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Re: Alternate Comms
Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2021 2:29 pm
by comsec
There are three Elements that must be passed sequentially:
1. Technician
2. General
3. Extra
You must pass the Technician first, then General, then Extra in order.
The questions pools change every five years on non-aligned schedules. Make sure you have a current question pool for the license you plan to test for.
You may also practice online here:
https://hamexam.org/exam/15-Technician ... ent 2 here
TECHNICIAN Class (Element 2) Pool is effective July 1, 2018 and is
valid until June 30, 2022.
GENERAL Class (Element 3) Pool is effective July 1, 2019 and is
valid until June 30, 2023.
EXTRA Class (Element 4) Pool is effective July 1, 2020 and is
valid until June 30, 2024.
The Technician pool was revised in 2018.
The General pool was revised in 2019.
The Extra pool was revised n in 2020.
No question pools will be updated or released in 2021.
The question pools review is part of a regular process.
Each question pool is reviewed and updated on a four year rotation.
Re: Alternate Comms
Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2021 5:34 pm
by kayt00
Just finished my exam and there were a total of maybe three questions that had anything to do with code. Two questions regarding CW and one pertaining to a key or keyer.
Also a big thanks to Flightmare for the guidance.
Re: Alternate Comms
Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2021 6:07 pm
by G.A. Heath
kayt00 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 14, 2021 5:34 pm
Just finished my exam and there were a total of maybe three questions that had anything to do with code. Two questions regarding CW and one pertaining to a key or keyer.
Also a big thanks to Flightmare for the guidance.
Awesome, what did all did you test for?
Re: Alternate Comms
Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2021 6:20 pm
by kayt00
Just Technician right now, one step at a time. If it's something I actually enjoy I'll jump to general then maybe extra. I got 100% on the tech exam so we'll see what happens down the road.
Re: Alternate Comms
Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2021 6:53 pm
by G.A. Heath
kayt00 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 14, 2021 6:20 pm
Just Technician right now, one step at a time. If it's something I actually enjoy I'll jump to general then maybe extra. I got 100% on the tech exam so we'll see what happens down the road.
Congrats, Even if you don't enjoy the hobby as a Technician I suggest hanging out with some General, Advanced, and/or Extra operators to see if some of the added range interests you.
In the DFW area you are likely to find some SSTV as well as digital modes like PSK31, FT8, etc., on VHF and UHF, if not you can always find something somewhere on HF. On HF you get quiet a few more bands to play with with greater range (including international DX).
Re: Alternate Comms
Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2021 6:53 pm
by G.A. Heath
G.A. Heath wrote: ↑Thu Jan 14, 2021 6:53 pm
kayt00 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 14, 2021 6:20 pm
Just Technician right now, one step at a time. If it's something I actually enjoy I'll jump to general then maybe extra. I got 100% on the tech exam so we'll see what happens down the road.
Congrats, Even if you don't enjoy the hobby as a Technician I suggest hanging out with some General, Advanced, and/or Extra operators to see if some of the added privileges interests you.
In the DFW area you are likely to find some SSTV as well as digital modes like PSK31, FT8, etc., on VHF and UHF, if not you can always find something somewhere on HF. On HF you get quiet a few more bands to play with with greater range (including international DX).
Re: Alternate Comms
Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2021 7:52 pm
by chamberc
Paladin wrote: ↑Wed Jan 13, 2021 11:42 pm
Charles L. Cotton wrote: ↑Wed Jan 13, 2021 5:48 pm
Ruark wrote: ↑Wed Jan 13, 2021 4:13 pm
All they need to shut down ham radio is some kind of precipitating event to use as an excuse. For example, somebody sets off a bomb, and investigators find out they planned it using ham radio. Pow, it'd be shut down in a heartbeat.
Shutting down ham radio would not be easy at all. Hundreds of thousands of transceivers exist and they don't have to operate at fixed locations. If we ever get to that stage, the entire country would be at war anyway.
Chas.
Agreed. And add to that the impossibility of locating and confiscating countless receivers... many of which only cost $25-40.
POW Canteen Radios were a real thing in WW2
You don't have to... signals warfare is far more sophisticated than needing to track down users. You simply block the spectrum... easy to do in broad geographical areas.
Re: Alternate Comms
Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2021 9:19 pm
by KC5AV
kayt00 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 14, 2021 6:20 pm
Just Technician right now, one step at a time. If it's something I actually enjoy I'll jump to general then maybe extra. I got 100% on the tech exam so we'll see what happens down the road.
