Amateur ham radio license?

Your frequency privileges is the main difference!

See these sites for more info:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_radio

http://wireless.fcc.gov/services/index.htm?job=ser...

http://www.qrz.com/testing.html

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No. There are more licensed Hams in the U.S. than there have ever been. The nice thing about Amateur Radio is that, from time to time, new modes of operation are invented by licensed Hams that can serve to draw new and young people into the hobby. I personally know a few children who have gotten their Technician license (the entry-level license class), one of whom is 7 years old! There's something in Ham radio that will be of interest to everyone. Voice communications, data transfer (data and photos), satellite communications, slow-scan television transmission, Morse Code (CW) and other digital modes. There's even EME (Earth-Moon-Earth), where a radio signal can be bounced off the moon and reflected to a point half-way around the world. Local, as well as long-distance (thousands of miles!) Emergency communications is also another good use of Ham radio. John, W9APX

The technician license gives you Morse code (called CW) in small sub-bands on the 80 meter, 40m, 15m and 10m bands. You are also limited to 200w of transmitted power. On 10m, you also get RTTY (radioteletype) and other data modes (PACTOR, PSK31 and others) and single sideband voice (SSB). You also have full amateur privileges on VHF, UHF and higher Amateur bands.

General basically gives you full amateur privileges except on some HF sub-bands reserved for Advanced (no longer issued) and Amateur Extra class operators (80m, 40m, 20m, 15m).

Amateur Extra gives you full Amateur privileges.

socrates is a little behind the times.

The current rules are Technician is VHF/UHF and Tech privledges in 10M voice (28.1 to 28.3 morse code and 28.3 to 28.5 SSB).

CW (morse code) is no longer required for any license class.

General class allows limited HF and all VHF/UHF

Amateur Extra allows all amateur bands and modes.