Getting into amateur radio.

[Trainguy1997]

Well...I am getting into becoming a amateur radio operator and I was planning on starting to study for my license when I hopefully bring 5 failing grades up by May 16th(I am a senior in high school). The other thing is I just became a Skywarn spotter and the nearest repeater by me is in Porter County Indiana. I have listened to their ops when we had our first severe storm this season and that was something else that sparked my interest.

I was wondering what the reqs are for a technician class license and how hard the test is and such and what freqs I can op on(i know I can op on the 144-147MZ band). Also does the FCC assign you a call sign or do you pick it out? Thanks for your help also guys!!!

 

[TheSpaceMann]

Well...I am getting into becoming a amateur radio operator and I was planning on starting to study for my license when I hopefully bring 5 failing grades up by May 16th(I am a senior in high school). The other thing is I just became a Skywarn spotter and the nearest repeater by me is in Porter County Indiana. I have listened to their ops when we had our first severe storm this season and that was something else that sparked my interest.

I was wondering what the reqs are for a technician class license and how hard the test is and such and what freqs I can op on(i know I can op on the 144-147MZ band). Also does the FCC assign you a call sign or do you pick it out? Thanks for your help also guys!!!

The test is a walk in the park! You can pass it with just a few days of study. Practice tests are available online for free!! The calls are given out in sequence.

 

[Trainguy1997]

The test is a walk in the park! You can pass it with just a few days of study. Practice tests are available online for free!! The calls are given out in sequence.

Can I get a link to a practice test please? I can't wait to hopefully get this license

 

[buddrousa]

You will have to setup a user and password after you pass you can change the user name if you wish.
https://www.qrz.com/

 

[robertmac]

You will have to setup a user and password after you pass you can change the user name if you wish.
https://www.qrz.com/

The test might be a walk in the park, but there is a lot more to it than that. Find an Elmer [experienced licensed ham] that can tell you the rights and wrongs. Or find a club in your area [google search or someone on here may know]. Far too many people getting into ham radio without the proper knowledge. Yes, you may be able to hit the repeater, but there is a lot more than that. Especially if the repeater is down or out of range. Learn how to set up and change your radios as required. Don't mean to scare anyone off, but there are best practises that should be known.

 

[buddrousa]

As a licensed Ham myself we are encouraged to help grow the hobby. A question was asked I provided the answer. Yes you advice is good information for a new person in the hobby. I have a friend that is a ham his son is a eagle scout that also got his ticket. We need youth in the hobby that want to do more than text and play video games. Trainguy good luck do not get discouraged keep listening and work hard.

 

[mmckenna]

I was wondering what the reqs are for a technician class license and how hard the test is and such

35 Question multiple choice test. Questions are taken from an existing pool, so it's pretty easy to study and pass the test.

However,

As others have said, passing the multiple choice test isn't what you should be focused on. There is a lot to know and simply regurgitating answers will only help you in the short run. It's a life long hobby, so there will always be something to learn. Take the time to not only study the questions, but to actually understand how you get to the correct answer. Get help from others. Find a local amateur radio club, ask them for assistance.

Good luck!

 

[W8RMH]

The book linked below is the book I learned from. It not only gives you all the questions and answers but educates you about the subjects as well.

2014-2018 Technician Class Book by Gordon West | 9780945053798 | Paperback | Barnes & Noble

My best advice however is concentrate on graduating from high school first. All of your priorities at this time should be centered on that. There is plenty of time for Storm Spotting and Amateur radio but it doesn't pay the bills.

 

[TheSpaceMann]

Can I get a link to a practice test please? I can't wait to hopefully get this license

Sure! Here are some FREE ham practice test websites! eHam.net Ham Radio Practice Exams ... AA9PW FCC Exam Practice » Amateur Radio Exam Practice and ARRL Exam Practice Enjoy!!!

 

[N4GIX]

Well...I am getting into becoming a amateur radio operator and I was planning on starting to study for my license when I hopefully bring 5 failing grades up by May 16th(I am a senior in high school). The other thing is I just became a Skywarn spotter and the nearest repeater by me is in Porter County Indiana. I have listened to their ops when we had our first severe storm this season and that was something else that sparked my interest.

I would be honored to assist you in your amateur radio journey. I am a member of the Lake County Amateur Radio Club (LCARC*) and live in Hammond, just a very short three miles south of Whiting.

We are holding an "Indiana QSO Party" next month at the Lake County Emergency Management facility in Crown Point. You are welcome to attend and meet many of the members of the club, and perhaps get an opportunity to participate as a "third party", meaning a licensed ham will control the microphone while you speak.

Feel free to email me if you wish to at n4gix (at) Comcast dot net...

