Ham Boutique by Ham Community

Not all products include free shipping, but many do! Make sure you check to see which do. As for those that do not, we make every effort to keep shipping costs as low as possible but with the high cost of shipping, we sometimes do have to charge.

Remember, many of our items can be personalized with your callsign or name, even your club's name. Make sure you personalize those items that can be!

Most of our products include some form of personalization ranging from just your callsign to over 20 for our My QTH mousepad. Most of you will absolutely know how to get every bit of information necessary, but just in case, for those who might be new to amateur radio, we have listed below, various means of obtaining the necessary information. Feel free to use your own!

Name

Some choose to use their full name, others their first name, others yet, just a nickname. It's your name...

Callsign

Printed on your license. If you need to confirm the exact format, look yourself up at QRZ.com or, for US operators, the FCC's ULS License Search.

Year Licensed

This is the year you were first licensed, not your most recent renewal. US operators can find their original grant date in the FCC ULS by searching their callsign and opening License History, where the earliest entry shows the original grant. If you've held a callsign for decades and aren't sure, ULS history is the most reliable source.

License Class

Technician, General, or Extra (or your country's equivalent), shown on your license and in ULS.

City

Your station's city. Straightforward.

County (if applicable)

If you're not sure which county your address falls in, search "[your street address] county" in any search engine, or use a free lookup tool like UnitedStatesZipCodes.org.

State / Province / Territory

Straightforward.

Country

Straightforward.

Elevation (MSL, feet or meters)

This is your elevation above sea level at your station, not just any nearby high point.

iPhone: open the built-in Compass app. Elevation, along with latitude and longitude, is shown at the bottom of the screen once Location Services is enabled for Compass (Settings, Privacy and Security, Location Services). Elevation comes from the barometric altimeter and is available on iPhone 6 and later.

Android: there's no built-in equivalent to the Compass app for elevation. Use Google Maps: search your address, tap the location, and elevation is often shown in the details panel, or use a dedicated app such as GPS Status and Toolbox. A web-based option that works on any device is FreeMapTools Elevation Finder, where you drop a pin on your location and read the elevation directly.

A Note on Accuracy

For both coordinate fields below, use your phone's live GPS reading rather than dropping a pin on a map. Tapping and holding a spot on Google Maps or Apple Maps places a marker based on where you tap relative to the map imagery, which can be off by a meaningful distance. A dedicated GPS app reads the position straight from your phone's GPS chip while you stand at your station, which is more precise.

Latitude and Longitude, Decimal Degrees

Format example: 39.1247° N, 77.2098° W

iPhone: the built-in Compass app reads live GPS but displays degrees-minutes-seconds, not decimal. Maidenhead Converter (App Store) reads the same live GPS and shows decimal degrees directly, alongside your grid square.

Android: Grid Square Locator (Google Play) reads live GPS and displays decimal coordinates directly, alongside your grid square. If you'd rather not install a separate app, Google Maps' current-location blue dot, not a manually placed pin, also uses live GPS. Tap the blue dot itself, not an arbitrary point on the map, to see decimal coordinates.

Latitude and Longitude, Degrees-Minutes-Seconds

Format example: 39° 7' 29" N, 77° 12' 35" W

iPhone: open the built-in Compass app with Location Services enabled while standing at your station. Coordinates in degrees-minutes-seconds appear at the bottom of the screen automatically, read live from GPS, no conversion needed.

Android: get your live decimal coordinates as described above, then convert using a free tool such as the FCC's DMS to Decimal converter or LatLong.net. Converting a live GPS reading keeps the result accurate; converting a coordinate pulled from a placed pin just carries that pin's imprecision forward.

Time Zone

Format as the standard abbreviation with both UTC offsets shown together, for example ET (UTC-5/-4) or PT (UTC-8/-7). Showing both offsets keeps the pad accurate whether or not your zone happens to be in daylight saving time when someone reads it. If you're unsure of your zone's abbreviation and offsets, check TimeAndDate.com and search your city.

ARRL / RAC Section

US and Canadian operators can find their section using the ARRL Sections by Division list or the ARRL Section Boundaries page, which lists the exact counties in each section. If you already know your state, most sections map directly to it, though some states, like New York and Pennsylvania, split into two or more sections by county.

