Growing up, my grandfather always had a radio on him. I vividly remember him driving his Ford F-150 down the road, the tall antennas on his truck inevitably scraping the ceiling of his parking garage every time he pulled in.
I got to witness firsthand the pure joy that ham radio brought him. He was always talking to buddies, joking around, asking about the weather, and catching up with old friends. As a young kid, a lot of what he did went right over my head: switching channels and frequencies, or talking in code with strange abbreviations. He also had a crazy setup at his house: a large desktop transceiver with an external speaker, a microphone, and even a Morse code paddle. I always thought it was incredibly cool how he could casually talk to folks from around the world from his desk. Through his hobby, he taught me about earth science, the layers of the atmosphere, basics of electronics and the space station.
The Cybersecurity Crossover
Decades later, as I built my career in cybersecurity, I started to witness a fascinating crossover between ham radio and InfoSec. Visiting the Ham Radio Village at DEF CON and reading articles about radio hacking reminded me of my grandfather’s hobby. I decided that I would, at the very least, get my Technician license, the entry-level tier of the three FCC amateur radio licenses.
As many in the community know, hams are some of the original hackers. They are a breed of folks who tinker, poke, build, and figure out how to make things work in unintended ways, much like a security researcher feeding unexpected inputs into a system just to see what hidden behaviors they can uncover. Understanding radio isn’t just a fun hobby; it’s highly beneficial for someone like a penetration tester. It builds a foundational understanding of how wireless protocols like WiFi, Bluetooth, Software Defined Radio (SDR), and satellite communications actually work.
The Cybersecurity Edge: Hardware Hacking and Electronics
Beyond just understanding the airwaves, the Technician exam complements my background in hardware hacking. I’ve been building gadgets and tinkering with hardware for years, spending countless hours at the soldering iron, building custom hacking devices, and dumping firmware directly off physical boards to hunt for vulnerabilities.
Because of this hands-on experience, the curriculum served as an excellent refresher on fundamental electronics. To pass the exam, you have to understand how basic electronic components work and how they are represented on circuit schematics. You need to identify the symbols and functions of components like diodes, resistors, transistors, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), potentiometers, and more.
While I already knew quite a bit about electronics and radio, there were still a few RF-specific concepts that were totally new to me. Learning how radio waves actually operate, the physics behind radio wave propagation, and the basics of building antennas opened up a whole new world for me. Diving into these RF-specific concepts was simply fascinating. It helped me learn a lot more about how radio truly works, which naturally has some great crossover into the cybersecurity space.
Procrastination and Preparation
Despite my good intentions, I procrastinated for years. During my third time attending DEF CON in Las Vegas, the largest hacking conference in the world, I took a highly recommended, “Ham in a Day” course. Presented by an incredibly engaging instructor, it covered the entire curriculum for the Technician exam.
Yet, two more DEF CONs came and went, and I still hadn’t gotten around to taking the free exams administered at the conference. (The Technician exam is required before you can legally transmit or talk on amateur radio frequencies. It covers a wide range of operational procedures, safety, and band plans, granting you full privileges on Very High Frequency (VHF) and Ultra High Frequency (UHF) bands, which lets you do cool stuff like bounce signals off local repeaters or even communicate with the International Space Station).
I had originally planned on finally taking the test at my latest DEF CON. I studied the material for a couple of weeks beforehand, but I just couldn’t finish getting through the content. The conference was simply too distracting, packed with too many intriguing talks and activities.
Finding the Right Study Flow
When I got back to NYC, I knew I needed to keep my momentum going and schedule an exam immediately, otherwise, I’d just delay it until next year. After some quick searching, I found a virtual exam slot just two days away, hosted by Columbia University Radio Club in NYC.
Realizing I didn’t have much time, I quickly turned back to going through each module in the Ham Radio Prep app
Let me pause for a second and highlight this resource because it is an absolutely fantastic asset for passing the exam.
Every module has a video, a written overview, and a quiz, and you can tell the creators spent a considerable amount of time building them. They supplement the material with graphics, charts, illustrations, and photos, and highlight the most important concepts in blue. Because the FCC makes the 400-question test pool public, all you really need to do is learn those concepts and understand why the answer is the answer.
The course was incredibly comprehensive and did a great job breaking down a daunting test pool into digestible, logical sections. It covers everything from the physics of radio waves and basic electrical concepts, to emergency operations and tower safety. Here is the complete breakdown of what you’ll learn while studying for the Technician exam:
| Module | Topic Covered |
|---|---|
| 1 | Getting Licensed and Receiving a Call Sign |
| 2 | Talking on Ham Radio |
| 3 | Restrictions and Band Basics |
| 4 | Operating, Repeaters, and Emergencies |
| 5 | Calling Another Station |
| 6 | Squelch, Net Operations, and RACES |
| 7 | Basic Concepts of Radio Waves |
| 8 | Introduction to the Atmosphere |
| 9 | Station Setup, SWR, and Using Computers |
| 10 | Basic Electrical Concepts |
| 11 | Ohm's Law and Calculating Power |
| 12 | Units of Measurement |
| 13 | Intro to Electrical Components |
| 14 | Amplifiers and Devices |
| 15 | SWR and Common Problems |
| 16 | Modes of Operation |
| 17 | Digital Modes |
| 18 | Satellite, Space, and Contesting |
| 19 | Antennas |
| 20 | Cables and Tuning |
| 21 | Electrical and Radiation Safety |
| 22 | Antenna and Tower Safety |
I’m very much a visual learner, so this type of course was critical for me to retain concepts and learn quickly. My strategy was simple: watch the video, skim the written material, and take the quiz. If I didn’t score 100%, I’d repeat the questions until I did. This really solidified the information.