You will likely find that a lot of the material on the General exam will look very familiar.
Re: Alternate Comms
Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2021 6:37 am
by Liberty
KC5AV wrote: ↑Thu Jan 14, 2021 9:19 pm
kayt00 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 14, 2021 6:20 pm
Just Technician right now, one step at a time. If it's something I actually enjoy I'll jump to general then maybe extra. I got 100% on the tech exam so we'll see what happens down the road.
You will likely find that a lot of the material on the General exam will look very familiar.
and a lot of what's on the general will be on the extra. When passed the general. I continued on to the Extra test even though I didn't study at all for it. I failed the extra but only missed it by one
Re: Alternate Comms
Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2021 6:53 am
by 2farnorth
chamberc wrote: ↑Thu Jan 14, 2021 7:52 pm
Paladin wrote: ↑Wed Jan 13, 2021 11:42 pm
Charles L. Cotton wrote: ↑Wed Jan 13, 2021 5:48 pm
Ruark wrote: ↑Wed Jan 13, 2021 4:13 pm
All they need to shut down ham radio is some kind of precipitating event to use as an excuse. For example, somebody sets off a bomb, and investigators find out they planned it using ham radio. Pow, it'd be shut down in a heartbeat.
Shutting down ham radio would not be easy at all. Hundreds of thousands of transceivers exist and they don't have to operate at fixed locations. If we ever get to that stage, the entire country would be at war anyway.
Chas.
Agreed. And add to that the impossibility of locating and confiscating countless receivers... many of which only cost $25-40.
POW Canteen Radios were a real thing in WW2
You don't have to... signals warfare is far more sophisticated than needing to track down users. You simply block the spectrum... easy to do in broad geographical areas.
This is a fact.
Re: Alternate Comms
Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2021 8:34 am
by Grayling813
kayt00 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 14, 2021 6:20 pm
Just Technician right now, one step at a time. If it's something I actually enjoy I'll jump to general then maybe extra. I got 100% on the tech exam so we'll see what happens down the road.
Congratulations! I haven’t done much with my tech license beyond buying a Boefeng radio.
Just obtained GMRS license and ordered a couple of radios. The GMRS licensing was very fast, submitted application and payment online Wednesday afternoon, received license Thursday morning.
Re: Alternate Comms
Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2021 12:08 pm
by KC5AV
Liberty wrote: ↑Fri Jan 15, 2021 6:37 am
KC5AV wrote: ↑Thu Jan 14, 2021 9:19 pm
kayt00 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 14, 2021 6:20 pm
Just Technician right now, one step at a time. If it's something I actually enjoy I'll jump to general then maybe extra. I got 100% on the tech exam so we'll see what happens down the road.
You will likely find that a lot of the material on the General exam will look very familiar.
and a lot of what's on the general will be on the extra. When passed the general. I continued on to the Extra test even though I didn't study at all for it. I failed the extra but only missed it by one
Extra made my brain hurt.
Re: Alternate Comms
Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2021 12:48 pm
by comsec
Before the current three licenses there was the Advanced class exam. That one was pretty hard and there were to0 many questions to memorize the answers for the formulaic questions for Reactance and other technical calculations. 13 wpm code exam too.
The questions have become more relevant in the later question pools for newer operators. Best bargain around having access to all of that spectrum!!!!
Re: Alternate Comms
Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2021 12:53 pm
by Charles L. Cotton
comsec wrote: ↑Fri Jan 15, 2021 12:48 pm
Before the current three licenses there was the Advanced class exam. That one was pretty hard and there were to many questions to memorize the answers for the formulaic questions for Reactance and other technical calculations. 13 wpm code exam too.
The questions have become more relevant in the later question pools for newer operators. Best bargain around having access to all of that spectrum!!!!
I took my General and Advanced exams on the same day in 1977. The Advanced was the hardest test by a wide margin. The general opinion was the Extra written exam was easier than Advanced. I would have taken it, but 20 words per minute code was a major hurdle! I knew I'd never get to that level, so I never tried. I was reluctant to get my Extra a few years ago because I hated giving up the increasingly rare Advanced ticket. I did it so I could serve as a VE for all exams.
Chas.
Re: Alternate Comms
Posted: Fri Jan 15, 2021 1:10 pm
by Grayling813
I just ordered exam prep materials for General and Extra.
May as well buy radio equipment since guns and ammo is so scarce! (and who knows what the gun/ammo market will be like a week from now).