I want to get licensed
Learn about the hobby, explore study resources, and find out how to take your first amateur radio license exam.
Explore Getting LicensedGet Started in Amateur Radio
Your radio story starts here.
Ed Tinney wanted more people to discover amateur radio. Helping you take your first steps is one way we carry his goal forward.
You don’t need to arrive with equipment, technical knowledge, or all the answers. Whether you’re exploring the hobby, preparing for your first license, or newly licensed and wondering what comes next, you’re welcome here.
Amateur radio offers many ways to get involved—from talking with other operators to experimenting with antennas, finding hidden transmitters, and exploring radio-connected technology.
Bring your curiosity. There’s plenty to discover.
Find Your Starting Point
I have a license—what’s next?
Build your confidence, learn about your radio, and discover activities that help turn your license into experience.
Take Your Next StepsPath one
Interested in Getting Licensed?
You don’t have to learn everything at once. Start by exploring what interests you, then work toward your first license one step at a time.
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Discover What Interests You
Are you curious about talking with other operators, building antennas, operating outdoors, or experimenting with radio technology? Those interests can help you find your starting point in the hobby.
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Prepare for Your First License
A study guide, course, or practice exam can help you build your knowledge and prepare for the licensing exam. Choose resources that match the current exam questions and explain the ideas behind the answers.
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Find an Exam Session
When you’re ready, check the requirements for an exam session and follow the examiner’s registration instructions. Confirm the location or online arrangements, what you need to bring, and any applicable fees before registering.
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Ask Questions Along the Way
New terminology and unfamiliar equipment can feel like a lot at first. Questions are part of learning. Use our contact section to tell us what interests you and where you’d like help getting started.
Path two
Newly Licensed? Take Your Next Steps
Earning your license is a beginning. Your next steps can be simple: get familiar with your equipment, listen to other operators, and build confidence through experience.
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Get to Know Your Radio
Learn the basic controls and how to configure your radio for the kind of operating you want to try. Before buying equipment, think about your interests and ask questions about what will meet your needs.
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Learn How Conversations Work
Listening can help you become familiar with callsigns, common terms, and the rhythm of an on-air conversation. Learning operating etiquette can make your first contacts feel more comfortable.
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Make Your First Contacts
Start with a manageable goal and build from there. A conversation, a portable setup, or a shared activity can help you put your new knowledge into practice.
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Find Something You Enjoy
There’s no single path through amateur radio. Try different activities, meet other operators, and follow the parts of the hobby that keep you curious.
Hands-on
Explore Radio Through Hands-On Activities
Our club participates in hands-on radio activities with the West Georgia Amateur Radio Society (WGARS), whose club callsign is W4FWD. These activities include deploying APRS internet gateways (iGates), foxhunts, balloon launches, Field Day, and Winter Field Day.
These activities offer different ways to discover what amateur radio can do:
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APRS projects
Explore how radio can share position reports and other data, and how internet gateways connect received APRS traffic to the wider network.
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Foxhunts
Use radio direction finding to locate a hidden transmitter.
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Balloon launches
Explore the connections between radio, tracking, and experimentation.
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Field Day and Winter Field Day
Discover portable station setups and operating in the field.
Interested in learning more about one of these activities? Contact us to ask about opportunities to get involved.
Local community
Connect With the Local Radio Community
Getting involved with other operators gives you people to learn from and opportunities to see amateur radio in action.
WGARS, whose club callsign is W4FWD, is part of our local amateur radio community. Its activities include radio direction finding, balloon tracking, portable operating, and other opportunities to explore the hobby.
Visit the WGARS website for licensing information, activity reports, and its event calendar. Check the latest details directly with WGARS when planning to attend an activity or exam session.
Say hello
Connect With Our Club
Whether you’re considering your first license or already have a callsign, we’d like to hear what interests you.
Tell us a little about where you are in your radio journey and what you’d like to learn. You don’t need to know all the terminology to start a conversation.
In memory
Carrying Ed’s Welcome Forward
WN4AFT was John E. “Ed” Tinney’s first amateur radio callsign, issued in 1951 when he was 12 years old. He later held K4DVJ.
Ed lived from 1939 to 2017. Our club honors his memory, our family’s amateur radio history, and his goal of bringing more people into the hobby.