Radio lets people talk across towns, oceans, and even space. You'll learn how radio waves work, the rules for using them, and how radio helps in emergencies. You might even make your first contact with another operator.
Why it's worth it
Radio is how a ham operator talks to someone across the world with a homemade antenna, how astronauts on the International Space Station chat with students, and how a weather alert wakes you up when a tornado is coming. When phones and internet go down in a disaster, radio operators are often the ones who keep messages moving. This badge explains the invisible waves that carry your music, your Wi-Fi, and your phone calls, and it can start you on the way to your own amateur radio license.
Start this week
- Practice spelling your first and last name in the phonetic alphabet, like Alfa, Bravo, Charlie, until you can do it without looking.
- Ask your Scoutmaster for the name of a Radio counselor, and send them a short message with a parent copied to set up a first meeting.
- With a parent, look up the nearest amateur radio club and see whether it has an open meeting, field day, or Jamboree on the Air station you could visit.
- Find out the NOAA Weather Radio frequency for your area and check whether your home has a radio that can receive it.
Stay safe
- Stay far away from power lines when putting up any antenna, and let an adult handle anything on a roof or tower.
- Don't open radio equipment that plugs into the wall or has big batteries unless your counselor is guiding you.
Requirements · 9
Every official requirement and part, numbered to match Scouting America, in plain language. Sign off against the official wording (opens in a new tab) (updated 2025).
- Requirement 1
Radio safety
Tips for this section: Learn the safety rules for antennas and power, like staying away from power lines.
- Requirement 1a
Explain safety precautions for grounding radio gear: AC and DC circuits, power outlets, antennas, and lightning
- Requirement 1b
Explain how to prevent and treat electrical burns
- Requirement 1c
Explain how to keep lithium-ion batteries in phones and other devices from catching fire
- Requirement 2
Radio fundamentals
Tips for this section: Make flash cards for key terms and components, and look at real equipment if you can.
Example for this section: Make a chart of the radio spectrum from AM broadcast to FM, aviation, ham bands, Wi-Fi, and GPS. Explain frequency and wavelength with a jump rope: shake it faster and the waves get shorter.
- Requirement 2a
Spectrum chart
- Requirement 2a1
Make a chart of the electromagnetic spectrum from 300 kHz (kilohertz) up to 3,000 MHz (megahertz)
- Requirement 2a2
Mark the MF, HF, VHF, UHF, and microwave parts of the spectrum on your chart
- Requirement 2a3
Place at least eight radio services on your chart, such as AM and FM broadcast, CB, TV, amateur radio (at least four ham bands), police and fire, Wi-Fi, cellular, and Bluetooth
- Requirement 2b
Radio basics discussion
- Requirement 2b1
Discuss with your counselor what radio is
- Requirement 2b2
Discuss with your counselor how broadcast radio differs from two-way radio
- Requirement 2b3
Discuss with your counselor how commercial broadcast radio differs from hobby radio
- Requirement 3
How radio waves travel
Tips for this section: Draw a picture showing how radio waves travel near the ground and bounce off the sky.
Example for this section: Draw three paths: a ground wave hugging the Earth for AM stations, a sky wave bouncing off the ionosphere at night so you can hear far-off stations, and line-of-sight for FM and repeaters. Explain why AM reaches farther after dark.
- Requirement 3a
Sketch a diagram of how radio signals of different wavelengths travel short distances or all the way around the world
- Requirement 3b
Explain how listening to time stations WWV and WWVH helps you predict what you'll be able to hear on a shortwave radio
- Requirement 3c
Explain how a distant (DX) station differs from a local one
- Requirement 4
Information by radio
Tips for this section: Talk about how voice, music, and data get carried by radio, like Wi-Fi and digital radio.
- Requirement 4a
Discuss with your counselor how radio waves carry information using CW Morse code, AM, FM, single sideband (SSB), and frequency hopping
- Requirement 4b
Discuss with your counselor how digital standards like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and 5G can send and receive data more reliably than analog ones
- Requirement 4c
Discuss with your counselor how effective range changes with the way information is encoded
- Requirement 4d
Discuss with your counselor how a Wi-Fi system's top data rate compares with a wired or fiber-optic connection
- Requirement 5
Radio hardware and services
Tips for this section: Draw simple block diagrams, and learn how NOAA weather alerts can warn people of danger.
Example for this section: Draw a block diagram of a radio station: a microphone into the transmitter, a receiver out to a speaker, a transceiver that does both, an amplifier, and the feedline up to the antenna. Then explain how NOAA Weather Radio sends alerts for your county and why every home should have a way to receive them.
