Ham radio guys

[Maverick]

ditto Kurt and Brian on the way I did it. Skim over the book, take the online practices test over and over and over and then go take the exam.

That's how my 12yo did it last summer. Studied on the plane coming back from DC on a Sunday, took online tests on Mon and Tues, took it Tues night.

 

[Maverick]

In the spirit of Easter, I shall resurrect this thread

Sami/Kurt, do you have the book handy that I can borrow? I' d like to throw in a HAM sometime this summer so I ought to get the paperwork done.

Does it cost money to get tested/licensed?

$13? Something like that.

Here are several study guides:

http://w5yd.org.msstate.edu/new_site/files/Element2_Study_Guide.pdf
http://n4maa.us/Technician Study Guide 2.0.pdf
http://hamelmer.com/Assets/Docs/Tech/PDF995 Technician Study Guide 2.1.pdf

Scan the material and then go to these sites and take the practice tests until you pass. Then, get on the air!

http://www.qrz.com/p/testing.pl
http://www.eham.net/exams/
http://aa9pw.com/

 

[rambrush]

Mine was $15.00
I studied these podacsts http://hamradioclass.com/shownotes/category/technician/ dowloaded to my laptop and listened during the day. They are mp3 so they can play on most players.
I downloaded the test questions from there site for both the Tech and General both podcasts and passed both all the same evening after about 4 weeks of studying.
Really not that bad of tests compared to the Extra which I am studying for now.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

I've got the book... I can get it to you when I grab that tire

 

[Cody]

I've got the book... I can get it to you when I grab that tire

Yahtzee!

tire is in the back of my sweet dearest mother's Tahoe. I'll probably bring it out to you Thursday when I'm running around getting my stuff mounted/balanced.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Yahtzee!

tire is in the back of my sweet dearest mother's Tahoe. I'll probably bring it out to you Thursday when I'm running around getting my stuff mounted/balanced.

10-4, give me a holla so I can make sure I'm in.

 

[Cody]

OK, I'm reading through the study guides. Since Kurt and Mudflap seem to disagree about the whereabouts of Kurt's book, I may have to buy one.

I guess my next question is, where do you go to take a test? Are there only certain days you can do it?

 

[Unimog]

I think you can see from the ARRL site where they are held locally. When I took mine a few years ago, they were held about monthly at a room at L3 Communications.

 

[Maverick]

OK, I'm reading through the study guides. Since Kurt and Mudflap seem to disagree about the whereabouts of Kurt's book, I may have to buy one.

I guess my next question is, where do you go to take a test? Are there only certain days you can do it?

Go to this link for the schedule:
http://www.xmission.com/~uarc/testinfo.html

Here's the relevant info for the next couple months:

08/18/10 (Wed.) Provo Steve Whitehead, NV7V 465-39830
8/18/10 (Wed.) St. GeorgeGary O. Zabriskie, N7ARE(435) 674-2678
08/31/10 (Tues.) Salt Lake C. Eugene McWherter, N7OVT 541-1871 1
09/15/10 (Wed.) Provo Steve Whitehead, NV7V 465-3983
09/15/10 (Wed.) St. GeorgeGary O. Zabriskie, N7ARE(435) 674-2678
09/28/10 (Tues.) Salt Lake C. Eugene McWherter, N7OVT 541-1871 1
10/02/10 (Sat.) Salt Lake C. Gordon Smith, K7HFV 582-2438 1
10/06/10 (Wed.) OgdenMary Hazard, W7UE(801) 430-0306
10/20/10 (Wed.) Provo Steve Whitehead, NV7V 465-3983
10/20/10 (Wed.) St. GeorgeGary O. Zabriskie, N7ARE(435) 674-2678
10/26/10 (Tues.) Salt Lake C. Eugene McWherter, N7OVT 541-1871


Footnotes:
1. Pre-registration required. Contact the contact person prior to the examination date.
The SLC locations are at the SL County emergency ops center, 33rd south and about 900 west

City:Salt Lake City
Contact Person: Eugene McWherter, N7OVT
536 E. Leland Avenue
Salt Lake City, Utah 84115
VEC:W5YI
Home Phone:541-1871
Cell Phone:541-1871
E-mail:N7OVT@arrl.net
Location: Salt Lake County Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
3380 S. 900 West (west side of the street)
Schedule: Last Tuesday of each month except December, 7 P.M.


Get 'er done!

 

[cruiseroutfit]

OK, I'm reading through the study guides. Since Kurt and Mudflap seem to disagree about the whereabouts of Kurt's book, I may have to buy one...?

Turns out Jason snuck it back on my bookshelf last night

Its here, just found it in a stack of books in my office. Its been a great book, you'd be the 5th to use it in prep

 

[Brian P]

Just make him buy one, He has been dragging his feet long enough.

 

[Brian P]

Kurt do you have a new book? IIRC the exam pool has been changed as of this or last month.

 

[Cody]

Kurt, I'll come grab it from you in the next day or two.

I'm going to shoot for 8-31.

 

[Rusted]

Kurt and Cody read this again

Kurt do you have a new book? IIRC the exam pool has been changed as of this or last month.

Kurts book is now outdated. Every few years they change the test and the questions so the book that Kurt has does not reflect the latest test questions that started a few months ago. You need to get the book that was published in April 2010

http://www.amazon.com/ARRL-Ham-Radi...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1282150191&sr=8-1

 

[Cody]

Is the information different now or is it just new questions? If it's the same content just new questions, then I'm not worried about using an old book. I didn't get a 34 on my ACT's because I suck at tests

I'm going to run out to the comm guy on redwood and see what he says.

 

[Rusted]

The new book will coach you for the new questions. But the concepts and knowledge wil be the same between them both. Plus the tests is not really that tough to start with. I am thinking about coaching my 8 year old through the test, so if he can pass it I am sure that you will do fine.

 

[Cody]

Sounds like the content is the same, just new questions. Old book should work just fine.

I'm looking at 4 different radios, and I have them ranked in this order after reading reviews. Anyone have experience with any of these, positive or negative?

YAESU FT-2900R: 75 w, $159
ICOM IC-2200H: 65 w. $179
ICOM IC-V8000 75 w. $229
KENWOOD TM-271A 60w $154

The only knock people have on the Yaesu is that it heats up if you are talking at 75w for long periods of time, but you can select 75, 30, 10, or 5 watt output. I don't imagine for my purposes I would need to be transmitting at 75 watts, right?

 

[Rusted]

I have the Yaesu 7900R and my father has two of the 8800R's and we have both been very happy with it. I have been overall very happy with the entire Yaesu line. My guess is that most of the time the 5 or 10 watt would do everything you need. To give you an idea with my 7900R on 50 watts I can hit the snowbird repeater from the mountains above flaming george. It was spotty, but that is about 100 miles with lots of big mountains in the middle.

 

[Cody]

To give you an idea with my 7900R on 50 watts I can hit the snowbird repeater from the mountains above flaming george. It was spotty, but that is about 100 miles with lots of big mountains in the middle.

Wow.

 

[Maverick]

Similarly, I hit Bruin Peak from the Uintas as well as from my cabin near Lewis Peak (Wanship), which is about 100 miles. I have Yeasu 2800 (one in jeep, one in excursion), have yet to have any problems. Love it. Also have a 2600, which works pretty well too.