Resources for people interested in Amateur Radio

[dademoss]

Amateur Radio resource guide.

http://tiny.cc/arqsg

 

[Weedygarden]

Thank you!

 

[Patchouli]

Amateur Radio resource guide.

http://tiny.cc/arqsg

There is so much information in the resource guide you posted! I haven't done anything with what I have and found a booklet to use too. Definitely would need a mentor and hopefully the time will come when I can learn more.

 

[Patchouli]

Have any of you ever used this book? Or others by the American Radio Relay League?

 

[kd4ulw]

@Patchouli It looks like that book is more useful for those who have just gotten their license and are looking to figure out how to get on the air.

They make study guides that are useful to pass the Technician license that are more helpful for that part.

 

[Patchouli]

@Patchouli It looks like that book is more useful for those who have just gotten their license and are looking to figure out how to get on the air.

They make study guides that are useful to pass the Technician license that are more helpful for that part.

I think i can get one that is like what you suggest. Thanks for the information.

 

[dademoss]

I have quite a few of their publications, study guides, emergency communications, handbooks, antenna books, etc.

If you are looking for a study guide for Technician or General class license testing, fairly decent ones are available on the internet, I used similar ones years for both of my tests.

Here is an example of a technician class study guide:

https://www.kb6nu.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2022-no-nonsense-tech-study-guide-v2-20230204.pdf

 

[Weedygarden]

EDIT: DadeMoss says it is obsolete. Not this one.

I'm wondering about getting this hard copy to use as a study guide for taking the test?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1625950829/ref=sw_img_1?smid=A1DOKPPN9FRA0B&psc=1

 

[Weedygarden]

Maybe this one would be better?

 

[dademoss]

Maybe this one would be better?

View attachment 170989

The free link I posted is just as effective, I have no experience with the publisher above. Anything will help you understand some theory, and if your goal is passing you can memorize all the answers from the published question pool.

 

[dademoss]

I'm wondering about getting this hard copy to use as a study guide for taking the test?

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1625950829/ref=sw_img_1?smid=A1DOKPPN9FRA0B&psc=1

View attachment 170988

That one is obsolete , the question pool has changed.

The correct pool is July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2026.

 

[Weedygarden]

The free link I posted is just as effective, I have no experience with the publisher above. Anything will help you understand some theory, and if your goal is passing you can memorize all the answers from the published question pool.

The thing about the link is that studying online is not as easy for me as using a book. Maybe I need to get the pdf from that link printed and bound to use.

 

[M0del_31]

https://hamstudy.org/tech2022
This will get you to your first level license. You can read all the questions, take practice tests and it has a study mode that gives you the answers you don't yet know. When you hit consistently hit 90% on the practice exams, you're ready to test. Anyone can use this exclusively to learn, train and prepare for all three license levels. It is free and you don't have to create an account to do it....but you can if you want to track your progress.

 

[dademoss]

The thing about the link is that studying online is not as easy for me as using a book. Maybe I need to get the pdf from that link printed and bound to use.

You can get the most current copy of the study manual here: https://home.arrl.org/action/Store/Product-Details/productId/2003373064

or use that as a guide to make sure you get the most recent version from another seller.

 

[Weedygarden]

You can get the most current copy of the study manual here: https://home.arrl.org/action/Store/Product-Details/productId/2003373064

or use that as a guide to make sure you get the most recent version from another seller.

Thank you. I have wanted to get a license for a while. I tried to go to a somewhat local meeting. It's not really close to my home. It was dark out. It is on a h.s. campus. I drove around and drove around and could never find it. I was so frustrated. Then I sent them a message, asking for help, and I got a couple responses. One person was so unkind that I knew that I would never be a part of that group.

 

[dademoss]

Some clubs are filled with grumpy people, they seem to congregate together.

you can search for an online course that might meet your needs :

http://www.arrl.org/find-an-amateur-radio-license-class

 

[Dave2001]

Amateur Radio resource guide.

http://tiny.cc/arqsg

TRY ARRL website too!!

 

[Dave2001]

Thank you. I have wanted to get a license for a while. I tried to go to a somewhat local meeting. It's not really close to my home. It was dark out. It is on a h.s. campus. I drove around and drove around and could never find it. I was so frustrated. Then I sent them a message, asking for help, and I got a couple responses. One person was so unkind that I knew that I would never be a part of that group.

