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Newbie / Getting Your License New to amateur radio and interested in getting your license? This is the forum for you.

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Old 08-03-2009, 12:10 AM
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Default Just bought the ARRL study guide

Hi Everyone,

I just bought the ARRL study guide for the tech license this weekend. I've been thinking about it for a while and am pretty excited about it. My uncle is an avid ham radio operator, which sparked my interest.

Anyway, I hope to learn a lot from this amazing forum and community. I just started reading the manual and hope to take the exam in a few months. I just started reading online about stealth antennas, as we get a lot of high winds in the area and I'm hoping that a stealth antenna will work out well for me (and also keep my wife off my back. LOL).

Thanks for posting all the great info in this forum!
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Old 08-03-2009, 05:30 PM
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The ARRL books are a great place to start. However, my personal recommendation to you: try not to just memorize answers, but endeavour to actually learn the concepts and theories as well. If you do so, and get really involved in the hobby, you'll thank yourself later. Good luck and hope to hear you on the air soon.
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Old 08-03-2009, 08:13 PM
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Talking

Good luck! Hope to hear ya on the air. A young child can pass the test you'll be taking,and when you see all those fun radios you'll be like a young child in a candy store!lol
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N9ZAS.
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Old 08-03-2009, 08:21 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bighammer View Post
I just started reading the manual and hope to take the exam in a few months.
Pick a date and study so you're ready for that specific date. I waited 2 years to get my tech simply because I never decided when I had to be all ready for the test so I read through several times without ever committing to testing, and it delayed my start into the hobby.

And if you've got or got access to a scanner, radio (don't transmit til you're legal) or can access a HAM feed on the scanner feeds online, I found I learned a ton more about HAM radio when I was listening to it, everything from the protocol of hopping onto a repeater, to theory on different antenna designs and really re-enforcing the concepts put on paper in the book.
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Old 08-03-2009, 08:28 PM
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Google the Internet for practice ham tests. You can take these practice tests online in your own time. When you take the actual test... it will be a piece of cake!
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Old 08-03-2009, 09:17 PM
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One of the best sites I found for practice tests is AH0A. Practice tests, Morse code practice, and great study guides.

Also, of course, AA9PW FCC Exam Practice.

I read and re-read a copy of 'Now You're Talking', and the ARRL books are great.

Good luck on your test!
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Last edited by CLynch7; 08-03-2009 at 09:25 PM..
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Old 08-03-2009, 11:34 PM
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Everyone, thank you for the encouragement and great feedback! I will definitely read the book to understand the concepts and not just memorize the answers. Thanks for the great suggestion, K2QI. Reviewing some of the basic formulas sure brought back some memories from high school. LOL. Great stuff, and I'm beginning to see how this all fits into the hobby. Hope to see you guys on the air soon!
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Old 09-05-2009, 06:48 PM
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Default ARRL guide

Hey where do you get those guides, I need to get certified too...thanks


Kyle
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Old 09-05-2009, 07:22 PM
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The ARRL guide should work okay. However, the people in our local club switched to the Gordon West books for all license classes, because they found lots of errors in the ARRL Tech book.

The AA9PW and QRZ.com sample tests should help tremendously.

My wife, who has no electonic experience passed the Tech, General, and Extra tests.

Randy, K8TMK (also trustee of W8KIT)
Annie, W8ALK
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Old 09-05-2009, 11:08 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by k8tmk View Post
The ARRL guide should work okay. However, the people in our local club switched to the Gordon West books for all license classes, because they found lots of errors in the ARRL Tech book.

The AA9PW and QRZ.com sample tests should help tremendously.

My wife, who has no electonic experience passed the Tech, General, and Extra tests.

Randy, K8TMK (also trustee of W8KIT)
Annie, W8ALK
Agreed. The online practice tests are great. Also, for those looking for the books, they're easy to find online. Barnes and Noble often has the ARRL books in stock locally, as does Ham Radio Outlet. I picked up some flash cards at HRO, which have also been helpful
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Old 09-06-2009, 02:14 PM
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AH0A is a site I used, and it was quite helpful. Good study-guides for each ticket.
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Old 09-06-2009, 11:24 PM
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CLynch7, this is a cool site. Thanks!
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Old 09-08-2009, 03:26 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bighammer View Post
CLynch7, this is a cool site. Thanks!
Sure thing, good luck on the exams!
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