the members of the ARFCOM Ham Radio forum offer instruction, pointers, direction, tips, encouragement, hand-holding, coddling, WHATEVER IT TAKES, to help you get an amateur radio license and understand basic VHF/UHF operations (both simplex [radio-A to radio-B] and repeated [radio-A to repeater to radio-B]) such that local communications (and monitoring) are possible after events such as a tornado, flood, hurricane, sold out Lady Gaga concert, or other SHTF.

if you "sign up" by stating so in this thread i and other members of the Ham Radio forum will do everything possible to get you to a state where you have 1) a valid amateur radio license, 2) equipment suitable for your needs, and 3) know how to operate it for effective communications.  you will need to put forth some effort.  if you are self-motivated it will be quick and painless (as many others will attest to).  

note that there is VERY LITTLE expense involved with getting basic communication functionality.  there are many options, and the forum members can find a solution to everyone's situation.  repeat: this is not going to cost you an arm and leg –– and the effort/money you do put into it will result in far more communications capability than CB or FRS radios.

note that if you are not motivated we will ride your sorry ass like a busted mule.  

it is possible/practical to get from ZERO knowledge of communications to lawfully operating a VHF/UHF ham radio in a matter of weeks –– and that includes just a couple hours of study time.  concepts which you don't understand immediately i and others will explain in detail.  

no one is going to confuse you with complicated terminology.
no one is going to expect that you go on to become an uber-elite operator.
no one is going to suggest investing in thousands of dollars of equipment.
everyone is going to help you to your goals.

ps:
example of success:
http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=1&f=5&t=1143360 <–– even a Marine could do it!!!    (don't hurt me, please!)

example of MAJOR success: (author is an ARFCOMer)
http://www.eham.net/articles/20777


––––––––––

IF YOU ARE A SELF-STARTER you can begin by reading the Ham Radio 101 thread, here:
http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=10&f=22&t=604477
see specifically the VHF/UHF-related sections such as those titled,
–– ham radio 101
–– an introduction to VHF/UHF repeaters
–– how to get a ham radio license, in short
–– simplex communications and approximate ranges
–– how to find your local repeaters

––––––––––

ar-jedi

ETA:
several ham radio forum folks have IM'd me offering to help with answering questions etc in this thread –– BY ALL MEANS jump in and keep the ball rolling at any/every opportunity.  i have that pesky full-time "job thing" on the side, and a wife with a to-do list, so the more mentors we have the merrier!

––––––––––

THE "IN" CROWD:

[updated Tue May 28 12:45:37 UTC 2013]

<... the long list deleted ...>


I HAVE COMPLETELY GIVEN UP ON THE LIST.  

IT WAS A GOOD IDEA.  I THOUGHT I COULD DO IT.  

WITH NO REMORSE WHATSOEVER, I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT IT'S BEEN ALL BUT
IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP TRACK OF ALL OF THE ARFCOM'ERS WHO HAVE GOTTEN
LICENSED WITHIN THIS THREAD.  THE TOTAL OF NEW LICENSEES IS EASILY
OVER 200.  THERE ARE ABOUT THE SAME NUMBER OF SUCCESSFUL LICENSE
UPGRADES AS WELL.

YOU GUYS BEAT ME.  

GREAT STUFF!


––––––––––

important note for those taking exams:

periodically, the license question pool is adjusted a bit -- to reflect current operating practices, or to sync up with bandplan changes, etc.
hence, if you are using an online or paper study guide, be sure to verify you are using one that reflects the current ARRL question pool for the license class you are interested in.



ar-jedi

ps
example thread noting comms needs/benefits
A few things i have learned so far from the tornado disaster in Alabama

specifically this post,
http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=10&f=17&t=646357&page=8#11023103

Well unless I post here and get ridden like a rented mule I will never do it.... (hell I might have posted here before and don't remember....)

To be honest only read part of the first post and page 27 to this point.  I downloaded a few apps and attempted to watch a video but fell asleep....  I admit I am more concerned with doing it right and knowing the principles behind it than studying test material.  I plan to take every exam offered to me but really hope to achieve at least a general from the first attempt.  

