so ive been interested in ham radio for a while now, my neighbor has antennas all over his yard and we got to talking and now im kind of obsessed with the idea of getting licensed. the problem is i have no idea where to start. like do i need to know morse code? do i have to go somewhere to take a test or can i do it online? i looked at the FCC website and it was kind of confusing honestly. someone at work told me the technician exam is easy but then another guy said you really have to study for it. i downloaded some app but im not sure if its the right one or if im even studying the right material. any advice would be really appreciated, i feel like im just going in circles trying to figure out the first step

ok so first thing - no morse code required anymore, hasnt been for a long time so you can relax on that front. the technician exam is 35 questions pulled from a pool of around 400 or so and you need a 74% to pass which is 26 correct. honestly if you spend a few weeks on it youll be fine.

for studying most people around here swear by hamstudy.org, its free and it drills you on the actual question pool which is whats on the real test. some folks also like the Gordon West books if you want something more structured but i just used the website and passed first try. the ARRL technician manual is solid too if you want to actually understand the theory behind things instead of just memorizing answers, but thats up to you.

for the actual test you find a VE session near you, thats volunteer examiners, basically licensed hams who are certified to administer the test. haminfo or the ARRL exam search can help you find one. some clubs do walk-in sessions, others want you to register ahead of time. fee is usually like 15 bucks. you bring a valid ID and thats pretty much it. good luck, the hobby is worth it

i just got my tech license like two months ago so i can tell you what worked for me. i used the Ham Radio Prep app and honestly did maybe 20-30 minutes a day for about three weeks and felt pretty ready. the questions about electrical theory were the ones that tripped me up at first but once you see them enough times you kind of just know the answer even if you dont totally get the why behind it lol. the exam itself was way less stressful than i thought it would be, the VEs were super friendly and werent trying to trick anyone or anything. also worth checking if there are any local ham clubs near you because a lot of them run licensing classes and thats actually how i found out about my test session in the first place