Studying for Tech...

[KC0KM]

Not me -- my nephew. Last week my kid sister's 14 year old son was staying over at the house, and went with us when my father and I went to our radio club meeting. For the most part Jeremiah has not really been too interested in Amateur Radio. As we went around the room doing introductions, and the back of the room was a "YL" of about I say 8 or 9 years old -- and she had her call sign. His eyes got real big, then whispered to me "How do I get a call sign?"

On the way home we told him he had to study, and take a test. The other night he came down to my room and asked for my old Technicians book, so he could begin to study. I told him that these questions are out of date, but the information is still the same (the question pool is from about 2000 or so). Anyway, we have ordered him a new book (my dad ordered it so I do not know which one). We plan on helping him as well. However, it has been a long time since I have studied for my Tech, and the one website/power point that I used is no longer valid. ( I used TEARA VE). I would like to help him, so does anyone know a fairly good Power Point set up for Tech Class, that we can download it and teach him that way. Who knows -- with in a few months we might have another ham in the family.

 

[KC0KM]

Bit of an update, my dad got him the Gordon West Manual, have not seen it yet, but from what I haveheard Gordo's pretty good. Still would like to find a Powerpoint study, we we can help him with the computer.

 

[teufler]

go to Callsign Database by QRZ.COM and takle the practice exams. Many questions are common sense, that he may have a grasp of the4 correct answer. This will show him, he is not far off from getting a ticket.

 

[PrimeNumber]

It's not powerpoint but an e-book, "The No-Nonsense Technician Class License Study Guide (2014 edition)" is an excellent resource. It gives each question, the correct answer, and a short (about a paragraph, with equations as needed) way of getting to the answer. Between that and the QRZ.com on-line practice tests, it was an easy cruise to both Tech and General for me. (And I was recovering from surgery at the time, and pretty much jacked up on pain killers. It was a GREAT way to pass the time!)

These e-books are in Amazon's kindle format but if he doesn't have a kindle tablet, there's a free reader for computers. It's basically the same thing as a powerpoint presentation.

These guides are also dirt cheap, about $8.

 

[KC0KM]

Made a mistake on what book my father got him -- (He told me, but had failed to look). What we have is the ARRL Tech book, so I am fine with that one. I was going through some of the questions and reading them off to my dad, to se if he knew(or at least remembered) some of the answers. I did far better than he did, as I often know the answer before I read the listed answers. I will continue to look, I found the ARRL one, and it looks okay (I can use it with the book).

As for online practice tests, I think that the QRZ, and the ARRL are good for starting out, however, for when getting ready for the test, I liked EHam, because it is more "realistic" to the test you will take, as you have to complete the test before you know you have passsed or failed. I will work with him if he wants to get get it, but I am not going to push him.

 

[PrimeNumber]

Made a mistake on what book my father got him -- (He told me, but had failed to look). What we have is the ARRL Tech book, so I am fine with that one.

Those are really good. They have nearly complete presentations on each question so that if somebody's starting from zero it doesn't leave them behind.

I will work with him if he wants to get get it, but I am not going to push him.

Smart. When I was a kid, a much older cousin as well as a scoutmaster both tried to push me to study for a license. So naturally I didn't want to, and didn't consider ham again until I was almost 50.

 

[KC0KM]

Smart. When I was a kid, a much older cousin as well as a scoutmaster both tried to push me to study for a license. So naturally I didn't want to, and didn't consider ham again until I was almost 50.

What is kind of funny is I got my license about a year or so before my father. However, my father had been exposed, and had began to study for his license about 55 years ago, it took him roughly 50 years to get his license. His main problem was he could not hear code (still can't), he now has his Extra, and his old roommate call. my nephew was over today, and we gave him his book, (my dad told him NOT to take to school, out of fear someone might take it or he would lose it, however I told him if he needed help on the math to ask his teacher).

When I began to study for my Tech (back in '09) I went to a class, but also had been given a study aid on line, as well as the practice test sites. I had started to study back in the early part of 2000 or so, using the book. But, after awhile (and getting into the technical stuff) I gave up. I dug out my old "Now You're Talking" book (the ARRL book I got at Radio Shack, when they still cares about radios), and took it to class. I found out that I did not need to take notes, because everything was in the book (besides I cannot write).