Getting equipment will also be a concern while I study (also motivation to complete it).  I do not have a lot of room and currently have a few baofengs but will also be looking for something I could put in the camper.  The ICOM IC-705 looked like a pretty decent compact option but might be other stuff that is better or a different brand might have more users (for ICOM it is D-Star but think every brand has something different that normally do not talk to each other).  At this point I am not looking for anything permanent inside my home until I move.  The ability to detect/locate a signal would also be nice but not sure what equipment is available to the general public for stuff like this.

With COVID how are the test being administered?  I saw earlier a zoom call that offered it but is that the norm or something special now?  I will learn the most by watching other people explain their setups and watch them use it.  I will also need good study material for the test questions as well.  Figured I would post here and see what has helped others in the past few years as the test and some of the equipment has changed.  I am in southeast TN if that matters.


If you don't hear from me in a couple weeks.....send the firing squad....

As someone who only took their first serious look at ham radio within the past few weeks (and passed exams for both Technician and General yesterday), here is my advice:

First - read through this a couple of times:  https://www.kb6nu.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/2018-no-nonsense-tech-study-guide-v1-1.pdf

Second - get on hamstudy.org and use their study mode and practice tests:  https://hamstudy.org/tech2018

Third - find and take an exam.  Depending on COVID restrictions in your area, there may or may not be in-person exams taking place.  Either way, you can now take the exam virtually.  Many of these virtual exams are listed on hamstudy.org (click the "Find a Session" link).  

That is just about all it takes (you will need to register on the FCC site and obtain your FRN but that only takes a quick moment).  Good Luck!!

I generally advise people to think of "operational learning" separate from test prep. Yes you need to know some of what's on the tests, particularly the regulatory stuff, but you need more practical knowledge regarding the types of things you want to do on the air. The traditional way was via "elmers", where more experienced folks would take the newbies under their wing so to speak and show them how to do stuff, and get their feet wet. There's still a little of that but not a lot. The influx of secretive prepper types into what was a very open social structure of amateur radio hasn't helped.

One of the best things you can do is just listen. Listen to local repeater traffic (if there is any...), with the understanding that there will be both bad and good examples. Listen to HF traffic and learn how things go. You don't even need a radio, you can listen to HF via Web SDRs.

Yes it's probably a little group of geezers who talk about their medical issues, but find your local amateur radio club(s). Most probably aren't having in-person meetings, but whenever they do you'll meet people and get more help and experience. Maybe take a look around and see if anyone is participating in Winter Field Day next month, you could get some practical experience even if you're not licensed yet.

Little portable "tactical" radios look fun and cool and all until you actually try to talk to someone. QRP (low power) operation is a game for experts, and generally just a big frustration for beginners. I would recommend looking at full power (100 watt) HF radios. As far as it being in your home, HF antennas are big. It's certainly possible to throw up a wire dipole or small vertical at a campsite but having having to do a lot of work first probably means a lot less time on the air.

Radio direction finding is an aspect of amateur radio, but is a whole level beyond communications as far as antennas and specialized equipment. If you expect something plug-and-play and it be like a hollywood movie you're in for a rude awakening.

I downloaded a couple of test aids onto my kindle, and hope to test within a month. There was a time I was very fluent in electronics, sadly 25 years have passed without using any of that knowledge.

The items I have downloaded are
Pass your amateur radio technician class test (the easy way)
And
The ARRL ham radio license manual

I was goaded into this pursuit by repeated exposure to a HT ad on Facebook. I will likely start with a HT and see where it goes.

Just passed my Tech this evening with 29/35.  Used GLAARG so it was on a zoom call.  

While I was in the meeting room I used hamstudy.org and ran through their questions.  I was waiting about 2 hours and it was getting late so it may have affected my overall score.  Was getting about 32-34 right on the practice exams.  Spent about 5 hours of dedicated study time.

Will see about going for general in a month or two.


Edit: also used the study guide that is a few posts up

Congratulations!!  

