Getting a Ham Radio License for Trail Running

Ham Radio and Trail Running
By Tom O'Hara, W6ORG
Last update May 6, 2026
Go to: Foothill Flyers home page Radio Club Getting a Ham License Radios Ham Radio Nets Notes for New Hams Ham TV at AC100

A ham radio walkie talkie can make a difference if you are lost or injured on trails in our local mountains - it has many times at the Angeles Crest 100 mile trail race. Ham radios have much much better coverage than license free FRS walkie talkies and can operate through mountain top repeaters - Ive talked from Catalina to Arcadia while doing the Avalon 50. Cell phones do not work in much of the mountains or immediately after earthquakes and other disasters - ham radio is the first line of emergency communications. This was quoted from this web page in the "Why Ultras Need Ham Radio" article in Ultrarunning Magazine.

If race sweeps have a ham walkie talkie, they can immediately summon help rather than wait until the word gets passed down by a runner to the next aid station. Runners can also radio ahead before they reach their crew to tell them exactly what to have ready and waste less time in the aid stations. Ham radio clubs often provide race communications at trail race aid stations. If you are entered into an event, you can find their set up at the start line and ask them what frequency to set into your walkie talkie.

If you are lost, snake bit, injured, etc., while on a training run in our local mountains, a call on your ham walkie talkie can get help coming right away. If working an aid station, you as a runner and a ham can best communicate the needs of that aid station to the event organization than a non-runner ham - We can really use you at the Mt. Wilson Trail Race, Angeles National Forest 25K/50K/60K trail race and AC100 for sweeping, back up communications for SAR, aid station communications, trail marking and take down.
See Articles: Sweeping AC100 2022 and Sweeping AC100 2025

Radio's
I most always have my Baofeng Tech BF-F8HP Pro walkie talkie clipped on my belt pack or Camelback when I do a trail run - it only weights 9oz and the battery lasts well over 8 hours on a charge. This HT transmits on two of the most popular ham bands with the highest number of mountain top repeaters and links - 2 meters (VHF) and 70cm (UHF aka 440). It also can transmit on the 220 MHz band with a change of antennas. It has 1000 programable memory channels in 10 100 channel zones so no need to reprogram if traveling to another area or different races. Power is up to 10 Watts, has a GPS receiver to find your latitude and longitude, receives FM broadcast, aircraft, marine, weather, SAR, police, fire, FRS, GMRS, MURS all the way to 520 MHz - perfect for emergencies or just listening in. Cost is about $63.

If you want something a little smaller and lighter there is the Baofeng UV-5R3 tri-band for $43 on line from RandL Electronics in Ohio or the Btech UV-5X3 in South Dakota for $65. These both have 128 memory channels and put out up to 5 watts on VHF, UHF and 220.

If you cant wait and want to buy a HT locally from a ham radio candy store, we suggest the Yaesu FT-65R for $119.95 at the Ham Radio Outlet in Anaheim CA It puts out 5W and has 200 memory channels.

For all the radios, we suggest getting the programming cable to more easily add or change the memory channels yourself using the free CHIRP application on a PC or MAC. Tom can program them for you initially and show you how to operate the walkie talkies - See the Notes for new hams using the Baofeng UV-5R3 walkie talkie. Do not buy a radio from one of the outside of the US dealers like some on Amazon, as they may not be up to FCC Compliance for signal quality and interfere with other services.

Licensed Hams and their FCC assigned call letters in the Foothill Flyers:

Tom O'Hara, W6ORG Mary Ann O'Hara, WB6YSS Maria Vangilder, KG6REG

Bob Spears, KI6DAF Brian Cravens, KM6PSV Leslie Hallimore, KN6NGS

Jim Kasama, KN6ZUG Richard Besocke, KI6ZKM Dan Stein, KE6OOF

Jimmy Downs, KJ6KVI Willie Thornal, KI6TQJ Tom Parkes, KI6DDB

Maria Case, KK6RNK Chris Goddard, KM6CKT Brett Terrell, KM6VQB

Dave Hokanson, KM6WBG Mary Knudson, KN6BPK Mary Plazony, KN6BPY

Lori Stein, KJ6RYD Stephanie Chiasson, KN6LND Peter Lin, KO6NHH

Tom O'Hara, W6ORG, and his HT picking up the rear at the Hi Desert 30K/50K trail race in Ridgecrest CA. Contact was kept with members of the Sierra Amateur Radio Club at the finish line and aid stations just in case there were any runners needing help on the trail in-between them. Mary Ann O'Hara, WB6YSS, checked on him from time to time too with her ham radio as she worked at the Last Turn 50K aid station.

Three popular hand held radios suggested for taking on the trails. You can get an earphone/mic for hands free monitoring. Also there are optional accessories such as a hand mic and a magnetic mount antenna for mobile and aid station operation. Also, a programming cable for entering frequencies and other paramters from your computer.

