A radio licence that lets you talk, build and experiment

Amateur radio, usually called ham radio, is a licensed hobby and public service. Once you pass an exam, you’re allowed to transmit on dozens of frequency bands, from your car to the next town, from your backyard to the other side of the world. No phone plan, no internet, no subscription.

It’s different from the radios most people know. A CB or a family walkie-talkie is a fixed, simple device on a handful of channels. A ham can choose the band, the mode, the antenna and the power to suit the job, and is allowed to build and modify their own equipment.

What people actually do with it

• Talk locally on VHF and UHF, often through repeaters on hilltops that stretch a handheld’s range across a whole city or region.
• Talk around the world on HF (shortwave), bouncing signals off the ionosphere. Conditions change by the hour, which is half the fun.
• Use digital modes like FT8, where your computer exchanges signals so weak you can’t hear them, with stations thousands of kilometres away.
• Join nets, scheduled on-air meetings with a net control station keeping order. Some are social, some track boats and travellers, some train for emergencies.
• Help when things break. When storms, fires or floods take out power and cell service, hams provide communications for emergency services and communities.
• Build and experiment with antennas, power systems, software and gear.

What it takes to get started

You need a licence, called an Amateur Radio Operator Certificate in Canada, and you get it by passing a multiple-choice exam. There’s no fee for your first certificate and callsign. Most people study for a few weeks using a course, a club or free online practice exams. See Getting Your Licence for the details.

Your first radio doesn’t have to be expensive. A basic dual-band handheld, a better antenna than the one in the box, and a local repeater will get you on the air and talking.

Where to go next

• Getting Your Licence: the exam, what’s on it and how to book it
• Repeaters Explained: the easiest way to start talking
• HF Overview: how long-distance radio works
• PropMap: see what the bands are doing right now

Last updated October 2026.