Another "I'm finally taking my test" thread

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Another "I'm finally taking my test" thread

Posted: 5/11/2017 4:07:05 PM EDT

As the title says, I'm off to take my Tech. here in a couple hours. Depending on how I do, I'll possibly attempt the General at the same time. Life caught up with me in the last week or so and I haven't had nearly as much time to study as I anticipated. Spending most of today cramming the Tech and looking over the General. This board has been a wealth of information over the last couple of months. Thanks guys.

We'll see what happens.

KA

Posted: 5/11/2017 4:13:30 PM EDT

[#1]

Good luck!

Posted: 5/11/2017 8:35:13 PM EDT

[#2]

DOOOO et!

Posted: 5/11/2017 8:43:57 PM EDT

[#3]

My Tech call sign popped up on the FCC website, and I'm studying for my General in two weeks. Good luck! The General is no joke.

Posted: 5/11/2017 8:48:09 PM EDT

[#4]

Well, I ended up getting 5 wrong...on both tests, total. Missed 3 on the Tech, and 2 on the General. The VE offered me the Extra but I haven't even begun to study for it. I declined that test for now. Give me a few months and I'll be ready for it.

Thanks for all the help and support guys.

ka

Posted: 5/11/2017 8:55:50 PM EDT

[#5]

Quote History

Quoted:
Well, I ended up getting 5 wrong...on both tests, total. Missed 3 on the Tech, and 2 on the General. The VE offered me the Extra but I haven't even begun to study for it. I declined that test for now. Give me a few months and I'll be ready for it.

Thanks for all the help and support guys.

ka

View Quote

Congrats!!!

Posted: 5/11/2017 8:59:10 PM EDT

[#6]

Shoulda taken it, even just for fun. Ya never know. I didn't study for the extra and only missed it by one question.

Posted: 5/11/2017 9:18:51 PM EDT

[#7]

Posted: 5/11/2017 9:42:08 PM EDT

[#8]

Congrats!

Posted: 5/11/2017 10:17:27 PM EDT

[#9]

Congrats! Don't worry about how many questions you missed on the test as long as you pass.

You know what you call a doctor who graduated at the bottom of his class? Doctor.

Posted: 5/12/2017 7:57:22 AM EDT

[#10]

Yeah, there was a guy who said he had been studying the ARRL Tech book "for weeks". He got 22 wrong. Not sure what his issue was, test"itis" lack of give a shit, or smoking too much dope. Seriously, it aint all that hard.

ka

Posted: 5/12/2017 8:05:08 AM EDT

[#11]

Good luck.

Just remember, if you don't know the answer:

they give you the answer it's either a,b,c,or d.

Posted: 5/12/2017 8:25:44 AM EDT

[#12]

One good tool I used was ham test prep android app. It keeps track of your results and is available when you have a few minutes to study. You can go thru allot of questions fast, study hard and dont waste time on things that are too deep. The real learning starts when you get on the air.. Go for General...

Prosise

Posted: 5/12/2017 12:29:03 PM EDT

[#13]

Once you go for your Extra, remember ELI the ICE man.

Posted: 5/12/2017 10:01:09 PM EDT

[#14]

Congratulations, OP!

Ready to start talking radios and antennas?

Posted: 5/13/2017 12:42:37 AM EDT

[#15]

Quote History

Quoted:
Congratulations, OP!

Ready to start talking radios and antennas?

View Quote

I'm in so far over my head with some of this stuff. Radios I get...sorta. Antennas are beyond me at this point. But I'm learning...I'm learning

Posted: 5/13/2017 5:36:06 AM EDT

[#16]

You will learn. It's a lot easier than getting a pilot's license ( assumption based on your alias). The tests have been simplified. Back in the days, I had to pass 5, 13 and 20 WPM Morse code test. I'm glad they dropped this requirement because it kept a lot of people from getting on HF bands.

Posted: 5/13/2017 3:24:58 PM EDT

[#17]

Quote History

Quoted:

I'm in so far over my head with some of this stuff. Radios I get...sorta. Antennas are beyond me at this point. But I'm learning...I'm learning

View Quote

Downlad this document and print it out. It's long, but covers antennas, feedlines, and propagation in pretty good detail. Keep it around, read it at your leasure, and go back over anything you don't understand.

Posted: 5/13/2017 6:38:13 PM EDT

[#18]

Quote History

Quoted:

Downlad this document and print it out. It's long, but covers antennas, feedlines, and propagation in pretty good detail. Keep it around, read it at your leasure, and go back over anything you don't understand.

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View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Downlad this document and print it out. It's long, but covers antennas, feedlines, and propagation in pretty good detail. Keep it around, read it at your leasure, and go back over anything you don't understand.

The first page of that PDF is wrong. It says.

Simple half-wave dipoles eliminate the need for a matching system
because a resonant half-wave dipole has an impedance near 50-ohms

Now I have been drinking, but I am pretty sure a resonant dipole at 1/4 wave height or higher has an impedance of 75 ohms. Which is why people slope the ends to make an inverted V and lower the impedance to 50 ohms at about 45 degrees from horizontal.

Either that or my brain has turned off.. which is certainly possible. Oh, look, I need another bourbon.

ETA: Unless he means 75 ohms is close to 50 and at 1.4 SWR you don't need a tuner.

Posted: 5/14/2017 5:51:40 PM EDT

[#19]

Look for a Rothammel Antenna Book. It's the best antenna book that was ever published, with a lot of practical ideas.
ARRL has published several good antenna books as well.

Posted: 5/16/2017 2:29:52 PM EDT

[#20]

Congrats, OP!

Recently passed my Tech as well. FCC finally posted my call sign a couple of days ago too.

Posted: 5/16/2017 4:42:40 PM EDT

[#21]

Quote History

Quoted:
The first page of that PDF is wrong. It says.

Now I have been drinking, but I am pretty sure a resonant dipole at 1/4 wave height or higher has an impedance of 75 ohms. Which is why people slope the ends to make an inverted V and lower the impedance to 50 ohms at about 45 degrees from horizontal.

Either that or my brain has turned off.. which is certainly possible. Oh, look, I need another bourbon.

ETA: Unless he means 75 ohms is close to 50 and at 1.4 SWR you don't need a tuner.

View Quote

It's probably a combination of factors.

Dipole feedpoint impedance varies with distance from ground, as well as ground conductivity. For typical amateur installations that are less than 1/4 wavelength above typical ground, the impedance is closer to 50 than 75.

And at HF, the amount of mismatch is insignificant anyway. Versus something like a loop or whatnot that absolutely needs a matching system.

Posted: 5/18/2017 2:47:49 PM EDT

[#22]

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Another "I'm finally taking my test" thread

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