Going for the Ham License

[ThorntonOL]

Am thinking about going for the ham license even if I can't use it in CAP I still find it would be useful outside of it, (a lot more useful than the CB's) just confused on the levels in the licenseing.
What is the beginning level and the highest level?
Is morse code still required for the last two? Or is it completely gone?

[arajca]

Technician is the lowest level.

Morse code is not required for any class per the FCC.

[brenaud]

Technician is the lowest level.

Morse code is not required for any class per the FCC.

...followed by General and Extra (in that order).

Good luck!  I've been a ham for about 6 years and while I'm not as active as many, I still enjoy it.

[JoeTomasone]

Ditto.   I've been a ham for 18 years now; you'll learn a lot that can be applied to CAP communications.

73!  (hamspeak for "best wishes" or "regards")


   - Joe (AB2M)

[♠SARKID♠]

Good luck, study hard.  Amateur teaches all the basics that CAP doesn't have a program for.  Even though you can't use the frequencies, much/most the "techie" stuff you'll learn carries over.

73
KC9MJP

[brenaud]

you'll learn a lot that can be applied to CAP communications.

+1
Professionalism in communications applies to all radio services (amateur, CAP, and others).

Oh, and I guess I'll throw my call out there, too....
73, WR4MS

[Chief2009]

Practice exams here:
http://www.kb0mga.net/exams/
or
http://www.qrz.com/testing.html

73 and good luck

DN KC9HVX

[wuzafuzz]

Good luck to you!  Ham radio is fun and allows you to "play" with radios in ways CAP doesn't.

73 de KE6BBA

[ThorntonOL]

Thank you, I found the QRZ site and am taking practice exams on it to bone up on what I need for Technician, have an old Technician plus book from around 2003 that I'm studying from.
I know it's not the best way but currently I can't really afford any books that arn't 5 dollars or less, so I'm using a book given to the unit by one of the old comm guys we had. (I think or we got it in a box of books donated to the unit, can't remember which.) That is the reason why my gear isn't fully complete yet, made sure I had all of my IS courses done. (Those don't cost much.)

[BillB]

Check with your local Ham Club. Many clubs offer classes for both Technician and General class license exams.


Bill B
W4XFJ

[dwb]

I did a "ham cram" to get my technician. It was offered by a local ham group. Interestingly, one of the instructors was my bridge partner at work. We were surprised to see one another.

The test is a piece of cake if you study well. Good luck.

Dan
KC2SOL

[wuzafuzz]

I did a "ham cram" to get my technician. It was offered by a local ham group. Interestingly, one of the instructors was my bridge partner at work. We were surprised to see one another.

The test is a piece of cake if you study well. Good luck.

Dan
KC2SOL

"Ham cram."  I love it.  That's how I got my No-Code Tech, a two day class followed by a test.  When I realized no one would talk to a No Code Tech I studied for and passed the 5 WPM code element to become a "Tech Plus."  Funny, there were suddenly far more "friends" on the air.  I promptly forgot almost everything I learned about CW and retained all my new "friends."  ;-)

[Pylon]

When I realized no one would talk to a No Code Tech I studied for and passed the 5 WPM code element to become a "Tech Plus."  Funny, there were suddenly far more "friends" on the air.  I promptly forgot almost everything I learned about CW and retained all my new "friends."  ;-)

As a no-code tech, I find nobody talks me mostly because I'm not on the air.  Ever.   

[RedFox24]

Might I also suggest that you try to locate a Ham Radio Club in your area.  Many Ham Clubs have classes and testing sessions on a regular basis.  It is also somewhat of a tradition, at least around here, for hams to pass down there books or study materials to the new guys or to hams trying to upgrade licenses, so you wouldn't have to buy a book, just keep the tradition alive and pass your book on after you pass the test. 

If you are on QRZ, do a search for your town or zipcode and then try and contact one of the hams to see if there is a club in your area. 

73 and good luck

KC9FVK
Club Call K9SIL

[ThorntonOL]

Just found something late last night I want to clarify, supposedly you can go test for Technician, and if passed can also take General and if passed can take extra all on the same testing fee.
Only have to pay another fee if you failed a test. I suspect only a few people would try this but from what I've read it is allowed.
Now is this right? or is the information I read wrong?

Need to know before i go asking friends if they have the books.

[♠SARKID♠]

Can you?  Yes.  Would I recommend it?  No.  If you want to test to General, okay, I know a few people that have done that but only because they were electrical engineers by trade and new the stuff anyways.  Really you'd want to do it one at a time.  Its a lot, and I mean a LOT to take in all at once.  Take your technician, get on the air for a while and learn the ins and outs.  Then start working on your upgrades.

That and you'll have a lot of raised eyebrows at you if you went on with an extra class callsign and said you were having your first QSO
I'm studying for my general right now (the book's open in my lap, in fact) and I wouldn't have any knowledge base of it if I hadn't fiddled around as a tech before.

[ThorntonOL]

The reason why I was asking was that a few people on the QRZ forum were talking about when they took the tests and what you could do and wanted to double check from another source.

[JoeTomasone]

Can you?  Yes.  Would I recommend it?  No. 

You can if the VE team in question permits it.   Some do; some require the fee for each test, pass or fail.

I disagree with Dan here - I say "go for it" - at worst, you'll have seen the test and know what areas will require additional study.   At best, you'll pass get a higher-class license.   And don't worry about the possibility of doing your first QSO as an Extra -- once the VE team lets the local clubs know that you went from "Zero to Extra" in one day, everyone will know that you are serious enough about the hobby to study extra hard.

In my time as a VE I've seen a few go to Extra on the first try, and believe me, we respected the heck out of those folks.

[caprr275]

73 from KD8BAJ

Im getting ready to go for my general soon

[Major Lord]

Throw away your 2003 Tech book, it is a waste of your study time. If you go to Eham.com you can take the new tests. There are about 300 and some odd questions in the total pool, , and if you take the practice tests until you hit passing scores you will pass the real test easily. Remember that the practice test questions are the real, actual test questions, and not altered in any way other than having the answer sequences rearranged. Don't worry about what the questions mean! Just take the practice test as often as you can until you have the bulk of the questions commited to memory. Many are self evident, like "when are you permitted to transmit profanity?" etc. Others , like "what color is tyhe boathouse in ITU region 3?" are just stupid, but you have top memorize them anyway. Don't get caughht up in trying to memorize all the formulaes: if you pass the word questions you can blow all the math.

There are so many areas of Ham radio to get involved in. a huge percentage of my customers are private pilots of experimentals who like to use the ARS system for tracking their airplanes, many people just want to do Amature Television. Others like to talk on the local repeaters with other techies, and yes, rthere are lots and lots of peopl e out there who love the challenge and exclusivity of sending morse code on the HF band.

73,

Maj Allen Lord
KG6HXO