GOT MY GENERAL!!!!

[WSEL330]

On 10/9/2025 at 10:49 AM, WRYZ926 said:

While a Xiegu won't tune a potato, they do have great built in tuners. There are some YouTube videos where guys have used the G90 to tune different metal objects and made contacts. Now a resonance antenna will always be more efficient. But it is nice to know that the Xiegu radios have excellent tuners.

I enjoy using my G90. And it works well with my REZ quarter wave vertical antenna. Most portable vertical antennas come with 4 long ground radials. The REZ antennas come with four 33 foot radials. What I found to work better is 24 8.5 foot long radials. 8.5 feet is an 1/8 wave for the 20m band.

A bunch of shorter ground radials will provide a better ground plain compared to just a few longer radials for any ground mounted 1/4 wave vertical antenna.

I have made contacts with the G90 and a resonant antenna where guys with 100 watt radios and antennas that require an external tuner could not.

So after playing with this thing (G90) for several week, I have been doing POTA and are happy with what I do not know. I have a random wire at 41' with 17' radials. I elevate the transmit wire to about 18-20' sloping to the ground. The tuner will deal with it very well. I have the G90 on 20 Watts and a 9:1 unun and speaker wire. I got contacts today on 10M from Spain, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. Not saying you are wrong, just good where I am. I will play with your measurements and see if I detect a difference. Thank you all for your input and mentoring here!

[WRYZ926]

30 minutes ago, WSEL330 said:

So after playing with this thing (G90) for several week, I have been doing POTA and are happy with what I do not know. I have a random wire at 41' with 17' radials. I elevate the transmit wire to about 18-20' sloping to the ground. The tuner will deal with it very well. I have the G90 on 20 Watts and a 9:1 unun and speaker wire. I got contacts today on 10M from Spain, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. Not saying you are wrong, just good where I am. I will play with your measurements and see if I detect a difference. Thank you all for your input and mentoring here!

My measurements for the ground radials are for a 1/4 wave vertical. Vertical 1/4 wave antennas work a bit different than a random wire or EFHW antenna.

I don't have much experience with a random wire antenna. I do know that with an EFHW antenna, you want the counterpoise to be 0.05 of a wave length. the counterpoise should be around 4 feet for a 40m EFHW and about 13 feet for a 80m EFHW. You can always go longer with the counterpoise. And I have only used a single counterpoise wire with all of my EFHW antennas.

A 1/4 wave vertical benefits from a better/bigger ground plane where an EFHW and random wire can get by with a single counterpoise wire.

The nice thing about a telescoping whip vertical is that I can tune it for each band and do not need to use a tuner.

[TechnoCurmudgeon]

There’s no need to fret over exact lengths for a ground-mounted quarter-wave vertical’s radials, as they will be de-tuned by the soil. How much? It depends on the location, moisture, etc. So, again, don’t fret over it. More short wires are better than fewer long wires at HF.

All this is why poultry “netting” (fencing) works well spread out around a vertical, as does Faraday cloth. Neither is tuned at all, because there are too many variables.

[WRYZ926]

Ground radials do not have to be an exact length.  I figured out what the 1/8 and 1/4 wave lengths are for the desired band and then round to the nearest 6-12 inches and cut.

The only time that radials need to be cut to exact lengths and tuned is if one is using elevated radials with a vertical antenna.

More ground radials is better until you reach the point of diminishing returns. I have found that 24 shorter ground radials works better than 4 longer radials with my vertical telescoping antenna. And I tune it for each band which helps take care of any differences in soil composition.

[Northcutt114]

So...I just want to pop in and say that the learning curve between technician and general is substantial. I got my technician with very little effort. The general on the other hand.....hoo boy. There's some much math and things in it that I just don't know at all.

And now that I have this G90 and POTA itch, I'm a little sad that I'm stuck in 10m for the time being. Feeling a little defeated, honestly. The pool of questions for general feels a lot bigger. I've been churning through HamStudy and am only at something like 32% seen. Ugh.

