Newly licenced?

If you are newly licensed there is so much to think about, so we have put together some information and ideas to help you.  It is not a complete list of every possibility but may help you get started and will be updated regularly.

Style of operating

VHF/UHF or HF.  Are you intending to mostly talk locally or do you wish to jump straight into talking worldwide.

Home or Mobile.  

Will you operate from your home QTH or mobile?  Is your QTH suitable due to antenna space, noise levels, RF safety distances or will you operate mobile away from noise.  Have you considered SOTA, POTA and BOTA?

Digital or analog

Do you want to work digital voice or analog.  Do you want to work other digital modes, such as FT8 or Slow Scan TV?  What extra equipment will you need such as a hotspot or sound card?  Have you considered learning morse code (CW)?

Antenna space

What antenna(s) do you have room for at you QTH.  Does your QTH have a lot of noise? Do you have tolerant neighbours?

Costs

Do you buy a full power rig with the intention of growing into it and progressing through licences or do you buy a lower power rig and trade up in the future?  Will you build your own equipment such as antennas, or will you buy commercially.  There are a lot os savings to be made.

Join a club

If you have not already done so, you may wish to join a club.  Members will have a wealth of knowledge and will be able to assist you in progressing through your new hobby.  Several schemes are available to give you ideas of what you may wish to do next such as the RSGB Beyond the Exams scheme.  Your local club may be running projects to build items of use to it's members, or be holding Field Days.

Digital Voice

Once you have your callsign, you may wish to try digital voice systems such as C4FM (YSF), DMR, D-Star, etc.  These are high quality voice modes which can be direct or via the internet.  Digital voice also gives you access to Reflectors, which are basically talk rooms set up for groups of people wanting to talk about like minded ideas or in defined locations.  

Logbooks

You may also wish to register with some online logbooks suck as QRZ.com, especially if you wish to receive confirmation of your QSOs, QSO cards, or enter for award schemes.   A basic log sheet is available on the Templates page of this website.

Award Schemes

Parks On The Air (POTA) is an amateur radio operating award program started in 2010 with its nonprofit organisation being founded in 2018 that encourages amateur radio operators to operate in a variety of parks and public lands as a portable station. Activations can take place during other events such as Field Day.

Summits On The Air (SOTA) is an amateur radio awards scheme. To participate in this scheme you do not become a "member", there are no dues to be paid or membership cards to be issued.  Certain Hills and mountains are assigned a score.  To obtain the score, you either Activate (transmit from the summit of the hill or mountain and need four confirmed QSOs logged); or you can Chase (respond to Activators from any location and log your QSO).

Bunkers On The Air (UKBOTA) the UKBOTA programme and awards scheme is to support radio amateurs and Short Wave Listeners (SWL), in the United Kingdom, to communicate with other radio amateurs activating Royal Observer Corps and other types of bunkers within the UK.  Whilst not a contest, awards (PDF certificates) will be issued to both activators and hunters submitting logs and demonstrating QSO with the requisite number of stations. Awards are also available for SWL submitting reception logs.  There is also the newer World Wide BOTA scheme.