this post was submitted on 12 Jan 2026
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You legally need a license for HAM in the US, but there's nothing really preventing anyone from configuring a radio to licensed frequencies. As for HAMs reporting you, if it's an emergency the FCC rarely fines anyone if it's for medical or safety concerns, were any amateurs to even report you. The whole reason for the Tech license for example is just to know laws and rules for operation. It's damn easy, too. License exam was $25 a few years back, 8 year term. All the questions and answers are avilable online, they just pull (35? I think) from the pool of 400. Most is pretty basic rules of common sense and civility, a few laws. Most tech questions are just converting frequencies and basic math. They don't require morse anymore (Thank god, or I'd never pass). And if you pass the Tech, you can go right back in for free to try the next exam level. I never use mine, but I do have an HT I keep charged in case of emergencies.
What about more extreme cases, say Castaway (movie) type situation. Stranded on an island in middle of nowhere.
But conveniently, one of the packages has a functional 2m battery powered radio and a Yagi too. There's no one you can make contact with, except... the ISS.
What if the ISS was the only station you could contact?
"Hello International Space Station, I am stranded on an island after a plane crash. Can you help?"
One of the coolest things in my opinion about radio is the ability to skip off the upper atmosphere and bounce a signal back down halfway across the globe. You can also bounce a signal off the moon.
2m doesn't bounce off the atmosphere. You really need 10m for that. 6m in the mist perfect ideal scenarios but it's still very rare (and in this scenario you aren't gonna know when). EME (the moon stuff) is also pretty tricky and requires a lot of power because of how messed up the signals get in the process.