Great article that I am going to read more in depth later but there are some things I would love to point out the range for Ham radio base station is in the thousands of miles when operating HF. Plus finding a local club is a great way to get enrolled into a FREE class for what ever license you need, I teach at a few of them. The cost for taking the exam is $15 from the ARRL there are some that will give the test for free as well since there is no charge from the FCC.