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Videos for new hams Hand-picked videos that each explain one thing well, sorted by what you're trying to do. They open on YouTube. The exam explainers are our own; we get nothing for recommending anyone else's.
Studying for the exam Your first radio Your first contacts Ways to use your license DMR digital voice Bands and the sun Meshtastic Get involved Channels worth following Studying for the exam Short explainers for the Technician exam topics people find hardest.
Watts = volts × amps, the easy way (YouTube, opens in a new tab) CQ Deck · 2 min · 2026 Our own short explainer: volts, amps and watts with a garden hose, then how long a battery lasts. It covers six questions from the 2026 to 2030 Technician pool. Ohm's law, the easy way: E = I × R (YouTube, opens in a new tab) CQ Deck · 3 min · 2026 Our own short explainer: the same garden hose, with resistance as the squeeze, and one triangle for every Ohm's law question in the 2026 to 2030 Technician pool. Milli, kilo, mega: move the decimal point (YouTube, opens in a new tab) CQ Deck · 3 min · 2026 Our own short explainer: every metric prefix as one staircase, three decimal places a step, for the twelve conversion and abbreviation questions in the 2026 to 2030 Technician pool. Wavelength: why 2 meters is called 2 meters (YouTube, opens in a new tab) CQ Deck · 3 min · 2026 Our own short explainer: a shaken rope, then one number (300 divided by megahertz) for wavelength, band names and HF, VHF and UHF. It covers ten questions from the 2026 to 2030 Technician pool. Why is a 2-meter antenna 19 inches? (YouTube, opens in a new tab) CQ Deck · 3 min · 2026 Our own short explainer: a guitar string, a dipole and a quarter-wave whip, then rubber ducks, gain and which way antennas radiate. It covers seven antenna questions from the 2026 to 2030 Technician pool. SWR explained: why a perfect match reads 1:1 (YouTube, opens in a new tab) CQ Deck · 3 min · 2026 Our own short explainer in 3D: waves on a beach and a seawall, then the forward and reflected waves inside a coax, a directional wattmeter, an antenna analyzer and a dummy load. It covers all twelve SWR questions from the 2026 to 2030 Technician pool. Coax loss explained: where does lost power go? (YouTube, opens in a new tab) CQ Deck · 4 min · 2026 Our own short explainer: a new ham's missing signal, shown as 100 sparks racing up her coax, then a race between four cables, sun and rain on a jumper, and the right connectors. It covers all thirteen coax questions from the 2026 to 2030 Technician pool. More: Each one written out, with its questions
Your first radio Learn the buttons, program your local repeaters, and stay on the right frequencies.
Master your handheld radio (YouTube, opens in a new tab) Ham Radio Crash Course · 35 min · 2024 The basic functions most handhelds share, shown across several different radios. Programming and settings on the Baofeng UV-5R (YouTube, opens in a new tab) Ham Radio Crash Course · 39 min · 2015 A long walk through the keypad, menus and programming by hand. Skip ahead to the part you need. Programming a Baofeng with CHIRP Next (YouTube, opens in a new tab) Ham Radio Crash Course · 22 min · 2023 His workflow in the current CHIRP for loading the national calling frequencies, repeaters and NOAA weather. He also loads GMRS, FRS and MURS channels: fine for listening, but a UV-5R isn't approved to transmit on them. Saving a repeater on the Quansheng UV-K5 (YouTube, opens in a new tab) HamTech - M0FXB · 4 min · 2023 A short keypad demo on the original firmware. He's in the UK, so use your own repeater's offset and tone. Programming the Quansheng UV-K5 with CHIRP (YouTube, opens in a new tab) HamTech - M0FXB · 7 min · 2023 A short walkthrough of loading channels into the UV-K5 with CHIRP. Get CHIRP from its official site. The first thing to upgrade on your handheld (YouTube, opens in a new tab) Ham Radio Crash Course · 5 min · 2021 Why the antenna is the best upgrade, and the small adapter he suggests getting before you buy one. Can you transmit on FRS, GMRS or MURS with a ham radio? (YouTube, opens in a new tab) Ham Radio Crash Course · 13 min · 2020 Whether a Baofeng can be used on those services. The short version: listening is fine, but they need radios approved for them. More: Radio setup guides
Ways to use your license Parks, summits, satellites, 10 meters, digital modes and more.