Exam Day
After finishing the material and passing a practice test, I registered for my virtual exam with the Columbia University Amateur Radio Club.
The process was straightforward. First, I created an account with the FCC to get an FRN (FCC Registration Number), which is required to register for the test, and paid a $15 fee.
For the remote testing environment, I was instructed to set up two cameras. I used my laptop to take the test (with the webcam facing me) and set up laptop with camera to my side at a 90-degree angle. Both devices were connected to a Zoom session. A group of five proctors joined the call to oversee the exam. They gave a brief introduction, played a video explaining the rules, and then let me begin.
I had a little bit of anxiety at first, but quickly settled into the task at hand. Most of the questions felt very familiar. I only skipped one question, circling back at the end to take my time and think it through. The 35-question exam went fast. It only took me about 35 minutes. After I hit submit, the proctors clicked a button on their end, and I was greeted by a green square indicating that I had passed!
Band Plan
As a newly minted Technician class licensee, one of the first things you need to understand is the amateur radio band plan. A band plan is essentially a map that dictates which frequencies are allocated for amateur use and where specific types of communication (like voice, data, Morse code, and satellite links) should take place to avoid interference.
The Technician license grants you full privileges on all amateur frequencies above 30 MHz. This includes the popular 2-meter (VHF) and 70-centimeter (UHF) bands, which are heavily used for local communications, repeaters, and even talking to the International Space Station. In addition to these higher frequencies, Technicians also get limited access to the High Frequency (HF) bands—specifically for CW (Morse code) on 80, 40, and 15 meters, plus a dedicated slice of the 10-meter band for voice and data.
Here is a quick reference table of the frequencies available to you as a Technician, including where you'll find satellite operations:
| Band | Frequency Range | Permitted Modes | Satellite Sub-bands |
|---|---|---|---|
| High Frequency (HF) — Max 200 Watts PEP | |||
| 80 Meters | 3.525 – 3.600 MHz | CW only | |
| 40 Meters | 7.025 – 7.125 MHz | CW only | |
| 15 Meters | 21.025 – 21.200 MHz | CW only | |
| 10 Meters | 28.000 – 28.300 MHz 28.300 – 28.500 MHz |
CW, RTTY, Data CW, SSB Phone |
|
| Very High Frequency (VHF) — Max 1500 Watts PEP | |||
| 6 Meters | 50.0 – 50.1 MHz 50.1 – 54.0 MHz |
CW only All modes |
|
| 2 Meters | 144.0 – 144.1 MHz 144.1 – 148.0 MHz |
CW only All modes |
144.0 – 146.0 MHz |
| 1.25 Meters | 222.0 – 225.0 MHz | All modes | |
| Ultra High Frequency (UHF) — Max 1500 Watts PEP | |||
| 70 Centimeters | 420.0 – 450.0 MHz | All modes | 435.0 – 438.0 MHz |
| 33 Centimeters | 902.0 – 928.0 MHz | All modes | |
| 23 Centimeters | 1240.0 – 1300.0 MHz | All modes | |
| Microwave Bands — All Modes, Max 1500 Watts PEP | |||
| 13 Centimeters | 2300 – 2310 MHz 2390 – 2450 MHz |
All modes | 2400 – 2450 MHz |
| 9 Centimeters | 3300 – 3500 MHz | All modes | |
| 5 Centimeters | 5650 – 5925 MHz | All modes | 5830 – 5850 MHz |
| 3 Centimeters | 10.0 – 10.5 GHz | All modes | 10.45 – 10.50 GHz |
| 1.2 Centimeters | 24.0 – 24.25 GHz | All modes | 24.00 – 24.05 GHz |
| EHF Bands | 47.0 GHz+ | All modes | |
What's Next? (KE2JDF)
A few days later, my call sign appeared in the FCC database: KE2JDF.
I look forward to diving deeper into amateur radio. I’ve already started my next course, Ham Radio Basics, which covers:
- Basic radio operation
- Making your first contact on Simplex
- Operating on repeaters
- Logging your contacts
- Introduction to HF (High Frequency)
- Introduction to HF Digital
- Introduction to Satellites
After I finish this, I plan on taking their Satellite and Space Operations course. I’ve always wanted to know more about how to use satellites, with the ultimate goal of exploring the cybersecurity aspects of space and satellite communications.
Another great resource for studying for the Technician exam and others is https://hamstudy.org. They offer free study resources including practice tests and study questions.