- Requirement 5a
Explain how a block diagram differs from a schematic diagram
- Requirement 5b
Draw a block diagram of a radio station showing a microphone, a speaker, a transceiver, a transmitter, a receiver, an amplifier, the feedline, and the antenna, and discuss what each part does
- Requirement 5c
List consumer devices and services that communicate by analog or digital radio
- Requirement 5d
Explain how NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) can warn you of danger
- Requirement 5e
Explain how RFID works and some of the ways it's used in daily life
- Requirement 6
Radio regulation
Tips for this section: Practice spelling your name with the phonetic alphabet, and find out what call signs are.
Example for this section: Explain that the FCC licenses radio users, show what a call sign looks like and how it tells you a station's country, and spell your Scout troop's name aloud using the phonetic alphabet.
- Requirement 6a
Discuss with your counselor what the FCC does and how it differs from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
- Requirement 6b
Discuss with your counselor how call signs are used in broadcast and amateur radio
- Requirement 6c
Discuss with your counselor how the phonetic alphabet helps people communicate clearly
- Requirement 7
Cell phones
Tips for this section: Look up how cell towers work and why phones can still reach emergency services.
- Requirement 7a
Explain how cellular systems are different from broadcast and hobby radio
- Requirement 7b
Explain what Airplane Mode is and why it matters
- Requirement 7c
Explain how cell phones keep accurate time and show your location and elevation
- Requirement 7d
Explain what cell phones can and can't do for you in an emergency
- Requirement 7e
Explain how wireless charging works for phones and other devices
- Requirement 8
Amateur and professional radio. Choose 1 of 5
Tips for this section: Visit a local amateur radio club or a radio station to try the option you choose.
Example for this section: For the amateur radio option, visit a club with a parent and, with a licensed operator supervising, make a 10-minute contact: use call signs and Q signals, trade signal reports, and share your first name, where you are, and the weather. Log the call sign, time, frequency, and signal report.
- Requirement 8a
Option A: amateur radio
- Requirement 8a1
Tell why the FCC created an amateur radio service, and describe what licensed hams can do on the air
- Requirement 8a2
Explain how Technician, General, and Extra Class licenses differ in requirements and privileges, and who gives amateur radio exams
- Requirement 8a3
Explain five or more Q signals or ham radio terms
- Requirement 8a4
Explain how you would make an emergency call by voice or Morse code
- Requirement 8a5
Explain how handheld, mobile, and base station transceivers differ and what each is used for, and explain how amateur repeaters are used
- Requirement 8a6
Hold a 10-minute real or simulated ham contact by voice, Morse code, or digital mode using proper call signs, Q signals, and abbreviations; log it correctly and record the signal report. Licensed hams may instead show five QSL cards from five operators
- Requirement 8b
Option B: radio broadcasting
- Requirement 8b1
Discuss FCC broadcast rules with your counselor, including power levels, frequencies, and rules for low-power stations
- Requirement 8b2
Plan a program schedule exactly 30 minutes long for station "KBSA" with music, news, commercials, and proper station ID, then record it on audiotape or digital audio using good technique
- Requirement 8b3
Listen to 15 broadcast stations and log them correctly. For five of them, figure out the program format and target audience
- Requirement 8b4
Explain to your counselor eight or more commercial broadcasting terms, for example segue, cut, fade, continuity, remote, network, cue, dead air, PSA, playlist, or Emergency Alert System
- Requirement 8b5
Discuss other ways radio is delivered with your counselor, like podcasts, satellite radio, and internet streaming
- Requirement 8c
Option C: shortwave and medium-wave listening
- Requirement 8c1
Tune across several shortwave bands in four sessions of one hour each, with at least one in daylight and one at night. Log the stations and find them on a map, globe, or online map
- Requirement 8c2
Tune in several medium-wave stations in two sessions of one hour each, one in daylight and one at night. Log the stations and find them on a map, globe, or online map
- Requirement 8c3
Compare your day and night logs, note the frequencies where your chosen stations came in loudest each session, and explain why signal strength changed
- Requirement 8c4
Compare your medium-wave logs and explain why some faraway stations can only be heard where you live at night
- Requirement 8c5
Show how to listen to a radio broadcast on a smartphone or cell phone, including international broadcasts
- Requirement 8d
Option D: amateur radio direction finding
- Requirement 8d1
Describe amateur radio direction finding (ARDF) and why direction finding matters as an activity and as a competition
- Requirement 8d2
Describe the frequencies and equipment used for ARDF or fox hunting
- Requirement 8d3
Build a simple directional antenna for one of the two ARDF frequencies
- Requirement 8d4
Take part in a simple fox hunt with your antenna and a receiver that's provided
- Requirement 8d5
Show on a map how you found the "fox" with your receiver
- Requirement 8e
Option E: FRS and GMRS walkie-talkies
- Requirement 8e1
Explain what FRS (Family Radio Service) and GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service) are, how they differ from each other, and how they differ from other commercial two-way radios, CB, and ham radio
- Requirement 8e2
Using FRS radios and GMRS walkie-talkies
- Requirement 8e2a
Explain whether you need a license to use these radios, and if so, which kind
- Requirement 8e2b
Explain which radio frequencies they use and how information is encoded
- Requirement 8e2c
Explain how much transmitting power is allowed
- Requirement 8e2d
Explain what kinds of antennas may be used
- Requirement 8e2e
Explain their effective range and what limits it
- Requirement 8e2f
Explain what these radios are commonly used for day to day
- Requirement 8e2g
Explain how these radios can help in an emergency
- Requirement 8e3
Use FRS or GMRS radios with Scouts, friends, or family during a hike, a team game, or an event, then discuss what you learned with your counselor
- Requirement 9
Careers and hobbies. Choose 1 of 2
Tips for this section: Ask a ham operator or radio engineer how they got into radio.
