New ham radio operators in Boone County, Illinois
No one in Boone County earned a first amateur radio license in the past 12 months, but 118 licensed hams live here. Updated weekly from FCC data.
At a glance · Data as of
- New hams · last 30 days
- 0
- New hams · last 12 months
- 0
- ▼ down from 3
- Active licensed hams
- 118
- Upgrades · 12 mo
- 7
- Vanity callsigns · 12 mo
- 0
- Address updates · 12 mo
- 0
- Often a move into the area
- Expiring · next 6 mo
- 5
About ham radio in Boone County
No one in Boone County earned a first amateur radio license in the past 12 months, after 3 new hams the year before. It ranks tied for #63 of 102 Illinois counties for new hams. Technicians make up 36% of local licensees, below the Illinois average of 43%, a sign of an experienced community with many HF operators. 7 operators upgraded their license in the past year, the moment many buy their first HF rig.
New hams by month
No new hams were licensed in Boone County in the 12 months from Oct 2025 to Sep 2026.
License classes
| Class | Hams | Share | Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technician | 43 | 36% | 43% |
| General | 35 | 30% | 27% |
| Amateur Extra | 30 | 25% | 23% |
| Advanced | 6 | 5% | 4% |
| Novice / Other | 4 | 3% | 3% |
Bar = Boone County share · Tick = Illinois share
In the past 12 months, 2 operators upgraded to General and 4 to Amateur Extra.
How Boone County compares
Tied for #63 of 102 Illinois counties for new hams in the past 12 months
| Per 1,000 active hams | Boone | Illinois | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| New hams, past 12 months | 0.0 | 33.3 | 32.3 |
| Upgrades, past 12 months | 59.3 | 15.9 | 14.7 |
| Expiring, next 6 months | 42.4 | 59.5 | 57.3 |
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Figures may be reused with credit to Ham Recruiter (CC BY 4.0).
Questions about new hams in Boone County
How many new ham radio operators were licensed in Boone County last year?
No one in Boone County, Illinois received a first FCC amateur radio license in the 12 months ending Oct 1, 2026, compared with 3 the year before.
How many licensed ham radio operators are in Boone County?
118 active amateur licensees: 36% Technician, 30% General, 25% Amateur Extra.
Where does this data come from?
From the FCC Universal Licensing System (ULS) public amateur license database, which we download every Monday. Addresses are matched to counties with the U.S. Census Bureau geocoder. This page shows totals only.
How can my club reach new hams in Boone County?
Create a free Ham Recruiter account and save a 5 to 25 mile search around your club. On the 1st of every month we email you a CSV of new hams, upgrades and other changes in and around Boone County. Sign up free.
Can I see the names or call signs on this page?
No. Public pages show totals only. Verified Ham Recruiter users can search and export lists for outreach; see how licensee information is handled.
About this data
Data as of . Source: FCC Universal Licensing System (ULS) weekly amateur license database; county from U.S. Census Bureau geocoding. Aggregates only, no individual licensee data is shown. Aggregate figures © Ham Recruiter, CC BY 4.0.
How we count
- New ham: an active licensee whose first license was granted in the period.
- Address updates: a change of FCC mailing address, often a move into the area.
- Counts use each licensee’s current FCC address. Someone licensed here who later moved is counted where they live now.
- Each license keeps only its most recent event of each type, so two upgrades in one year count once.
- PO-box-only addresses often can’t be matched to a county, so rural counties are slightly undercounted.