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Amateur radio is a broad hobby with countless facets, and there is a wealth of published material available to support learning at every level. This page collects recommended resources across several formats — books, study guides, online references, podcasts, and video channels — organized by topic area. Whether you are studying for your first licence, building your first antenna, or diving deep into propagation theory, you will find something here to help.
The ARRL publishes official study guides for all three US licence classes. These are widely used and updated to match the current question pools:
- ARRL Ham Radio License Manual — Covers the Technician class exam.
- ARRL General Class License Manual — Covers the General class exam.
- ARRL Extra Class License Manual — Covers the Amateur Extra exam.
Gordon West's study guides (published by Master Publishing) are another popular option, known for their approachable writing style. Online study tools and practice exams are available from sites such as hamstudy.org and hamexam.org.
The RSGB publishes study guides for the Foundation, Intermediate, and Full UK licence examinations. The books are written to match the Ofcom syllabus and are regularly updated.
Most national amateur radio societies publish or endorse study material for their own licensing systems. Check the website of your national society for recommended resources.
Several books are considered essential references for amateur radio operators and have been in continuous publication for decades:
- The ARRL Handbook for Radio Communications — Updated annually, this comprehensive reference covers electronics theory, radio design, antennas, propagation, digital communications, test equipment, and construction techniques. It is widely regarded as the single most important reference book in amateur radio.
- The ARRL Antenna Book — A thorough guide to antenna theory, design, modelling, and construction. Covers dipoles, verticals, beams, loops, wire antennas, and much more.
- RSGB Radio Communication Handbook — The UK equivalent of the ARRL Handbook, covering theory, practice, and construction with a British perspective.
- The Radio Amateur's Handbook (historical editions) — Earlier editions of the ARRL Handbook are valued by collectors and historians for their coverage of vintage techniques and circuits.
- Practical Antenna Handbook by Joseph Carr — A practical guide to antenna design and construction with a focus on real-world performance.
- The ARRL Antenna Book — See above; it is the standard reference on the subject.
- Transmission Line Transformers by Jerry Sevick (W2FMI) — A specialist reference on baluns, ununs, and impedance matching.
- HF Digital Handbook (RSGB) — Covers the theory and practice of HF digital modes including RTTY, PSK31, FT8, and others.
- Nifty Mini-Manual guides — Quick-reference pocket guides for popular digital mode software such as WSJT-X, fldigi, and Winlink.
- The Art of Electronics by Horowitz and Hill — Not amateur-radio-specific, but widely considered the best general-purpose electronics textbook. Valuable for understanding the circuits used in radio equipment.
- Experimental Methods in RF Design by Hayward, Campbell, and Larkin — A classic for experimenters interested in building receivers, transmitters, and test equipment from scratch.
- Solid State Design for the Radio Amateur by Hayward and DeMaw — An older but influential book on transistor-based radio design.
- DX Is! by Bob Locher (W9KNI) — A guide to DX operating philosophy, techniques, and the culture of long-distance contacts.
- Complete DXer by Bob Locher — A companion volume with additional DX operating advice.
- Contest Operating (ARRL) — Covers contest strategy, station setup, and operating techniques.
- The ARRL Emergency Communication Handbook — Covers the role of amateur radio in emergencies, including equipment, procedures, and working with served agencies.
- Emergency Power for Radio Communications by Michael Bryce (WB8VGE) — Focuses on generators, batteries, solar power, and other off-grid power solutions for amateur stations.
The internet provides a vast library of amateur radio information. Some particularly useful online resources include:
- National society websites — The ARRL, RSGB, and other national societies maintain extensive libraries of technical articles, news, and educational material on their websites, much of it freely accessible.
- QRZ.com — A callsign lookup database that also hosts forums, articles, and a searchable archive of amateur radio information.
- DX clusters and spotting networks — Real-time databases of stations heard and worked on the bands, useful for DXers and contesters. Examples include DX Summit and the Reverse Beacon Network.
- Propagation tools — Websites and software for predicting HF propagation conditions, including VOACAP Online, PSKReporter, and the WSPRnet propagation reporter.
- Band plan references — The IARU publishes regional band plans, and national societies publish band plans specific to their country's allocations.
- Repeater directories — Online databases of amateur radio repeaters, searchable by location. Examples include RepeaterBook and the ARRL repeater directory.
Amateur radio podcasts are a growing medium for news, education, and entertainment. Some well-known podcasts include shows covering general ham radio news and discussion, DX and contesting, digital modes and software-defined radio, and interviews with notable operators and industry figures. A search for "amateur radio" or "ham radio" on your preferred podcast app will reveal numerous active shows catering to different interests and experience levels.
YouTube is home to a large and active amateur radio content creator community. Channels cover topics including equipment reviews and comparisons, antenna building and testing, operating tutorials and demonstrations, portable and field operation (POTA, SOTA, Field Day), electronics theory and construction projects, and beginner guides and licence study help. Video content is particularly valuable for visual learners and for topics where seeing a procedure demonstrated is much more effective than reading about it.
In addition to the membership journals published by national societies (such as QST from the ARRL and RadCom from the RSGB), several independent magazines serve the amateur radio community:
- CQ Amateur Radio — A long-running US-based magazine covering all aspects of the hobby, with a particular strength in DXing and contesting.
- Practical Wireless — A UK-based magazine with a focus on practical construction and operating.
- QEX — The ARRL's journal for experimenters, featuring advanced technical articles.
- The Spectrum Monitor — An online publication covering amateur radio, shortwave listening, scanning, and related topics.
This resource list is intended to grow over time. If you know of a book, website, podcast, or other resource that has been valuable in your amateur radio journey, consider contributing it to this page.