As an old West Virginia coal miner Coach used to tell me..."Keep shovelin' boy. Keep shovelin'." 

[SteveShannon]

2 hours ago, Northcutt114 said:

So...I just want to pop in and say that the learning curve between technician and general is substantial. I got my technician with very little effort. The general on the other hand.....hoo boy. There's some much math and things in it that I just don't know at all.

And now that I have this G90 and POTA itch, I'm a little sad that I'm stuck in 10m for the time being. Feeling a little defeated, honestly. The pool of questions for general feels a lot bigger. I've been churning through HamStudy and am only at something like 32% seen. Ugh.

As an old West Virginia coal miner Coach used to tell me..."Keep shovelin' boy. Keep shovelin'." 

Keep at it!  You’ll do fine. When you actually get to the test you might be surprise that there were so few math questions. 

[Northcutt114]

17 hours ago, SteveShannon said:

Keep at it!  You’ll do fine. When you actually get to the test you might be surprise that there were so few math questions. 

I appreciate the encouragement...and you're probably not wrong...but my goodness. For instance; this question: "What is the approximate forward threshold voltage of a silicon junction diode?"

Individually, I know what most of the words in that sentence mean...but strung together in that configuration, they are just gobbledeegook. Ugh. 

[SteveShannon]

13 minutes ago, Northcutt114 said:

I appreciate the encouragement...and you're probably not wrong...but my goodness. For instance; this question: "What is the approximate forward threshold voltage of a silicon junction diode?"

Individually, I know what most of the words in that sentence mean...but strung together in that configuration, they are just gobbledeegook. Ugh. 

You might never need to use this information. I did during my career and in my hobbies but we’re each different. 

All diodes have a forward voltage that’s listed in the specs. Diodes of a particular chemistry, (silicon junction for example) all have a similar forward threshold voltage. It’s called a forward threshold voltage because until the source voltage reaches that threshold, no current flows through the diode in the forward direction.  It’s 0.7 volts by the way. 
If you’re using HamStudy you can click on the Explain link to see an explanation.  They also give hints to help you remember:

[Northcutt114]

5 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

You might never need to use this information. I did during my career and in my hobbies but we’re each different. 

All diodes have a forward voltage that’s listed in the specs. Diodes of a particular chemistry, (silicon junction for example) all have a similar forward threshold voltage. It’s called a forward threshold voltage because until the source voltage reaches that threshold, no current flows through the diode in the forward direction.  It’s 0.7 volts by the way. 
If you’re using HamStudy you can click on the Explain link to see an explanation.  They also give hints to help you remember:

Oh, I'm very familiar with HamStudy and the explanations. The "silly answers" are my favorite. "S" for silicone and seven is 100% how I will be remembering that! 

[GreggInFL]

On 12/27/2025 at 5:33 PM, SteveShannon said:

You might never need to use this information. I did during my career and in my hobbies but we’re each different. 

All diodes have a forward voltage that’s listed in the specs. Diodes of a particular chemistry, (silicon junction for example) all have a similar forward threshold voltage. It’s called a forward threshold voltage because until the source voltage reaches that threshold, no current flows through the diode in the forward direction.  It’s 0.7 volts by the way. 
If you’re using HamStudy you can click on the Explain link to see an explanation.  They also give hints to help you remember:

I see why this question is relevant if you are designing a radio, but why is it necessary knowledge if you are just using a radio?

[SteveShannon]

27 minutes ago, GreggInFL said:

I see why this question is relevant if you are designing a radio, but why is it necessary knowledge if you are just using a radio?

I don’t know.
But, having any class of amateur radio license allows you to build your own radio and put it on the air. 

[GreggInFL]

28 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

I don’t know.
But, having any class of amateur radio license allows you to build your own radio and put it on the air. 

Okay. Was not aware of that.

