Checking in

[pavelow]

As a prepper I've been neglecting my comms . To get started I got my first chicom ham handheld.  It has been a  little more complicated than I thought (took me 2 hours to get the programming down) so I've been online and while looking for information on it I stumbled across this site in the process. I do not have my license yet but plan on getting it when the next test takes place in mid May. I have been trying to soak up as much information that I can.  I am excited to get into the world of radio and more so to be even more prepared when the SHTF.

[Joe]

Welcome to the forum. Everyone on here is great !!! There is alot of info out there, I got the Gordon West Tech book and downloaded a practice test to my iphone, past the test first time.

[pavelow]

Thank you for the app suggestion. I will definitely look it up.

[White Tiger]

Welcome, was EXACTLY like you - prepps were last on my list, and I felt like I was running out of time! Ran into a fellow board member sometime around September who elmered me through studying and defining what kind of radio I would need - got the radio, antenna, coax and then tested for my General by October!!

I was on the air quickly - by January I got pretty good at making regular contacts, and then even started to make some weak signal (voice) contacts.

You will learn a LOT here - great folks!

By the way - see if this link (posted on these boards in a couple of different threads) for one of the more popular Chicom radios - helps you:http://www.miklor.com/uv5r/UV5R-BuddysQPG.html

[KC9TNH]

Welcome. Most of the Chicom h/t's are OK, but the manuals are in Chinglish. Internet searches will eventually yield some good samaritan that speaks Wookie and does a simple user guide. Otherwise, for many, it's simply an interface cord and the appropriate [model] Commander software.

Don't study for the Tech. Study for the Tech and the General, minimum.  When you're fried, just start banging free online practice exams at eham.net or qrz.com until you're passing when sleep-deprived.  Aim higher; Extra is nice but doesn't buy (proportionally) the capability in HF that the difference between the Tech and General will; that difference is huge.

Again, welcome and good luck.
:)

[RadioRay]

Totally agree with TNH.

The Technician class license and General class do the heavy lifting in the ham radio community.  I got my Extra mainly because I've been a ham since shortly after the Earth's crust cooled (a looong time ago) . I finally took the Extra mainly just to force myself to hit the free on-line websites and polish my RF electronics knowledge.  Seriously, go for your Technician.  we'll help you to get what you need to study and find a place to take the test.


de RadioRay ..._ ._

[pavelow]

Thanks for the warm welcome.  Already got the ARRL book coming and have taken a few practice test online.  Can't wait to get my license!

[madball13]

Pavelow, hamstudy.org is also a great practice site. After getting my Tech i was able to get my general after a couples hours of studying and nailing a few practice tests.

[pavelow]

Pavelow, hamstudy.org is also a great practice site. After getting my Tech i was able to get my general after a couples hours of studying and nailing a few practice tests.

i will check it out.

[Quietus]

Welcome, pavelow.
 
KC9TNH's advice on taking both tech and general on the same day, is real good.  The general material has some backwards overlap to tech material,  so there won't be twice as much studying to do.  As you decide whether to take both tests on the same day, find an ARRL amateur band allocation chart.  Look at it and notice how much is available on a general license, and how (relatively) little there is on a tech license.  And some bands are more "useful" than others, depending on your point of view.  The chart ought to decide it for you:  Take both tests the same day!
 
KC9TNH's advice on hammering the tests online, is what got me my general license in four days of studying. The general study guide was frustrating, so I studied the tests after getting straightened out by KC9TNH.  Took tech five times and general twenty times on eHam.net   When testing for real came, I saw only one question on both tests that I'd not seen before online.

[pavelow]

I started poking through the tech book and ill start messing with the test tomorrow. Ill do the same with the general tests  and I think I'll be more then ready for the test on May 8th. 

[White Tiger]

I started poking through the tech book and ill start messing with the test tomorrow. Ill do the same with the general tests  and I think I'll be more then ready for the test on May 8th.

How did it go, Pavelow?