* Lake County Amateur Radio Club - Home
* https://www.facebook.com/LCARC/timeline

 

[bharvey2]

Taking and passing the test isn't hard at all. While you can get by with a few days of study of the various websites that offer practice tests, you would do well to study the theory behind the questions asked. As was mentioned in previous posts, it is a long term hobby and you'll get the most our of it by learning all that you can. There is really a lot to learn too. If your school has any electronics classes, consider enrolling in them. I did when I was in high school and it fueled my interest and directed me toward a tech career. My teacher was a licensed HAM too.

Best of all, you've received an offer above from someone interested in helping you out. Do consider taking him up on the offer. You can learn a lot from books, classes and the internet but nothing beats the voice of experience. Good luck!

 

[prerunner1982]

Rather than taking practice test and guessing at the answers until you get the right one, here is a free study guide that I used to pass my Tech and General.

No-Nonsense Study Guides - KB6NU's Ham Radio Blog

Glad to see a young adult interested in the hobby.
Call signs are issued by the FCC so it is the luck of the draw, however after you get the issued call sign you can request a vanity call. Lets get you licensed first before we worry about the ins/outs of getting a vanity call.

 

[cmdrwill]

I would be honored to assist you in your amateur radio journey. I am a member of the Lake County Amateur Radio Club (LCARC*) and live in Hammond, just a very short three miles south of Whiting.

Thank you and a BIG thumbs up, for being a Mentor.

 

[AC2OY]

Isn't this great how this works,you come on this site and now you found a Elmer!!! Good luck have fun!!!!

 

[KC5AKB]

Work on the grades then go for the ham radio stuff.!!
Good grades will help you get a job and buy more ham radio gear
Just a thought . You can look at the ARRL band plan for where each class
Lic can operate .

 

[tdenfuny]

Here is what I did:

1) I used

Find an Amateur Radio License Exam in Your Area

to find a exam location. Even though they allowed walk-ins I emailed the organizer to register for the exam. This was nice because I got confirmation about what exactly I was supposed to bring.

2) I bought a cheap $10 calculator. This definitely isn't needed, but I did use it on a couple of questions to double check something.

3) I bought the ARRL Ham Radio License book for the Technician exam:

http://www.amazon.com/ARRL-Ham-Radio-License-Manual/dp/1625950136/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461885389

The book contains a list of all the questions, but also has a bit more background. I found reading the book very helpful and after reading (and understanding more) I found that many of the questions has "common sense" answers. I have a background in physics and mathematics and I found this helpful. I spent about two weeks studying maybe 15 to 30 min per day. I read through the book and studied each question. The day of the exam (which was in the evening) I just looked over the questions that I knew I needed to memorize.

4) I bought some number 2 pencils to bring to the exam.

5) After passing the exam I didn't really feel that I completely understood enough to get on the air. I still had some questions about how appropriately make contacts. So I went to Field Day 2015. I didn't get to try any of the radios (they were all on the HF bands and as a technician I don't think I had privileges on those bands. It was a bit intimidating and it was hard to break the shell that I felt surrounds the community. Maybe I am just and/or maybe they were a bit shy too. Anyway, I learned some from going and it was interesting to see everything in action

6) I also bought a Baofeng UV5R

http://www.amazon.com/BaoFeng-UV-5R-Dual-Radio-Black/dp/B007H4VT7A/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1461886379

I haven't used it!! But I got it set up so that I can listen to the local repeaters. You could also buy a radio scanner like

http://www.amazon.com/Uniden-Handhe...F8&qid=1461886441&sr=8-1&keywords=uniden+bc75

if you just wanted to listen. I thought having a radio help me a lot about frequencies and bands.

 

[AB4BF]

5) After passing the exam I didn't really feel that I completely understood enough to get on the air. I still had some questions about how appropriately make contacts. So I went to Field Day 2015. I didn't get to try any of the radios (they were all on the HF bands and as a technician I don't think I had privileges on those bands. It was a bit intimidating and it was hard to break the shell that I felt surrounds the community. Maybe I am just and/or maybe they were a bit shy too. Anyway, I learned some from going and it was interesting to see everything in action

Tdenfuny, If there were Extra or even General licensed hams there, you could have used the radios under their direction. We do that with Technicians during our state's QSO party. That alone is a good motivator to move up in license classes...

 

[tdenfuny]

AB4BF: I didn't know that! I was (still am) a bit unsure about the rules and I didn't want to break any rules. Anyway, I will try to go again this year.

 

[AB4BF]

AB4BF: I didn't know that! I was (still am) a bit unsure about the rules and I didn't want to break any rules. Anyway, I will try to go again this year.

Find yourself a club nearby and attend the meetings. You may want to attend several different clubs to find your niche, some are HF, CW, 2 meter, Satellite, purely contestors, or all of the above.

Don't wait for any one particular event. Listen on the nets if you have them in your area, and join in - swap meets, get togethers and fox hunts are just the tip of the iceberg.

 

[nd5y]

I was (still am) a bit unsure about the rules and I didn't want to break any rules.

They can be found at eCFR — Code of Federal Regulations