BOX1

Amateur Radio License

Scoop

Scoop

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Supporting Member
Sep 7, 2021
4,174
15,529
113
Michigan
Ownership

  1. Other Brand

  2. 1000-5

  3. Talon R LV
Taking the Technicians exam tomorrow and the General in a few weeks. Should be a super easy 5-10 minutes for me.

Always had a passing interest in ham radio, so why not. My local AR club has a repeater only a couple miles from my house, so that is a good thing.

Paid (no test, just $35) for my GMRS license, so I will likely drop a mobile unit on the P1K5 for TO.
 
Dirtstiffs-1000

Dirtstiffs-1000

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Supporting Member
Nov 3, 2018
1,540
5,551
113
Republican from the wet side of Oregonifornia
hondasxs.com
Ownership

  1. 1000-5
I tried to take the Technician exam around Covid. All my area's instructors were out or just quit doing exams and non online.
I just lost interest.
I did buy the FRS, GMRS,MURS privilege, for $70 bucks before they dropped the fee.

Maybe another time.
Good Luck
 
R

RedorDead

Well-Known Member
Jan 3, 2023
84
473
53
USA
Ownership

  1. 1000-5
Been toying around with the idea myself for a while. I have a GMRS license. I have a pair of Midland HT that I mainly use to monitor my dogs when I need to leave them parked in my truck. And a Baofeng to monitor other frequencies.

I figure the AR license would be one more tool in the comm kit in case of a backwoods breakdown. We also carry a Garmin InReach which IMO is the ultimate emergency link.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mudder and CID
K9Paco

K9Paco

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Apr 22, 2018
613
2,123
93
Lake Charles, La
Ownership

  1. Talon X LV
I tried to study to get the amateur license but it just doesn’t make sense to me. Just ended up getting the GMRS license and be done with it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Hondasxs and Mudder
crewcabrob

crewcabrob

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
May 7, 2018
1,029
4,038
113
Omaha
Ownership

  1. 520
I'm just going to say that the FCC page is garbage and trying to obtain a new GMRS license is painful. I had done this 15 years ago and lost my FRN number. I requested a new one, but getting to the place I can pay for and request a new license sucks.
 
K9Paco

K9Paco

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Apr 22, 2018
613
2,123
93
Lake Charles, La
Ownership

  1. Talon X LV
I'm just going to say that the FCC page is garbage and trying to obtain a new GMRS license is painful. I had done this 15 years ago and lost my FRN number. I requested a new one, but getting to the place I can pay for and request a new license sucks.
I had to watch a video on how to do it when I applied.
 
R

RedorDead

Well-Known Member
Jan 3, 2023
84
473
53
USA
Ownership

  1. 1000-5
I'm just going to say that the FCC page is garbage and trying to obtain a new GMRS license is painful. I had done this 15 years ago and lost my FRN number. I requested a new one, but getting to the place I can pay for and request a new license sucks.
Yeah, I think figuring out the FCC website is a disguised test. Probably harder than the radio license test.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mudder
crewcabrob

crewcabrob

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
May 7, 2018
1,029
4,038
113
Omaha
Ownership

  1. 520
I finally got it all out this morning and got to the end and paid my $35.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Scoop and Mudder
Scoop

Scoop

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Supporting Member
Sep 7, 2021
4,174
15,529
113
Michigan
Ownership

  1. Other Brand

  2. 1000-5

  3. Talon R LV
I don't recall having any issues finding my way around the ULS site and paying for my GMRS license.

Passed the Technician exam today. 34/35 questions correct. They won't (can't) tell you which questions you miss, I guess.
 
allgm1

allgm1

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Mar 7, 2015
1,049
1,484
113
New Hampshire
I've had my tech's license for 5 years now, no need to upgrade it because I have no intensions on doing Hf, I can talk around the world digitally for a fraction of the cost.
 
Scoop

Scoop

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Supporting Member
Sep 7, 2021
4,174
15,529
113
Michigan
Ownership

  1. Other Brand

  2. 1000-5

  3. Talon R LV
I've had my tech's license for 5 years now, no need to upgrade it because I have no intensions on doing Hf, I can talk around the world digitally for a fraction of the cost.
I find that I do most of what I do simply because it's a challenge ... :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: crewcabrob
Scoop

Scoop

Well-Known Member
Lifetime Member
Supporting Member
Sep 7, 2021
4,174
15,529
113
Michigan
Ownership

  1. Other Brand

  2. 1000-5

  3. Talon R LV
I tried to study to get the amateur license but it just doesn’t make sense to me. Just ended up getting the GMRS license and be done with it.
The questions are all published. The exam is 35 questions out of a pool of 400. All multiple choice.

If you head over to hamstudy.org, you can take as many practice tests as you want. After each one, they tell you which ones you got right and wrong, and for every question, you can click the upper-right and it explains why the correct answer is right.

I knew nothing about ham radio, spent a grand total of about 4 hours taking tests and watching a handful of '101' videos on Youtube, and passed my exam only missing 1 question.

Now that I (will soon) have my license and callsign and I have my radio, I'll actually start learning about it by doing it. I think that's the best way to learn, not buying some oversized study guide or paying for some overpriced online "training".
 
BOX2
box3

About us

  • Our community has been around for many years and pride ourselves on offering unbiased, critical discussion among people of all different backgrounds. We are working every day to make sure our community is one of the best.

User Menu

Buy us a beer!

  • Lots of time and money has gone into making sure the community is running the best software, best designs, and all the other bells and whistles. Care to buy us a beer? We'd really appreciate it!

    Beer Fund!

    Club Membership!