ARRL / RAC Division

Once you know your section, the division is the larger grouping it belongs to. See the ARRL Divisions Map, or check the Sections by Division list above, which is already organized by division.

Maidenhead Grid (8-character precision)

Six-character grid squares are common, but this pad uses eight characters for a more precise fix. Because that precision matters, use an app that reads live GPS rather than a manually placed map pin, the same apps recommended above for your coordinates.

iPhone: Maidenhead Converter (App Store) shows your current grid to eight characters directly from live GPS. Grid Square Life is another option with the same precision, plus offline support.

Android: Grid Square Locator (Google Play) reads live GPS and returns the eight-character locator directly.

Either platform can also get there manually: take your live decimal latitude and longitude and convert them using an online Maidenhead calculator, such as the one at levinecentral.com.

ITU Zone

For Maryland and most of the Mid-Atlantic, this is Zone 8. If you're elsewhere, use the ITU Zones for US States reference or the interactive CQ/ITU Zone Check tool, which looks up both zones from your grid square or address.

CQ Zone

For Maryland and most of the Mid-Atlantic, this is Zone 5. Elsewhere, use the same CQ/ITU Zone Check tool, or consult the CQ WAZ Zone Definitions for a full breakdown by region and prefix.

Optional Fields (choose up to four)

Email Address

Your choice of address. Keep in mind this prints permanently on a physical product, so consider using an address you don't mind being seen by anyone who visits your shack.

Telephone Number

Same consideration as email, and more so, since a phone number invites a call or text directly. Choose this only if you're comfortable with that level of exposure on a permanent printed item.

DMR ID (if applicable)

If you already operate DMR, you already have this. If not, register for free at RadioID.net. Your seven-digit ID is issued once and works across all major DMR networks.

Skywarn Spotter Number (if applicable)

Issued after completing NWS Skywarn spotter training. If you've taken the training but don't remember your number, check your training completion certificate or contact your local National Weather Service office. New spotters can find a class at weather.gov/skywarn.

DXCC Entity

For most US operators this matches Country, but it diverges for Alaska, Hawaii, and US territories like Puerto Rico or Guam, each of which counts as a separate DXCC entity. Check the official ARRL DXCC List if you're unsure which entity your location falls under.

Continent

Straightforward for most operators. If you're on a boundary or an island territory and unsure, the CQ WAZ Zone Definitions page groups entities by continent alongside CQ zone.

Max Power

This is your station's actual output, not your license class's legal limit. If you run an amp, use its rated output; if you run QRP, use your actual transmit power. Check your rig or amplifier's display or manual.

Club Affiliation(s)

The name of the club or clubs you belong to. Keep in mind this shares space with your other optional selections, so a short, recognizable club name or call works best.

CW Club Number

If you belong to a dedicated CW club, your membership number is permanent once issued. Common examples:

FISTS (International Morse Preservation Society): join at fists.org. Format as FISTS #12345.

SKCC (Straight Key Century Club): join at skccgroup.com. Format as SKCC #12345.

NAQCC (North American QRP CW Club): join at naqcc.info. Format as NAQCC #1234.

Your number is in your welcome email or member profile on the club's site.

Primary Mode Badge

CW, SSB, or Digital, whichever you operate most. No lookup needed, just your own honest answer.

ARES / RACES Appointment

If you hold a formal appointment (EC, DEC, RO, and similar), it's listed with your local ARES group. If you're not sure of your exact title, contact your Section's Emergency Coordinator, found through the ARRL ARES page for your section.

Previous Callsign

If you upgraded from an earlier callsign, for example a Technician-class call before earning a vanity Extra call, this preserves that history. Your license history in FCC ULS or your own memory is the source here.

All those involved in Ham Boutique, Ham Community, and our other sites, are amateur radio operators. We do this first and foremost to keep our online projects free for all to use. We love what we do and we hope that you will support us on this journey.

It's a big world with lots of products made overseas. As much as possible, and we really do try hard, we source materials and work in the USA, Canada, and other democracy loving countries. If we do have to source elsewhere, we tell you. However, this also means that some of our USA and Canada sourced materials might cost a little bit more; we hope you'll understand and still support us.

We do not waste time getting you your product. We want you to enjoy it as soon as possible. If and when there are delays, we apologize. Sometimes it cannot be avoided. But know this, we really do try hard.