Affiliate Disclosure – Ham Radio Lab

// TL;DR — Plain English Summary

Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you click one and buy something, I may earn a small commission — at no extra cost to you. I only link to gear I'd actually recommend. My opinions are always my own and are never influenced by whether a commission is involved.

01 What Is an Affiliate Link?

An affiliate link is a regular product link with a tracking code attached. When you click it and make a purchase, the retailer pays me a small referral commission. The price you pay is identical — affiliates are paid by the retailer, not by you.

This is a standard, FTC-recognized way for content creators to earn income without charging readers directly. Ham Radio Lab uses affiliate links to help cover hosting, equipment testing, and the time spent writing guides.

02 Which Programs Does This Site Use?

Ham Radio Lab participates in the following affiliate programs:

Amazon Associates

// retail

Amazon.com product links for radios, antennas, accessories, and tools referenced in reviews and guides.

Ham Radio Outlet

// specialty retailer

Direct retailer links to HRO for ham-specific gear when relevant to a review or recommendation.

Other Retailers

// as applicable

Additional programs may be added over time. This page will be updated whenever a new program is joined.

Links to sites I am not affiliated with — such as FCC.gov, RepeaterBook.com, or ARRL.org — are included purely for your reference and generate no income for this site.

03 How It Affects My Reviews

Bluntly: it doesn't — or it shouldn't, and I work hard to make sure it doesn't. Here's how I keep it honest:

I only link to products I would genuinely recommend to a new ham or a friend
Negative aspects of gear are called out in reviews regardless of affiliate status
I never accept payment, free products, or sponsorships in exchange for positive coverage
Whether or not an affiliate program exists for a product has no bearing on whether I recommend it
If I think a cheaper or better product exists than the one with an affiliate link, I'll say so

Example: The Baofeng UV-5R earns almost nothing in commission due to its low price. I still recommend it as a first radio because it's genuinely useful for that purpose — not because of any financial incentive.

04 FTC Compliance

This disclosure is made in accordance with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission's guidelines on endorsements and testimonials (16 CFR Part 255). The FTC requires that material connections between a content creator and a brand or retailer be clearly disclosed.

Affiliate links on this site are identified where practical. This page serves as a site-wide disclosure that applies to all content on HamRadioLab.com.

05 Amazon Associates Specific Notice

Ham Radio Lab is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

06 Questions?

If you have any questions about this disclosure or how affiliate links work on this site, feel free to reach out.

You can contact me at: contact@hamradiolab.com
or via the contact page on this site. I'm happy to clarify anything here.