Just passed the Amateur Radio Technician exam today

MrAgent

Just passed about an hour ago. Wasn't a hard exam, since all the questions and answers are published.

Any other hams here?

dpsmooth15

MrAgent wrote: »

Just passed about an hour ago. Wasn't a hard exam, since all the questions and answers are published.

Any other hams here?

I am sure the questions and answers are published on 90% of exams if you look hard enough, of course it was not a "hard exam" you had the answers How you going to say it was not a hard exam and the answers are published in the same sentence…... stop trying to be a bad influence on the good guys who put in hard word and little sleep!

Asif Dasl

Roger, Ten Four

Charlie Oscar November Golf Romeo Alfa Tango Sierra

Over and out


P.S. I have no idea if ham radio uses this!

cyberguypr

Took my Technician Plus back in 1995. Have been wanting to upgrade to General for years but keep postponing it. I blame TechExams!

YFZblu

dpsmooth15 wrote: »

I am sure the questions and answers are published on 90% of exams if you look hard enough, of course it was not a "hard exam" you had the answers How you going to say it was not a hard exam and the answers are published in the same sentence…... stop trying to be a bad influence on the good guys who put in hard word and little sleep!

I did a quick Google search, and it appears the governing body of that certification actually publishes the question/answer pools themselves.

cyberguypr

Yes, the National Conference of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators publishes the whole question pool along with answers. IIRC for the Technician class the pool is close to 400 questions. The exam is just 35 questions.

MrAgent

dpsmooth15 wrote: »

I am sure the questions and answers are published on 90% of exams if you look hard enough, of course it was not a "hard exam" you had the answers How you going to say it was not a hard exam and the answers are published in the same sentence…... stop trying to be a bad influence on the good guys who put in hard word and little sleep!

Chill out man. The FCC publishes the questions and the answers. I took a class this weekend which went over everything on the exam, and then they do a question/answer review to help understand the concepts presented. They also answered which each question was right and why they were wrong. I learned a ton this weekend.

Planning on doing the general class next.

aftereffector

Congrats! I got my Extra a little while after they reduced the code requirement - I am terrible at understanding Morse - but I haven't been on the air in ten years. The digital modes were popular when I was operating, and I imagine that they have maintained popularity over time.

Antenna fabrication was the best part of the whole process!

MrAgent

Nice! Im looking forward to getting the general class done so that I can do more with satellites. Its pretty amazing what you can do with it.

antielvis

Got one here Mr Agent but it's been many years since I been active. A friend of mine lives on a sailboat and claims you can use certain frequencies and tunnel data through it like a modem.

veritas_libertas

Yup, a Ham Radio operator here...

MrAgent

Nice. I am planning on getting a radio this week. Probably a handheld, as itll be my first one. Anyone have any recommendations?

aftereffector

ICOM and Yaesu are the big kids on the block. If you want to do satellite, you'll want crossband duplex. I have been out of the game for a while so the models have changed, but I used to use the ICOM W32A, which would do V/V, V/U, U/V, and U/U for satellite.

PhoneGuy

Congrats on the pass. It can be an enjoyable hobby. I have been licensed since 1976. My favorite mode is CW.

The_Expert

Yes, HAM Operator checking in... General class. Licensed since 2009.

HAM Radio is one of my other favorite hobbies besides just dealing with computers. The great thing is that HAM Radio and electronics / computers go so well together. There are a lot of digital modes available where one can tie a computer and transceiver together.

Great stuff! Lot's of fun once you make other HAM friends who enjoy the same type of HAM radio activities. For example, I love operating QRP (low power) from a public park or other outdoor location. It gets me out of the house and into the fresh air.

I also 2nd the Yeasu or Icom comment. Both companies make very solid transceivers. You can't go wrong with either brand.


73!

antielvis

In a world that relies too heavily on technology..understanding HAM radio is a good idea. In times of real crisis when phone lines are gone, power is out, etc, HAM radio can still easily operate if you have a battery or solar panel. I read a story about how HAM was used to organize recovery teams during a serious flood when power & cell service was out.

