An independent amateur radio registry
Amateur radio.
Call-sign registry.
We're building a registry where you can take a radio exam and register a call sign. Your exam result will be public. You'll use a hardware security key to manage your account.
Account registration is available. We're still building the exam and call-sign registration.
DNG / COUNTRY / 000000–FFFFFF
01 / Registry
Call-sign lookup
The registry will list each call sign, country, registration date, exam level, score, and public key. Anyone will be able to look these up.
Format: DNG, a two-letter country code, and six hexadecimal characters. Example: DNG-EE-AAFCBD.
02 / About
Why we're building this
We want people to be able to build, repair, and use their own equipment. Radio is part of that. You can design an antenna, build a receiver, write the software, and understand what each part does.
We object to requiring government permission for things a person does entirely within their own domain. Restrictions need a reason grounded in the effects on other people. With radio, interference is one of those effects. The operator needs to understand their signal and deal with the problems it causes.
Knowing the material takes work. We want the study material, the exam, and the registration process available here. The planned exam uses the English NCVEC Technician question pool. Passing it will be required to register a call sign.
You will control your registration with a hardware key. You are responsible for changes approved with that key, including when you let someone else use it.
03 / Account
Register a security key
You'll use this key to sign in and approve changes to your account.
Registration currently supports FIDO2 YubiKeys. Connect your key and follow the browser prompt. Your key checks your PIN or fingerprint locally.
Already have an account?
This creates an account. Call-sign registration will open when the exam is ready.
Signed in
Your account
Security keys
Register a spare key and keep it somewhere separate. Adding a key requires approval with a registered key. To revoke a key, you need another registered key.
04 / Exam
What you'll need to know
The exam will cover operating practices, electronics, propagation, antennas, interference, and safety. It will use the English NCVEC Technician question pool, which also contains questions about U.S. regulations.
Receiving is a useful way to learn. Try identifying signals, measuring their bandwidth, and changing the antenna. See what gain and filtering do to the signal and the noise.
Transmitting takes more preparation. You need to understand power, bandwidth, harmonics, antenna matching, RF exposure, and electrical safety. You also need to know how to spot interference and stop it.