Where to begin with a HAM radio?

[bblhd672]

Just passed Technician exam at the Arlington Amateur Radio Club field day!

[mdubtx]

Congratulations!

[RSX11]

Here's a tip for all the new hams - as you pick up the curious argot used by radio operators, make sure that you learn to say "73" instead of "73s" - "73" is shorthand for "best regards: - "73s" would be "best regardses", and tends to irritate the old hands. It would be like referring to magazines as clips in the gun world.

[TexasJohnBoy]

Pass my tech exam today with 100% correct; I was surprised!
Tried to go General at the same time and missed that one by four questions. Not surprised that about that at all since I hadn't looked at question 1 on the general pool...

Now I wait!

[Charles L. Cotton]

Pass my tech exam today with 100% correct; I was surprised!
Tried to go General at the same time and missed that one by four questions. Not surprised that about that at all since I hadn't looked at question 1 on the general pool...

Now I wait!

Congratulations! Welcome to the hobby.

Chas.

[mdubtx]

Pass my tech exam today with 100% correct; I was surprised!
Tried to go General at the same time and missed that one by four questions. Not surprised that about that at all since I hadn't looked at question 1 on the general pool...

Now I wait!

Congrats TexasJohnBoy!

To those looking at testing for their Technician license, I see a trend that is in line with where I was as well. If you pass, be sure to take the VE [Volunteer Examiner] up on testing for the General while you are there! Seems like most everyone comes out within just a few correct answers of passing the General as well. It doesn't cost you a second fee and, you never know. (My attempt at Extra after passing the General... Not so much. We had a good laugh. Thought I was going to owe him a new red marker.)

[2farnorth]

Went to do my ham license upgrade last evening, I was grandfathered from Tech to General since I got Tech back in 1985 (general written test) and never let the license lapse, Took the Extra class test while there and passed it!!!!!

[bblhd672]

Went to do my ham license upgrade last evening, I was grandfathered from Tech to General since I got Tech back in 1985 (general written test) and never let the license lapse, Took the Extra class test while there and passed it!!!!!

Congrats!

[z_g_yang]

I have same experience. I scheduled to take test on Saturday for Technician. While I learned on Thursday, after calling to one of VE that I can take General and Extra test without additional cost. I spent Friday reading the question pools for General, and I passed.

To those looking at testing for their Technician license, I see a trend that is in line with where I was as well. If you pass, be sure to take the VE [Volunteer Examiner] up on testing for the General while you are there! Seems like most everyone comes out within just a few correct answers of passing the General as well. It doesn't cost you a second fee and, you never know. (My attempt at Extra after passing the General... Not so much. We had a good laugh. Thought I was going to owe him a new red marker.)

[Liberty]

Saturday, I took the General test. I was pretty well prepared for it. I also took the Extra test. Failed it by one question. I was surprised, because I did no prep for it. The good thing is when I take the test again I will do so with confidence. The bad news is that I have no HF gear. I need to work on that

KF5IZN.

[Flightmare]

I took my extra on saturday as well and passed. No more of those tests needed from me. A buddy of mine from church gave me a nice HF antenna, I just need a rig to work with it. Curse you guys for getting me involved in this expensive hobby!

[2farnorth]

Most of my old HF radios are in a state of disrepair. Working on repairing my old Drake TR3 tube type transceiver to get back on the air. My newer Icom 720a solid state HF is down for the second time and no one wants to repair it. IC chips hard to get. Sent a request to Icom but did not get an answer. Will call them in a couple of days. Til then I'm stuck with only 10, 2 and .75 meters.

[bblhd672]

Curse you guys for getting me involved in this expensive hobby!

Looking at amateur radio equipment is taking up my looking at firearms and accessories time!

[TexasJohnBoy]

Got my license last week, haven't been able to hit any repeaters near me reliably. I'm going to built a j pole antenna this weekend and hook it up to my ht just to see if I can make it any farther without a true shack and rig.

The true shack and rig is going to have to wait for a while before I can put it together!

[Flightmare]

I've been having fun listening to the repeaters near me. Bought a mobile rig earlier; Yaesu FT-8900R. Need to figure out an antenna setup that'll work with my truck and the garage. I couldn't use the factory radio antenna on the truck because it kept hitting the garage door when I'd pull in and out of the garage. This should be fun.