HAM’S LIFE

One of the fun parts of operating this blog is being able to answer emails from readers who have questions.  Two areas of questions that frequently come up are, “Should I get a ham radio or a CB radio?” and, “Can my teenager get a ham license?”  Frequently these questions come together.

The first question is impossible for me to answer but I try to give some guideline that will hopefully help.  Reading my post on the difference between ham radio and CB radio (http://hamslife.com/?p=24) might help in making the decision.  One big consideration is are you willing to study and take a test to get on the air?  If not then ham radio is out but that does not necessarily mean CB is in for you. 

The second question is easy to answer.  There is no age limit in the United States on who may hold an amateur radio license.  Some countries do have limits and if you are not in the United States of America and do have age restrictions please leave a comment so if others in your country reads this they can know about the restriction.  Children 8 years old and younger have passed the test and received their ham radio license. 

Now let me bring the two questions together and ask, should a child or teen be on the amateur or the CB radio frequencies?

Some young children who obtain their ham radio license do not yet have the social skills or interest that is needed to effectively use their acquisition.  If they are pushed by a ham parent to get the license it could have a negative result as they get older.  My wife and I raised six children; three of them got their ham license before leaving home and one got her license after she was married.  None of my children currently have valid amateur radio licenses.  Maybe I was guilty of pushing.

While my children were allowed to listen to and, when licensed, operate on the ham bands they were not allowed to listen to nor operate on the CB band. 

Citizen Band radio was authorized to provide an inexpensive short range business radio communications service for the general public.  A license, though no test was involved, was required.  From the beginning there were people who abused the system and in the early 1970 the whole CB operation got so out of hand that the FCC could not enforce the regulations so for the most part if the operators were not bothering anyone outside the CB frequencies the FCC just ignored it.  Obscene language became the norm.  Drug dealers and prostitutes found they could use CB to their advantage in selling their illegal traffic. 

Ham radio operators have a history of trying to keep illegal operations off the ham bands.  So while I can not say it does not happen I can say it is rare. 

It is my personal opinion that children and teens should not be subjected to the Citizen Band service.  When it comes to children and teens acquiring their ham license and using the ham bands it needs to be remembered that each one is an individual and thus different.  I know hams who have been hams for many years who got their license as teens and some even younger.