If you want to get into HAM radio, where would you start?
I started by getting license. Usually the local sets are done by clubs. Those guys will help you along. I find the Ham radio world to be very helpful. It’s also full of characters.
ARRL or local ham radio clubs.
arrl.org
License tests are administered by volunteers, and available all over the country, usually on less than a month’s notice. In my mid-sized metro area, you can take the test on any Saturday.
The tests are multiple choice, and the questions are chosen from a pool that’s available online. There are free online practice tests available. There’s no longer a code requirement. From the time I decided I wanted to get into ham radio to the time my technicians license was hanging on the wall was three weeks. That license will get you on the popular VHF and UHF bands where most of the local repeaters are found. The more advanced licenses take a bit more studying, but the emphasis is getting you in, not keeping you out.
One of the cool features many local repeaters have is an internet based system that allows you to use repeaters all over the world, I get a kick out of sitting at home and talking to some guy in India or arguing about my favorite soccer team with an actual English fan.