What Next: Stuck?

Stuck? Let’s Find Some Help

Amateur radio is a huge hobby, and it’s quite normal to get stuck – particularly in the first few weeks after getting your licence.

You might be struggling to get your radio working, wondering why you can’t hear anyone, confused about antennas or repeaters, or simply not sure what to try next.

You don’t have to work everything out on your own. There are several ways to find an answer or ask other radio amateurs for help.

Start with our Getting Started guides

We’ve put together a collection of practical guides aimed particularly at people who are new to amateur radio.

They cover subjects including choosing and setting up your first radio, handhelds, repeaters, making contacts, operating, HF, antennas, data modes and more.

Browse the Essex Ham Getting Started Guides ↗

Search Essex Ham

Essex Ham has over 1,000 pages covering amateur radio, so there’s a reasonable chance that somebody has asked the same question before.

Search Essex Ham ↗

We also have an Amateur Radio FAQ covering some of the questions commonly asked by newcomers.

Amateur Radio FAQ ↗

Ask another radio amateur

Sometimes it’s much easier to describe the problem to another person than spend hours searching for an answer.

Essex Ham has several places where you can ask questions and get advice from other radio amateurs.

Ways to get help and advice from Essex Ham ↗

This includes our forum and online discussion groups, where you can explain what you’re trying to do and ask for suggestions.

Ask locally

A local amateur can be particularly useful when the problem depends on where you live – for example, finding active frequencies, choosing a local repeater, working out what antenna might suit your location, or getting help setting up a radio.

If you’re a member of a radio club, try asking there. If you’re not, you can use our Course Finder to find amateur radio groups in your area:

Find a local amateur radio club ↗

Can’t hear anyone?

This is one of the most common problems for newly-licensed amateurs, particularly if you’ve started with a handheld.

It doesn’t necessarily mean there’s nobody around. Your antenna, location, radio settings, the frequency you’re listening to and the time of day can all make a big difference.

My handheld seems very quiet – what can I try?

Nervous about going on air?

If the equipment is working but you’re worried about what to say, that’s a different problem – and a very common one.

We’ve got some specific help for that:

• Making your first contact
• What do I actually say?
• Joining an amateur radio net

Still stuck?

If none of those helped, tell us what you’re stuck on.

This What Next? tool is still in beta, and this is exactly the sort of feedback we’re looking for. If several newly-licensed amateurs are getting stuck on the same thing, we may be able to add another guide or improve the tool to help.

Use the box below to tell us what’s causing you problems. You don’t need to know the technical terminology – just describe what you’re trying to do and where you’re getting stuck.