CQDeck

For US amateur radio operators · Free · No ads

Practice before you key up

CQDeck helps new and returning hams get on the air, then shows what your license lets you do today.

Practice with Key UpComing back? Start the refresher

Try the dial. Tune across the bands to see where your license lets you transmit.

146.520 MHz is the national FM simplex calling frequency. You can transmit here in any mode.

Try

Just licensed

Get to your first contact

Passing the test doesn't teach you what to say. Rehearse a check-in until it feels routine.

  • A guided first 30 days
  • Key Up: rehearse a contact before you transmit
  • Guides for your radio, repeaters, nets and more
  • Callsign watch: an email when your call sign is issued
Start your first 30 days →

Coming back

Licensed, but it's been a while

Check your license, see what changed, brush up on the basics and rehearse your first call back.

  • License and renewal check
  • What changed since you left
  • A first-week plan back on the air
Start the refresher →

Every day

A home page that knows your license

What's happening on the air today, in plain words, filtered to what your license allows.

  • estimated for your license
  • Parks and satellites you can work
  • A morning email with passes and bands
Open today's dashboard →

Free guides and tools

What new hams ask first

Set up your radio

Learn the basics

Morse code

Free tools

Why CQDeck exists

CQDeck started with a ham who passed the Technician exam, made a handful of contacts, and then went quiet for more than a year. Getting back on the air meant relearning it all alone. This is the tool that was missing.

What's next

Hear about new features first

Exam study is on the way. Leave your email and we'll tell you when it opens. No spam, and you can leave anytime. Accounts are already open: sign in to keep your settings and progress on every device, or get the morning radio report by email.

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