[AdmiralCochrane]

On 12/27/2025 at 5:33 PM, SteveShannon said:

You might never need to use this information. I did during my career and in my hobbies but we’re each different. 

All diodes have a forward voltage that’s listed in the specs. Diodes of a particular chemistry, (silicon junction for example) all have a similar forward threshold voltage. It’s called a forward threshold voltage because until the source voltage reaches that threshold, no current flows through the diode in the forward direction.  It’s 0.7 volts by the way.

 

Same here. I wasn't aware of a lot of semiconductor physics until I started looking at the Extra class study guides.  Some of the info has helped me understand electronic circuit boards on the HVAC equipment I work on on a daily basis.  Deeper understanding also helps me explain the how and why to the next generation of techs. You never know where knowledge will take you, even when it seems trivial or unrelated.

[SteveShannon]

1 hour ago, GreggInFL said:

Okay. Was not aware of that.

Yeah, seems kind of trusting of them, doesn’t it?

[TNFrank]

Well, dang it, I started looking into the General upgrade.  Some of the stuff I see on HamStudy is stuff I remember from my Tech Cert from DeVry, some is common sense and some I'm simply going to have to learn and memorize. 

As I understand it I won't have to pay the FCC another $35 for the upgrade but I will have to pay to take the test, correct?

Anyway, I figure a couple 3 weeks of study should get me a passing grade.

[WRQC527]

22 minutes ago, TNFrank said:

I will have to pay to take the test, correct?

Broadly speaking, when you take a test at a testing session run by volunteer examiners, we charge a little something, like $10-$15, to cover our expenses. But the FCC doesn't charge for an upgrade. Only the initial license, and when you renew it.

[Lscott]

2 hours ago, TNFrank said:

As I understand it I won't have to pay the FCC another $35 for the upgrade but I will have to pay to take the test, correct?

Maybe. There are some radio clubs that don’t charge an exam fee. You can check around your area see if there are any. My buddy tells me where he lives, about 50 miles away in another town, the club there doesn’t charge an exam fee.

[AdmiralCochrane]

My club doesn't charge.

After taking Tech and General, I would advise everyone to study for both on their first try.  The overlap is huge and what is different often isn't that hard.

[SteveShannon]

Our club doesn’t charge, but even those who do typically keep it to $15 or less.

[WRYZ926]

Our club was charging $15 but that covered supplies needed to print off the tests and also to mail all paperwork in. Yes our head VE insisted on sending everything in by snail mail. He panicked when it came out that all paperwork has to be submitted electronically now. I don't see our club doing any more testing unless we get new VE's that aren't afraid of computers.

I have to agree that it is better to study for and take both technician and general tests at the same time. I took the technician test and took the general test two months later. It was obvious when studying for general that I should have done both at the same time.

[TNFrank]

I know after a Technician passes the General test you have to add /AG to the end of your call sign. Once it's approved on the FCC web site does your call sign change?

[marcspaz]

No, your call sign will only change if you request i vanity call. Once it's updated in the database, just stop using /AG and you're good to go.

[TNFrank]

51 minutes ago, marcspaz said:

No, your call sign will only change if you request i vanity call. Once it's updated in the database, just stop using /AG and you're good to go.

Ok,so it'll be the same. I think logically you should have less letters as you move up. As a Technician I'd be KM7BVY, then when I get my General it'd become K7BVY(cut off a letter to show the upgrade)then if I got the Extra it'd become K7VY or similar. That way you'd know what level someone is by the number of letters. I guess that'd make too much sense for the FCC to do it, LOL.

[marcspaz]

Its a little before my time, but I think you are correct.  Like, my call is N1BED. When I upgraded, I could have drop it to N1BE... what they call a 1x2. But, N1BED was originally my father in-law's call sign. So i never changed it.

I had a special event 1x1 call sign of W1F, which was a blast while I had it.

[TNFrank]

This explains it a bit. If I remember there 3 types, 2x3, 1x3 and 1x2.