130 | Big step up in quality, durability, and audio. Easy to program manually. Very popular in SoCal EmComm — trusted by ARES/RACES operators. Great first "real" HT. |
| Yaesu FT-65R | ~$90 | Compact dual-band HT, waterproof, excellent audio. Great mid-range option if the FT-60R is out of budget. |
| Kenwood TH-D75A | ~$550 | Premium HT with built-in APRS, D-STAR, and a receiver covering almost everything. Not for most beginners — but worth knowing about when you're ready to upgrade. |
Step 2 — Program Your Radio for SoCal
The easiest way to program most HTs is with CHIRP — free open-source software that works on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Connect your radio via a programming cable and import channels directly.
📻 First 5 Channels to Program
- 146.520 MHz simplex — National emergency calling. No PL tone. This is channel 1 in every SoCal ham's radio.
- 146.385 + PL 146.2 — Keller Peak (KE6TZG) — The IE EmComm repeater. Wide coverage, very active, great for getting your first QSOs.
- 446.000 MHz simplex — National 70cm emergency simplex. No PL tone.
- 144.390 MHz — APRS — Set this as a receive-only channel so your radio can hear APRS traffic in your area.
- Your county ARES/RACES repeater — Find yours in the Regions section of this site and add it to your radio now, before you ever need it.
Step 3 — Make Your First Contact
🎙️ How to Check Into a Net (Your First QSO)
- Tune to the frequency and listen for 30 seconds. Make sure it's not in use before transmitting anything.
- When NCS asks for check-ins, press PTT and say just your callsign clearly: "Kilo Echo 6 Mike Golf Bravo"
- NCS will acknowledge you and ask for your name and location: "My name is [your name], I'm in [your city], 73!"
- That's it — you did it! Your first net check-in is the hardest part. It gets easier every time.
- Best nets for beginners: Conejo Valley ARC Newbie Net (Sun 7PM, 147.885 −), CARA Net at Nine (daily 9AM, 147.090), and GOTA Hams Net (nightly 7:30PM, 449.160 −).
Step 4 — Join a Club
A local club is the fastest way to learn, meet other hams, and get access to club repeaters and equipment. Most clubs are free or very low cost to join. Find one near you:
ARRL Club Finder
Search for ARRL-affiliated clubs by zip code. Find the club nearest to you anywhere in SoCal.
arrl.org →
Keller Peak RA (IE)
Inland Empire's flagship repeater association. Great nets, active membership, welcoming to new hams.
kpra.net →
CARA (Catalina ARA)
One of SoCal's oldest and most respected clubs. Open repeaters, active daily nets, solar-powered infrastructure.
cararadio.com →
Orange County ARES
Get involved in emergency communications. OC ARES welcomes new hams at any level.
ocares.org →
Step 5 — Upgrade Your License
Technician gets you on VHF/UHF. General class opens up HF (shortwave) — suddenly you can talk to hams across the US and worldwide. Most Technicians upgrade to General within a year. It's worth it!
HamStudy.org
The best free study tool for all license exams. Flashcards, practice tests, tracks your weak areas. Used by thousands of SoCal hams.
hamstudy.org →
Find an Exam Session
ARRL exam session finder — there are usually sessions in SoCal every weekend. Many are now available online too.
arrl.org →
QRZ.com
Set up your free QRZ profile — it's like your ham radio business card. Every ham looks up callsigns on QRZ.
qrz.com →
Step 6 — Consider Joining ARES
ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) is a volunteer organization of licensed hams who provide communications support during disasters and public events. In earthquake-prone SoCal, ARES operators are invaluable. You can join with any license class — Technician is perfectly fine to start. Contact your county Emergency Coordinator through arrl.org/ares.
Essential Resources for New Hams
HamStudy.org
Best free exam study tool — covers Technician, General, and Extra. Practice until you're scoring 90%+.
hamstudy.org →
RepeaterBook
Find active repeaters anywhere in SoCal. Free app for iOS and Android. Essential for programming your radio.
repeaterbook.com →
CHIRP Software
Free radio programming software for Baofeng and most other HTs. Much easier than manual programming.
chirp.danplanet.com →
ARRL
The American Radio Relay League — the national organization for ham radio. Tons of resources, guides, and the official band plan.
arrl.org →
APRS.fi
Real-time map of APRS stations. Find out who's active near you in SoCal and watch how APRS works before you transmit.
aprs.fi →
QRZ.com
Look up any callsign, set up your own page, and connect with the worldwide ham community.
qrz.com →