Technician Class HAM Test

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Technician Class HAM Test

Posted: 10/12/2004 11:16:27 PM EDT

I'm taking it on the 18th of this month with help from another ARFCOMMER and I am trying to study, but I am going bonkers with some of the questions. Especially the ones about which meter area are you in if you're on such-n-such frequency...

I am taking the qrz.com test about 5-8 times a night and I am passing at the 70-90% rate. I am also studying the pool answers in a arrl book. I think trying to memorize the content of the book is futile. It's much easier trying to memorize the answers to the pool questions...

What say ye? How did you study?

Posted: 10/12/2004 11:31:21 PM EDT

[#1]

good old memorization, plus the test was probably a little easier 11 years ago. good luck!

n4rwe

Posted: 10/13/2004 12:02:19 AM EDT

[#2]

Glad to hear that another ARFCommer will soon be joining our ham ranks...

Hang in there – after you get your 'ticket', it's yours for life – nobody can take it away from you!

300 is the magic number to remember when converting MHz to meters – Taking 300 and dividing it by the frequency (in MHz) will give you the equivalent number in meters.

TIP: If you can memorize the frequency and corresponding wavelength of one band, it will help you remember how to calculate the others. For example, 3.75 MHz is in the center of the 80 meter ham band (300 divided by 3.75 MHz equals 80 meters). If you can remember that, it can be used as a 'sanity check' to make sure you are doing the calculation correctly for the other bands.

Posted: 10/13/2004 6:42:27 AM EDT

[#3]

I just did the online test every day for a week and read and studied a couple of online study guides. Only passed by one question though.

GunLvr

Posted: 10/13/2004 6:44:43 AM EDT

[#4]

Good luck! You'll do fine.

Scott

Posted: 10/13/2004 6:48:53 AM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
I'm taking it on the 18th of this month with help from another ARFCOMMER and I am trying to study, but I am going bonkers with some of the questions. Especially the ones about which meter area are you in if you're on such-n-such frequency...

I am taking the qrz.com test about 5-8 times a night and I am passing at the 70-90% rate. I am also studying the pool answers in a arrl book. I think trying to memorize the content of the book is futile. It's much easier trying to memorize the answers to the pool questions...

What say ye? How did you study?

When I went for my Technician ticket in December of 1999, I had by that time been studying off and on for about 6 months. At the time, I didn't know about the existance of qrz.com, so I was just going by the book. I'm now a general class. My call is KD7HGK.

Sincerely,

Jonathan A. Smith, KD7HGK

Posted: 10/13/2004 6:48:58 AM EDT

[#6]

"I am taking the qrz.com test about 5-8 times a night and I am passing at the 70-90% rate."

That's pretty much how I did it. I was scoring 90 to 100 on the QRZ test. I then passed the actual with a 100% score. The way you are doing it works. Good luck.

Edited to add: Wohoo 383rd post. Only Mopar guys will get that one.

Posted: 10/13/2004 6:50:11 AM EDT

[#7]

"Hang in there – after you get your 'ticket', it's yours for life – nobody can take it away from you!"

Huh? I think the FCC may have something to say about that.

Posted: 10/13/2004 7:11:42 AM EDT

[#8]

Good Luck...

Robert de N2JTX

Posted: 10/13/2004 7:28:30 AM EDT

[#9]

Don't worry so much, you'll do fine.
Even if you miss the band/frequency questions, you'll still pass.

The real learning begins "after" you get your ticket and get on the air.

73 and good luck.

Posted: 10/13/2004 9:25:12 AM EDT

[#10]

I think it is much easier than most people realize.

Went to a conference. Wife read sample questions to me while I drove. About an hour and a half drive.

Next morning, flipped through the book for about 15 minutes. Sat for test. We both passed. I finished Tech element first, so I flipped through the General class book for about 20 minutes and then took the General test. Passed.

Still ahve to take Morse. That kills me, despite being only 5 WPM.

If you've taken a high school physics class in the last 30 years, you could probably walk in to the technician test with zero prep and bumble your way to a 70%, no reading, no studying. If more than 30 years ago that you took High School physics, bet on an 80% since more of your H.S. curriculum would have been on related materials.

Posted: 10/13/2004 10:23:04 AM EDT

[#11]

Good luck! I've had my technician class ticket since 1996 when I took it in Middle School.

Got into satellites big time.

You'll pick up most of the stuff as you go along. There are really no bragging rights to getting a certain score.

You pass, you pass. Experience is everything afterwards.

Posted: 10/13/2004 4:22:44 PM EDT

[#12]

Hell, I just memorized the damn book and answers for the stuff I didn't understand. Had to plans on becoming an electronics technician. It actually pretty easy, you'll do fine.

By the way, why are you getting into the hobby? Other than HF, the hobby sucks, and even HF is a big hassle. Good luck finding anyone to talk to. It serves one purpose now, emergencies.

Posted: 10/13/2004 4:32:23 PM EDT

[#13]

Don't mean to hijack but:

How difficult is getting your license? I am a RF technician with a myriad of military communications courses in RF propagation and the like, so with that background what kind of difficulty should I have getting even the most basic license? The amateur satellite comm intrigues me the most as it is the counterpart to what I do in the military.

Posted: 10/13/2004 4:45:20 PM EDT

[#14]

I got my first ham ticket about 18 years ago. I was fortunate to have two of my friends study the test questions and the Morse with me. It made things much easier and more interesting.

All three of us passed the test and we're all still more or less active on the bands.

Good luck, you'll do fine.

Posted: 10/13/2004 6:11:05 PM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
Don't mean to hijack but:

How difficult is getting your license? I am a RF technician with a myriad of military communications courses in RF propagation and the like, so with that background what kind of difficulty should I have getting even the most basic license? The amateur satellite comm intrigues me the most as it is the counterpart to what I do in the military.

Just know the RF band plan rules and you'll be able to yawn through the rest with that kind of background.

I got to help out a bit with the last major satellite built : Amsat AO-40 (formerly Phase 3D). It's not my fault it blew up!h.gif

Awesome stuff. Yes you can design and build your own satellite. Launching is sometimes done for free when companies need to test a rocket. Because of the high-risk they'll carry yours for free.

Check out www.amsat.org/

Posted: 10/13/2004 6:17:39 PM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
Hell, I just memorized the damn book and answers for the stuff I didn't understand. Had to plans on becoming an electronics technician. It actually pretty easy, you'll do fine.

By the way, why are you getting into the hobby? Other than HF, the hobby sucks, and even HF is a big hassle. Good luck finding anyone to talk to. It serves one purpose now, emergencies.

Awwwww, common. hat
It really depends why you're getting the ticket. For me it was all about developing new tech. For some it really is about "communication."

Although I did talk with JY1 (the late King Hussein) once. Seemed like a nice guy for someone who helped invade Israel he and then kinda made up with Israel in '94.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Technician Class HAM Test

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