I hope that your call sign comes through promptly.  Mine has been 9 days and still waiting.  My understanding is that ARRL affiliated club tests take longer since the exam forms get sent to ARRL HQ where they are entered into the FCC database.  I have heard that other clubs enter their own results in directly and some new hams get callsigns as quickly as the day of the exam.  Our local club that administered my exam is an ARRL affiliated club so I will continue to patiently wait and check the FCC site periodically hoping for good news.

Thanks!  Mine just posted. That seems pretty quick. Will probably use GLAARG again when I upgrade to general.

New guy here... sign me up, I’m in.

I always liked the Gordon West study manuals, if you want something a little more than just test prep, but I haven't seen the newer ARRL manuals.

Technician only or shooting higher?

in 2014 on a whim and by request from some of the guys here I launched a Ham Radio Podcast...originally titled Fo Time"...it grew quickly  

Here is a link to my Start Here Page that will get you set in the right direction! YMMV

Not weird at all, you want a skillset.

If you want to talk to people nationwide & international, you need HF, and that means a General class license, or else go all the way for Extra class. The licenses are prerequisites, so you need the entry level Technician class to start in any event. Some like to study and take the Technician and General class at the same time as there are some similarities between the material, but for some it's too much.

If you want a goal, here's a reasonable challenge: get General (or Extra...) license and participate in ARRL Field Day which is June 26-27 2021. Find some local or quasi-local people and be a part of their group operation, but that will get you some practical experience (under near worst case conditions ) of the kind of operation you are interested in.

KY state QSO Party is June 6th and would be an opportunity for a more low-key operating environment. Most state QSO parties have various small group events, some who set up on intersections of county lines as part of the event (there are people who try to collect contacts with all US counties aka "county hunters").

If you really wanted to be an overachiever, I'd say have your own license, radio, antenna, and skills ready to go to do your own operation for KY QSO Party.

Along the way you'll want to get some way to get on the air on 2 meter FM so you can make contact with local-ish folks and maybe find a local club or organization that would be doing things you could learn from.  All in good time. Get started studying that technician material, and just keep in mind that the real learning is after you pass the tests.

The only test that's really math-heavy is the Extra, and if you're good with "test taking" skills (it's all multiple choice), you can guess your way through the math as along as you have the other stuff mostly nailed down.

See Study Material/Tip #4 in Start Here link above for YouTube instruction

Exactly. Elmering was very much the traditional way to learn in amateur radio up until a confluence of events around the turn of the century. Mostly just the internet.

In the 80s or 90s, you just joined your local club, met people, found more experienced people with similar interests that you became friends with, and they helped you out, showed you how to do things, sit in their shack and BS all night listening to the radio, ride to hamfests... ah, the good ole days.

Nowadays it's a lot more common to be youtube instead of an elmer on the other side of town. But if you find a local group doing an event like I mentioned, those will be good learning opportunities. Hopefully covid madness will be quieted down by this summer.

I mentioned the Gordon West study materials. He certainly has a style, but it's approachable I think. He has audiobooks as well as text.

The problem with youtube is so much is just drudgery and people rambling, and so much of the time the people don't really know what they are doing anyway.

You need a license to transmit, but anyone can listen.  And you don't even need an antenna or radio to listen, there are internet-connected "web SDR" receivers that let you listen right from a web browser. This one is pretty good:
http://www.sdrutah.org/websdr1.html
All the options are probably a little overwhelming, but you can just play with it. It comes up on the 40 meter voice band which is not bad right now with some CONUS traffic and not too much noise. All that changes hourly/daily/seasonally on HF. Evenings on the lower frequency bands are usually filled with established groups of people who are on the same frequencies each night.

W4EEY Virtual Video Ham Radio Class

I think that's what he is referring to.

This start here link.... thanks Gamma for the direct link!

Kitties, the actual test is not terrible. It's 35 questions, multiple choice, and the questions and answers are published by the FCC to assist in your success!
By all means study the how's and why's, as they will help you actually figure out things when you need to. But you can also keep doing the practice tests ad nauseum till you consistantly get an 80+, and you'll be ready for the for reals and pass.