Sources:
Baofeng Tech BF-F8HP Pro
Baofeng UV-5R3 - Using the UV-53R
Yaesu FT-65R

Maria Vangilder, KG6REG, and Sharon Spinnler, KF6OQO, radioing in the runner check out times to the finish line from the clubs Shortcut aid station at mile 40 of the Mt. Disappointment 50 Mile trail race. Keeping track of each runner and knowing between which aid stations they are really makes a difference for their safety.

Two way live video and audio between the Chantry Flat and Newcomb AC100 aid stations via ham radio was originally set up for better medical evaluation of runners at the remote Newcomb aid station, but later crew and friends enjoy seeing and encouraging their runner as they wait for them at Chantry. Amateur Radio TV (ATV) is often used as an early warning that a runner is coming at trail races.

Getting a Technician Class Ham Radio License for
Trail Running and Emergency Communications

By starting your self study on the last Saturday of the month using the procedure below, you can take the exam on the 2nd Saturday of the following month, and be on the air with your own ham radio call letters by the 3rd Saturday.

Why:

• Emergency Resource: Ham radio is a vital emergency communications resource recognized by LA County.
• Reliability: Functions when cell, internet and AC power systems fail during disasters like wildfires, high wind events or earthquakes and there is the need for local communications as well as communicating far outside the blackout area. Also works well in the mountains for training and running trail races.
• Flexibility: Many hundreds of channels available, mountain top repeaters, up to 1500 Watts of power compared to FRS with it's 22 channels and 2 Watts of power. Over 700,000 hams in the USA one of which could relay your welfare status to your outside of the area emergency contact or relatives.
• Modern Tech: Supports digital systems like Winlink for independent internet messaging, Low cost (<$100) robust multi-band handheld radios with over 100 programable memory channels.

Study The "Right Answers Only" Method:

• Plan on starting your self-study with flash cards 10-14 days before your intended test date.
• The "right answers only" method does not require a person with an electronics or technical back ground to pass the test.
• Download and print out this web page for easy reference and check list.
• Sign-up free with HamStudy - https://hamstudy.org/tech2022 - for the on-line flash cards.
• Click on Technician (2022-2026), then Study Mode.
• There are 10 sections of all right answers only, start with T2, go through to T10, then T1 last.
• Read aloud by yourself or in a group, 1-2 sections per day.
• Yes, reading aloud makes a big difference in your short-term memory's ability to recall that you have seen this answer before when taking the test.
• Do not take the on-line practice tests until you have gone through all T1-T10 sections at least once.
• Keep reading aloud and taking the practice tests until you consistently get better than 85%.
• Take one last read through and practice test by yourself or group Hamcram the night before or morning of the test.

Register with the FCC:

• Do this before taking the actual test.
• Obtain a FCC Registration Number by registering at https://apps.fcc.gov/cores/userLogin.do
• Create an account using your primary email as it will be used for all official correspondence.
• Name and address should be the same as on your Real ID or Passport.

Where:

• When ready to commit, one week before the test date, register to take the exam on the 2nd Saturday, 11:15am, Huntington Hospital, 100 W. California, Pasadena CA - Go to: https://hamstudy.org/sessions/laxne to register.
• Bring $15 in cash for the exam, photo ID, two #2 pencils with eraser, a pen, calculator and your FRN number - see https://www.arrl.org/what-to-bring-to-an-exam-session
• After you pass the exam, you will pay a $35 fee to the FCC - The FCC will email instructions to the address you registered (CORES/FRN) with them. You will have 10 days to make the payment and the call letters will not be issued until they receive it.
• Tests are graded immediately and expect your ham call letters about a week later.

Test Tips:

• There are 35 questions on the test and it takes 26 to pass - you have studied all 413 of the right answers in the FCC Technician class question pool during self-study - you can do this!
• Average pass rate is over 90% the first time if you followed the process above. But if you missed a few more tan 9 questions, you can retake the test as many times as you want but each has an additional $15 fee. Each test will have different and randomly selected questions.
• Your first answer is probably right, best not to second guess or doubt.
• Answer every question even if you don't recognize or are unsure of the answer.
• For more information see: https://www.laxnortheast.org/licensing
• When you pass your Tech license exam, you may be asked if you want to try taking the General class license exam at no additional charge. It is another 35 questions - General Question Pool. You can take the General Class practice exams for free.

There are some good web sites with more information:
What Is Ham Radio
How to Pass the FCC Exam.
The South Pasadena Amateur Radio Club has a good web page on getting a ham license.
Basic on the air ham radio procedures
Using the Baofeng UV-5R3 hand held radio

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A One day Ham Cram class has everyone reading and verbally repeating just the right answers from the FCC Technician question pool. The class is usually 4-6 hrs in the morning with the 35 question test immediately after a lunch break. This is the easiest and quickest way to get your license with a high pass rate. Some emergency communications or ham radio clubs offer them on occasion.