@The_Expert: Can you now use a computer to transmit in Morse?

veritas_libertas

Because of course, radio isn't a technology.... LOL!

I'm really teasing of course, but I found that funny. One of my fondest memories was the opportunity to use a tube-type 6-meter rig. I loved the glow and sounds of it operating. I wish I had kept it.

6502

General Class here. I have a handheld and I've built a few radios. I'm more into the building and learning than the talking.

MrAgent

Nice to see other Hams here! I am waiting for my call sign to show up in the ULS database. As soon as it does, ill be on as much as I can.

@antielvis radios redesigned to run on 12volts. This is so that they can be hooked up to your car, which of course runs on 12 volts. I learned a lot last weekend!

veritas_libertas

Anyone involved in D-Star? That is where I believe the future is headed. Digital Amateur Radio.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMMt55Dtp5Q&feature=plcp

Unfortunately there does not appear to be a D-Star repeater in the area of SC that I have moved to. Back in Michigan I was an avid user of D-Star.

N2IT

Pretty cool stuff! Nice work!

The_Expert

I use D-Star, APRS and PSK-31 primarily. One can also transmit and decode morse code (CW) with the help of software.

There are so many sub-categories of this hobby to get into. One will never be bored... I still haven't tried making satellite contacts or using microwave frequencies. Maybe one day...

MrAgent

I ended up buying a Yaesu FT-60R yesterday. Still haven't received my call sign yet, so I can only listen at this point. Hopefully Ill get it this week

donw35

Congrats, Extra class here

MrAgent

Finally got my call sign last night. KK4YJT. Had a blast figuring out my radio last night. Made one contact as well.

Cert Poor

Congrats and welcome!

Got my Technician and General back-to-back in early 2010 but never got a chance to buy a radio or transmit. I'm gunning for Extra Class (and a vanity call sign) before I buy more equipment and transmit.

I'm a Yaesu fanboy. Just bought a Baofeng handheld on an Amazon lightning deal last Black Friday for $30. Need to figure out the interface. Nice little toy. I'm eyeing the new Yaesu, ICOM, and Kenwood handhelds though. Would love to get into some QRP and APRS stuff.

MrAgent

Nice! I don't think Ill have a need to go for extra any time soon. Ill be happy to take and pass the general exam next month. I just want the extra band privileges so I can operate more HF.

Cert Poor

General's do-able, and a huge step up in HF privileges. To me, Extra's more for bragging rights and "get it over with" to score an extra sliver of some bands. I studied about a month for General. I thought the exam was definitely harder than Technician, and there were more questions on the different antenna types and radiation patterns than I was ready for, but I still comfortably passed. Good luck!

Note to others: Amateur radio is more of an "open," non-commercial community, and 100% of the question/answer pool is voluntarily published, so we can freely talk about what's on the test. No NDA or anything. That being said, memorizing questions and answers and passing an exam won't even touch the surface of knowledge and enjoyment in ham.

Not unlike IT, I'm involved with ham radio for the ladies. *crickets*

j23evan

I failed the Technician exam two years ago, and its been on my bucket list. It is still on my list of things to do, an I would like to get up to Extra class, and maybe even do the commercial side as well.

PC509

dpsmooth15 wrote: »

I am sure the questions and answers are published on 90% of exams if you look hard enough, of course it was not a "hard exam" you had the answers How you going to say it was not a hard exam and the answers are published in the same sentence…... stop trying to be a bad influence on the good guys who put in hard word and little sleep!

The FCC publishes the questions and answers. So, you know the answers to the exam, but you don't really "know" the material that it covers. But, it's not going to gain you anything just being a ham. You're doing it because you want to learn. It won't get you a job, it won't get you a raise. It's a hobby. When I took the test, I read a book first for the basics, then studied the test pool to pass the exam. From there, I learned more in depth of what was going on, the reg's and things like that.

KE7UOP here. I've only played on 2m so far, and not very often at that.

Ivanjam

Android users can check out the "Ham Radio Study" app. The free version contains the full Technician and General question banks, as well as part of the Extra, in a nice format with a clean interface.