Good luck, welcome and 73!

Fo Time was 5 years ago?  Man, the years are flying!

the math problem as shown in the study material will be the Exact Math Problem you see on the test.....so if the answer is 231 on the material, it's also 231 on the test.

learn everything you can! I my case, the math was easier to memorize than figure. Most test have no more than 3 or 4 math equations total.

YMMV and

I'm in.  I just need to find an online test for hopefully next week.  I'm going to go for General on my first go.

Test online.

https://glaarg.org/exam_sessions/

Consider this my sign up for the thread.
I’ve wanted to do this for awhile but the thread in GD pushed me to finally do it.

I probably put the horse before the carriage but I can always return the unit I bought
Attached File


I will start reading the ham 101 thread tomorrow and work from there.    I will need some guidance on what other items to purchase.  Power supply, Antenna?     I am blessed in the fact that I own some land and my house sits up high on a hill.  
Anyway thanks in advance for the help in my new adventure.

You need a 20+ amp power supply, Samlex 1223 is a popular choice, there are numerous other options though.

Main thing is you need to work on licensing, you'll need a General or Extra class for HF.

Hill doesn't make much difference for HF, you do need space though, and maybe some existing supports for antennas be it towers or trees.

What kind of antennas you want to go with somewhat depends on space & supports, but also what kind of coverage you are looking for... ie, who you want to talk to.

ETA: I probably shouldn't have clogged up this thread with this, since it's more about licensing.

oops

this is who I did mine with , via zoom , super easy

I have an online exam scheduled for the 14th!  They didn't specify but I hope I can do both tech and general in the same session.  Some of the online exams specified you could only take one.

OST

Does anyone have a tech study guide I can buy ( and then pass on)?
I need something in print I can use to ready at work during downtime et

Current events has me wanting to learn this skill. There’s a member in New Jersey I’ve seen postin in the Baofeng threads but i cant remember the Username.

Who wants to help a guy out?

Tech this month, General next month.

Before the internet it literally took me a year and a half to find out where to find a test session. It took 2 1/2 months from passing the test to actually getting the license.  Covid pushed the FCC into allowing online testing which they've resisted for years. Folks today have no idea how easy they have it.


https://www.ar15.com/forums/t_10_22/604477_Ham-Radio-101.html

Keep taking online practice tests until you routinely score 80% or better and you should be good to go.

It can take up to a week or 10 days for your initial license to appear in the FCC database depending on how on-the-spot the testing organization is in sending it to the FCC.

Once you have your license and upgrade to General or Extra, you can immediately use touse priveleges by appending your callsign with either /AG or /AE (acting general or acting extra) as appropriate.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this thread and this forum.  

Let me start by saying that I know absolutely nothing about HAM or radio tech.  However, it is a skill that I want to learn.  Ben's thread in GD the other day has prompted me to stop procrastinating and start working towards accomplishing my HAM goals.

I have ordered a book, The AARL Ham Radio License Manual as well as a Tecsun PL-660 radio(not sure, but may have been a mistake) which I thought might allow me to listen to people transmitting.

I have a lot of reading and video watching ahead of me.  Any help/assistance/constructive criticism here is appreciated.  Thanks again to everyone.

Sorry I was pointing out that things today are a lot better than 25+ years ago. I ended up as a General because I got so tired of reading the Novice and Tech study book over the time (over a year) it took me to find a test session. In hindsight I could have found one earlier but there were options I didn't know to pursue, and the places where I tried to find out were clueless.

Today you can literally study for the test/s, take the test/s, get licensed even up to Extra class, and get on the air (via rental remote operated stations) all without getting up from the chair in front of your computer. And in theory, possible to do all that within 24 hours.


The PL-660 is a decent choice in a portable broadcast + shortwave/HF receiver. Some kind of extra attention to antenna will help a lot as far as receiving amateur HF. Knowing what bands to look at depending on the time of day, and where in the band to look will be very helpful. Trying one of those Web SDRs that I linked to earlier can also be instructive.

Thanks for the antenna suggestion as well as the link info.

WebSDR link added...currently listening.