Signal School

Ham radio is a licensed, non-commercial hobby that allows individuals to communicate across town or around the world using radio frequencies for personal, technical, and emergency purposes.

People get into ham radio for its blend of technical exploration, public service, global communication, and hands-on learning.

Ham operators use various types of radios, antennas, and accessories across HF, VHF, and UHF bands depending on their interests and license level.

A beginner-friendly glossary that defines common amateur radio jargon, abbreviations, and technical terms you'll hear on the air and in the hobby.

Before getting licensed, you can legally listen in using online SDRs, scanner apps, or shortwave radios to learn the rhythm and etiquette of amateur radio.

Newcomers often ask about licensing, equipment costs, and how to start, and this section offers simple, friendly answers to ease those early worries.

An overview of the three U.S. license classes—Technician, General, and Extra—and what operating privileges each unlocks.

Outlines what each license covers and suggests the best learning approaches based on your goals and current knowledge.

Provides access to cheat sheets, flashcards, and official question pools to help you study smarter, not harder.

Interactive tools that let you test your knowledge with real exam questions, organized by topic and license level.

Guides you through how to locate a testing session (online or in person), register, and prepare for test day logistics.

Offers strategies to study effectively, manage nerves, and confidently approach your exam.

Explains radio waves as electromagnetic energy that travels through space, carrying information like voice and data.

Breaks down how frequency and wavelength are related and why different bands behave so differently.

Covers how radio waves move, bounce, bend, and change based on terrain, atmosphere, and materials.

A beginner's guide to the radio spectrum, from long-distance HF bands to local VHF/UHF communication.

Shows how antenna length, signal behavior, and communication range all relate to wavelength and resonance.

Introduces real-world analogies and interactive visualizations to help you understand complex ideas like modulation and wave shape.

Explains AM, FM, and SSB as ways of encoding information onto a carrier wave, each with its pros and trade-offs.

Introduces popular digital modes like FT8 and PSK31, and explains how computers turn data into radio signals.

Covers how different signal types use space on the airwaves and how this impacts interference and efficiency.

Visualizes how amplitude, frequency, and phase changes affect signal shape and clarity.

Shows when and why you'd use each mode, based on legality, signal conditions, and communication goals.

Introduces electricity at the atomic level, including how moving electrons create current.

Defines these three core concepts and how they interact in every circuit.

Explains the foundational formula V = I x V and how it applies to power usage and safety.

Describes how materials let electricity flow—or block or control it—depending on their atomic structure.

Explains the two basic ways components connect, and how each affects voltage and current.

Explores how capacitors store electric fields and inductors store magnetic fields to shape and delay signals.

Ties together resistance with frequency-based opposition to current, and how resonance helps circuits and antennas work efficiently.

Compares alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC), and explains where each is used in radio systems.

Covers how raw AC is stepped down, rectified, filtered, and regulated into clean DC for radio use.

Introduces the core active components that shape, switch, and strengthen signals in your radio gear.

Shows how signals are amplified, filtered, reflected, or distorted as they move through real electronic circuits.

Explains how to properly ground your station for lightning protection, RF safety, and clean signal operation.