Congrats!  Currently studying for it myself.

Gun forum = folks with guns.

Some folks with guns do some prepping as a way of life.

Some folks that prep want emergency comms.

Hence a bunch of people on a very large gun forum that are HAMs.

That is why I got into it, a continuation of my prepping, well that and some of the people here that will go unnamed, but you know who you are. It also happened to correspond with a dramatic event in my life that is still ongoing but getting better, and HAM radio gives me the ability to concentrate on something else to focus on once in a while.

ETA:  I can type about 10 words per minute, but can only hear one letter at a time. I am using dead time to keep learning morse. I started last week. The problem I have is recognizing letters fast enough and hearing when one letter stops and the next one starts. I know the alphabet, and sending is easy, but hearing it makes me struggle.

Congrats on the unlocked achievement.

I'm anxious to upgrade also, but I promised myself I'd learn code first, and then test for extra.

BTW, the coolest radio I own is a TBY-8. Currently looking for a battery box an the 10 pc. antenna segments. I know it's low power, short range, but I'm committed to it.