- Requirement 9a
Research one radio career (training, education, costs, job outlook, pay, duties, advancement), with a parent's OK for online searches, interviews, or visits, and discuss what you found and your interest with your counselor
- Requirement 9b
Research how radio skills could become a hobby or volunteer service (if possible, interview a hobbyist or volunteer with a parent's OK), including training, licenses, costs, and groups, and discuss your goals with your counselor
Places to visit
Ask an adult to set it up, and go with your family, den, patrol, or crew.
An amateur radio club meeting or Field Day
Operators set up stations and often let visitors talk on the air under their license.
How: A parent or leader can contact the club and ask about open events or Jamboree on the Air. Go with a parent or your patrol.
A radio or TV broadcast station
Engineers can show you the transmitter, antenna, and control room that put a station on the air.
How: A leader can call the station's main office and ask whether an engineer could give a small group a short tour.
An emergency dispatch or communications center
You'll see how 911 calls and police, fire, and EMS radio traffic are handled.
How: A leader can call the non-emergency line of the city or county and ask about community tours for youth groups.
Where it can lead
- Broadcast engineerKeeps radio and TV stations on the air; many train at technical schools.
- Electrical engineerDesigns antennas, radios, and wireless devices; needs an engineering degree.
- Emergency dispatcherAnswers 911 calls and coordinates responders by radio.
- Cell tower technicianInstalls and maintains the equipment that keeps phones connected.
- Military communications specialistEvery branch trains people to run radio and satellite networks.
Ask yourself
- What surprised you most about how many radio signals pass through your room right now?
- How did it feel to talk on the air or listen to a distant station for the first time?
- Which idea, like frequency or propagation, took longest to click, and what helped?
- How could radio help your family or community in an emergency?
- Would you like to earn an amateur radio license, and what would you do with it?
Good questions to ask a licensed amateur radio operator
- What was your first contact like, and how far away was it?
- How did you study for your license exam?
- How do ham operators help during storms and emergencies?
- What's the most unusual contact you've ever made?
- What equipment would a beginner need to get started?
Helpful reads
- Earning a merit badge, step by step, From picking a badge to getting the final signature: how to find a counselor, set up meetings safely, work the requirements, and keep your progress., Youth · Families · 6 min read
- Contacting counselors, experts, and organizations, Email and phone scripts, who to ask for, how to follow up, and how to say thanks, with a parent copied every time., Youth · Families · 7 min read
- Choosing your next merit badge, How to pick a badge you'll actually finish: start with what you care about, balance Eagle-required and just-for-fun badges, and make the most of camp., Youth · Families · 6 min read
For leaders & parents
- Connect with a local amateur radio club for demonstrations or a Jamboree on the Air event.
- Arrange a visit to a radio station or emergency communications center.
People & places that can help
- Merit badge counselor — Talk with them early; they can explain what's expected.
- ARRL, the national association for amateur radio (opens in a new tab) — Find local clubs and licensing info.
- Federal Communications Commission (opens in a new tab) — Rules for radio use and call signs.
- NOAA Weather Radio (opens in a new tab) — Learn about emergency weather alerts.
- ARISS (opens in a new tab) — How students talk by ham radio with astronauts on the International Space Station.
- Jamboree on the Air and Internet (opens in a new tab) — The worldwide Scouting radio event held each October.
- NIST Radio Station WWV (opens in a new tab) — The radio station that broadcasts the official U.S. time signal around the clock.
Pairs well with
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Tips, examples, and questions are ideas from experienced leaders, not extra requirements. Your unit leader or counselor decides when a requirement is complete.