Listening in to strangers’ conversations or talking to someone who is also a stranger that lives across the country are a couple of the appeals of ham radio to freshman Jacob Wadley.

Ham radio has been around since the 1900s and is a form of communication still used today.

Wadley has been an amateur radio operator since August 2017.

“I like that there’s a new experience every single day.” Wadley said.

With new experiences, however, there are rules that must be followed.

“You’re not allowed to play music, have an unlicensed person speak without a control operator present or speak profanity, and you have to check in every 10 minutes,” he said.

Even with all the rules, Wadley said he finds time to use his radio everyday.

“I’m on it about 30 minutes to two hours every day, and the radio is always going at my house,” he said.

Ham radio is a family hobby too, Wadley said.

“Well my dad mainly got me in to ham radio by showing me you could talk to people around the world,” he said.

It may seem like fun but it took some time and effort to become a licensed radio amateur, Wadley said.

“I had to study from a book of 400 questions, then take a test of 35 from the 400 overall  ham radio basics,” he said.

There are multiple ways to prepare for the test, Wadley said.

“I learned from my dad and watching a Youtuber named David Casler, who is a licensed amateur radio operator too,”  he said.

Although it may seem like that’s a lot of work, the license lasts for years.

“My license is good for 10 years,” Wadley said.

When talking to people through the frequency, Wadley said they usually talk about their lives.

“[We talk about] how their day is going and what’s going on where they are,” he said.

And Wadley said he would like to see more people become licensed.

“We’re trying to get as many ham radio operators because only about 10 percent of the world is licensed,” he said. “It’s sort of like speaking another language.”

Wadley however said he recommends the hobby for young people.

“[Become licensed] while you’re young,” he said. “It’s a great skill to have.”