Well, I passed. Not only the Technicians Class, but the General Class licenses. I didn't perfect them in any fashion. Still need to work on antenna design theory to say the least. I'll have plenty of time to deal with that. After all, I have plenty of time to just relax and study at my leisure.
The head of The 220Mhz Guys managed to "convince" me to take the Extra License exam as well, not liike I'd have to pay. I figured, fuck it and took it anyway. Didn't even think I'd get more then a handful right. Well, I was told I got 23 correct. That was a hell of a lot more then I thought I would get. I figured at the very most I might be able to guess my way to 17 correct, max. Talk about a bit of a surprise.Had I really studied, I might have been able to pull that one off as well.
And now, the waiting game begins. I know I've passed, but that's all I got so far. As much as I really want to start talking to people, I still need to wait to pop up in the FCC database. One of the great things these days, once you're in the FCC system and the info is available online, you can go live. No need to wait until you get the license sent from the FCC in the mail. Pretty sweet deal. At least I won't have to wait three to four weeks.
Since I'm set with that, I ordered the data cable and a couple antennas for the Baofeng. After all, the rubber ducky is alright to listen, but I might need a bit better to transmit. While I wait, I can take the time to set up the Baofeng for the repeaters in the area. Listening, I've come across a few, but we'll see how they are with newcomers. That's my biggest worry, the local community's response to a new HAM.
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Saturday, August 16, 2014
The Test
Well, tomorrow I take my test. I'm going to try and take my license exams. Over the past week, I've been studying and taking practice exams. A great resource for this is AA9PW. It has practice exams available, and even to help learn Morse. As a bonus, the tests include the answers you got wrong, and which parts you need to work on. It has been, not only a great tool, but a nearly invaluable asset to help get me prepared.
As for testing, that is a harder thing for most people. Looking online, you're bound to find a group nearby that sponsers testing. In my case, I came across The 220 MHz Guys. They offer testing every two weeks. That's pretty good news since I'm damned excited to take my test sooner rather then later. They even offer a bonus of, if you take your Technical Exam with them, you get an automatic free 1 year membership with there group. Others may offer the same, but some groups may not.
The breakdown, for this group at least, is the testing is $15. You can take the tests until failing, or even pass them all in one sitting. If you fail, you still have a chance to pay to try again.
For me, the testing will be tomorrow. I look forward to it myself.
Links:
The 220 MHZ Guys : http://www.the220mhzguys.org/
AA9PW : http://aa9pw.com/
As for testing, that is a harder thing for most people. Looking online, you're bound to find a group nearby that sponsers testing. In my case, I came across The 220 MHz Guys. They offer testing every two weeks. That's pretty good news since I'm damned excited to take my test sooner rather then later. They even offer a bonus of, if you take your Technical Exam with them, you get an automatic free 1 year membership with there group. Others may offer the same, but some groups may not.
The breakdown, for this group at least, is the testing is $15. You can take the tests until failing, or even pass them all in one sitting. If you fail, you still have a chance to pay to try again.
For me, the testing will be tomorrow. I look forward to it myself.
Links:
The 220 MHZ Guys : http://www.the220mhzguys.org/
AA9PW : http://aa9pw.com/
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
The Beginning.
I've decided to start a blog about my journey into the world of amateur "HAM" radio. As of now, I don't have a license, but I do have a radio. To be honest, it was something of a whim. For years I've been interested, but I finally decided to take the dive in.
About two weeks ago, I was browsing Amazon and came across a Baofeng UV-5RA handheld radio. After reading the reviews, it didn't seem that bad for a $35 radio. Haven't been transmitting of course, but at least it's given me a chance to see what I can find, and what repeaters are active.
Since then, I've decided to research the licensing process. After seeing the three license classes, Technician's License, General License, and Extra License.
Given what I want to do, I'm focusing on the Technician's and General License.
Now, some of the things I may include are my contacts I make, after I get my license, naturally, but also I may include tips I find for using HAM in an urban environment. While they may be posted who knows where, they're are just things I may come across and deem useful. I'm not going to go too in depth with the information, just enough to get the understanding across.
About two weeks ago, I was browsing Amazon and came across a Baofeng UV-5RA handheld radio. After reading the reviews, it didn't seem that bad for a $35 radio. Haven't been transmitting of course, but at least it's given me a chance to see what I can find, and what repeaters are active.
Since then, I've decided to research the licensing process. After seeing the three license classes, Technician's License, General License, and Extra License.
Given what I want to do, I'm focusing on the Technician's and General License.
Now, some of the things I may include are my contacts I make, after I get my license, naturally, but also I may include tips I find for using HAM in an urban environment. While they may be posted who knows where, they're are just things I may come across and deem useful. I'm not going to go too in depth with the information, just enough to get the understanding across.
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