Beginning radio and study advice?

[clemons745]

I am studying to get my tech license, and I was wondering the best way to study?

Also, I have ordered the Beofeng UV-5R handheld, and a magnet mount radio for my truck that plugs into it. What do you think about this radio for a beginner? Any suggestions for a starter radio?

Thanks!

 

[GrumpyGuard]

O.K. where to start. Here is a website that I came across while checking out WX4EMT's install pictures. Daniel M Romanchik KB6NU created some great books for people interested in getting there license. Follow this link and you can download the Technician book free of charge.
I would also recommend taking practice tests on line. Just do a google search and you will find plenty of websites that offer free practice tests.
As far as the radio goes I went to eham.net and the reviews of the radio were good. The radio has a rating of 4/5.
I hope this helps. You should have posted this in the Amateur Radio section of the forum/getting your license. I am sure a moderator will move it.

Good luck on getting your ticket.

 

[Howdy_All]

BUY - yourself the ARRL Technician License Manual.
Even if all you can find is the Gordon West Technician License Manual -

READ it from cover to cover.

The ARRL also publishes a radio operators guide.

Also - BUY yourself a copy of the FCC Part 97 manual and use it as a bed side reader.
The Part 97 can be downloaded free off the internet.

The Part 97 is like a road map of the rules and regulations of Amateur Radio.

Study until you can pass all the online questions on several online test sites.
Eham.net is one such site.

The secret is to learn all the answers - do not memorize the answers - or you will not learn anything.

If while taking the online tests - you can look up the exam question number and find the answer to the question.

It does not hurt you to cheat on the online tests - because even when you cheat - you still learn the answers.

Anything that you are not sure of - you can find an explanation in your technician manual / or on the internet.

Good Luck

 

[Howdy_All]

I am studying to get my tech license, and I was wondering the best way to study?

Also, I have ordered the Beofeng UV-5R handheld, and a magnet mount radio for my truck that plugs into it. What do you think about this radio for a beginner? Any suggestions for a starter radio?

Thanks!

a magnet mount radio for my truck>?

What do I think of it?

Well - your TRANSCEIVER - handheld I believe does 2 watts - if it is the $50.00 version.

Most mobile TRANSCEIVERS does about 40 - 50 watts.

For a beginner - it is a poor choice.
If your only goal in life is to check into one or two nets - if they still have them in your area, and talk to one or two people - say maybe that belongs to a local club that you know, your handheld might work ok.

But because you are a beginner and you want to expose yourself to as much traffic as possible - it is a very poor choice as a first radio - as you put it.

Two meters and 440 mhz is two of the most popular bands which new amateurs are allowed to operate on.

Most two meter communications involves some type of repeater.
A repeater is a Transceiver that is connected to a controller and a duplexer which uses one antenna, mounted in a very high place, that listens for your transmission and then downloads it and then retransmits it for reception by the other people in the area on a different frequency.

Repeaters tends to be built in very high places such as on top of the tallest building in the area - for a local repeater or on top of a mountain or large broadcast tower - for a wide area repeater.

The repeater does all the work.

Where I live, people tends to hang out on a simplex frequency.
Simplex is where you transmit on a frequency and the other people listens on the same frequency and only one person can transmit at a time.
Hand held bubble pack FRS / GMRS walkie talkies, CB radios etc - all uses some type of simplex.

Duplex - is like a repeater

Full duplex is where you can talk and listen at the same time - such as a cell phone or a telephone.

Without the aid of the repeater - your hand held range is only LOS - Line Of Sight.
Line of sight can be anything between 300 feet and 9 miles depending on terrain.

LOS with 2 watts at 146 mhz will give you a simplex range of about 3 miles....

Lets say your friends are 6 miles away.
They won't hear you and you will not hear them.

Without the external antenna - it will not transmit well indoors on in a vehicle.
The only thing those radios are is cheap!
They are not a very good first radio.

 

[pjtnascar]

QRZ.com has free ham test practice. I studied directly from the question pool. My first radio was a TYT-UVF1. It cost about 129.00, with cable and computer software to program. I connected it in my vehicle to an MFJ magnet mount dual band antenna. It worked fine, and my total investment was about $169.00. I got my feet wet for little money. I ahve since upgraded to regular mobile rig. If yoiu have the budget, get a dual band mobile that does 50 watts-it works much better. But to start out on the cheap, you can't beat the above set up.

 

[69Z28]

Why not use a programmable scanner and just listen for a while until you learn the lingo?

 

[GrumpyGuard]

Amateur Radio is more than just lingo

Why not use a programmable scanner and just listen for a while until you learn the lingo?

Getting your ham licence involves quite a bit more than "just learning the lingo". You must take a 35 question test regarding your technical knowledge of radio theory and safe operating practices. To learn more about Amateur Radio go to the American Radio Relay League web site. This link has a lot of information on getting licensed.