WISH you close here , MY radio club would love to help you!!

 

[Patchouli]

The free link I posted is just as effective, I have no experience with the publisher above. Anything will help you understand some theory, and if your goal is passing you can memorize all the answers from the published question pool.

ha. haha. Did you say memorize? My memory is bad. This is all good and helpful info, hope it will make a difference to anyone who needs it.

 

[bkt]

@Patchouli and anyone else who doesn't like online studying, any recent ARRL book on studying for your license will be fine. Personally, I'd recommend going for your General because it isn't that much more effort but it opens a LOT of doors that are closed to Technician level.

For the record (again), I used https://hamstudy.org and it worked really well for me. I couldn't do it on a phone screen, though; that's too small for my liking. I used a PC with a big monitor.

 

[Patchouli]

Sounds good. Yeah, I don't care for online phone much of anything. I'd like to go back to using a regular phone. Even my phone at work has been switched to a new system and the phone system provider makes it so you can answer the phone on your work computer. Ha.
Sorry, derailed it.
Luckily, when I finally start to get into it, I know a few people from church who are avid users of the ham radio.
Last time they got together for a workshop of it, by the end of the day they said you could be certified. Wait, I think it was over two Saturdays. Maybe. Stuff like this has been so useful during disasters wherever church members live and power has gone out in a wide area.

 

[Mountain trapper]

I just signed up for an online Ham study course. Sometime soon I'm going to order a couple handheld radios. I'll probably start out with inexpensive Baofeng 10 watt radios.

 

[M0del_31]

You can listen to all the ham frequencies even if you don't have a license. You only need a police scanner or inexpensive baofeng radio to listen to most of the frequencies that technician class license holders can talk on. I'd recommend listening on repeater frequencies in your area which you can find at: https://www.repeaterbook.com/repeaters/index.php?state_id=none
Click your state, then click either the "2 m" or "70 cm" link and search for your county and/or neighboring counties. Most repeaters can transmit 30-60 miles. The cheap baofengs and most police scanners can receive 2m/70cm frequencies. Generally, if you are close enough to hear them, you can also talk to them once you have your technician license.

 

[Mountain trapper]

The nearest repeater to my location is about 30 miles away. Does that mean that I need a radio that will reach 30 miles?

 

[Weedygarden]

I just signed up for an online Ham study course. Sometime soon I'm going to order a couple handheld radios. I'll probably start out with inexpensive Baofeng 10 watt radios.

That is what I have had for a few years, but they have never been used.

 

[M0del_31]

The nearest repeater to my location is about 30 miles away. Does that mean that I need a radio that will reach 30 miles?

I can talk to a repeater that is about 30 miles away on a 8 watt baofeng handheld and I've got 100ft pine forest around me. It's a good repeater that I can barely hit at 55 miles with a 50 watt mobile radio mounted in my truck with an mobile antenna. Not all the repeaters are as good (which many factors go into making it good...location height, tower height, antenna, coax, output power...etc.) Some radios have more power and can reach a little farther but the antenna makes a hugely bigger difference than the power output of the radio. Ham radios are not really described as a 30 mile radios because the same radio that reaches a repeater station 30 miles away could likely reach one 45 miles away with a external antenna 40 foot in the air. Generally thought, if you can hear it, you can hit it.

 

[Dave2001]

The nearest repeater to my location is about 30 miles away. Does that mean that I need a radio that will reach 30 miles?

One of our club members talked to Canada the other night on only 1 watt!

 

[Mountain trapper]

One of our club members talked to Canada the other night on only 1 watt!

That interesting. My main goal is to have a radio primarily that will reach across our property. And my trapping area, about 20×30 miles. My wife gets worried when I'm out alone.
Eventually we'll get a base unit for the house. I'll need to get someone out to set up the radio and antenna.

 

[dademoss]

Terrain profiles are also important, VHF/UHF (2m/70cm) are generally Line of Sight. Unless you hit a "skip" condition, if your antenna can't "see" the other one, you may hear it and not be able to talk back.

Valley to Valley with a ridge in between will likely be problematic. Big open prairie, not much of a problem.