What is Parks on the Air? (YouTube, opens in a new tab) Ham Radio 2.0 · 13 min · 2020 A short explainer: what Parks on the Air is, how to sign up and why people love it. An easy start in Parks on the Air (YouTube, opens in a new tab) Ham Radio Crash Course · 24 min · 2023 His quick, plain-language explanation of how to get started in Parks on the Air. What is Summits on the Air? (YouTube, opens in a new tab) Ham Radio Crash Course · 3 min · 2019 A three-minute overview. His description links to longer videos from experienced summit activators. How to work the SO-50 satellite (YouTube, opens in a new tab) Digital Rancher · 16 min · 2025 A beginner talk from a hamfest on working SO-50, the FM satellite on CQDeck's pass list. Recorded live outdoors, so the sound isn't studio quality. How to get on the air with ham satellites (YouTube, opens in a new tab) Ham Radio Crash Course · 52 min · 2026 His recent talk on chasing satellites with portable gear. It's long, and some of the gear he lists goes well past a starter setup. Why Technicians should get on 10 meters (YouTube, opens in a new tab) Ham Radio Crash Course · 13 min · 2022 Made as the solar cycle was rising. The cycle is past its peak now, but 10 meters still opens on many days. A beginner's guide to FT8 (YouTube, opens in a new tab) Ham Radio DX · 27 min · 2024 Setting up WSJT-X and making FT8 contacts, with chapters so you can jump to the part you need. An introduction to APRS (YouTube, opens in a new tab) KB9VBR Antennas · 15 min · 2018 What APRS is and how it works: positions on a map, short messages and weather reports. A fox hunt: finding a hidden transmitter (YouTube, opens in a new tab) KB9VBR Antennas · 13 min · 2020 Ride along on a real fox hunt across a city, tracking a hidden transmitter with a directional antenna. More: Ways to use your license
DMR digital voice Program a DMR radio, build a codeplug and set up a hotspot.
New to DMR? Start with the AnyTone D168UV (YouTube, opens in a new tab) Ham Radio Crash Course · 27 min · 2026 A walkthrough of programming an affordable AnyTone DMR handheld, and what it can do beyond basic DMR. Understanding DMR codeplugs (YouTube, opens in a new tab) FEPLabs Radio · 28 min · 2024 Builds a codeplug one part at a time: your DMR ID, talkgroups, receive groups, channels and zones, plus loading the contact list. Setting up a Pi-Star hotspot, start to finish (YouTube, opens in a new tab) W6IWN SOTA & HAM RADIO · 30 min · 2024 A chaptered setup for any Raspberry Pi hotspot running Pi-Star, ending with a parrot test and a DMR test. More: DMR basics
Get involved Weather spotting, Field Day and other ways to meet hams and help out.
More: Ways to help out
Channels worth following The creators behind these videos, if you want more from them.
Ham Radio Crash Course (YouTube, opens in a new tab) Josh Nass, KI6NAZ, with friendly videos on radios, repeaters, Parks on the Air and much more, plus regular livestreams.
David Casler Ask Dave (YouTube, opens in a new tab) Short, clear answers to one question at a time, from propagation to antennas.
KB9VBR Antennas (YouTube, opens in a new tab) Ham Radio Q&A: practical explainers on antennas, APRS, fox hunting and more.
K0LWC (YouTube, opens in a new tab) Beginner basics, like your first repeater contact and what a handheld can reach.
Ham Radio 2.0 (YouTube, opens in a new tab) Parks on the Air and getting on the air.
Ham Radio DX (YouTube, opens in a new tab) Step-by-step guides, including FT8 and getting started with summits.
ARRLHQ (YouTube, opens in a new tab) The national association for amateur radio, with advice on events like Field Day.
CQ Deck (YouTube, opens in a new tab) Our own channel: short explainers for the Technician exam, one idea at a time.