Just passed the exams!

[WRKS279]

Well, today I passed my Technician and General exams for Ham license. When they told me I passed the General also, my mouth dropped open and all I could say was "WOW!"   LoL

 

I knew a few weeks ago I wanted to at least get my Technician license. And, I did order the book and got started studying for it. Along the way, I heard some folks on Facebook saying they wished they'd gone for the General too. Others said they hadn't studied for it, but were given the opportunity to take the test, and only missed by 2 or 3 questions. So, given the much increased communication privileges of the General, I decided to try to go for both of them. What a glutton for punishment! I was about 1/2 through my Technician book when I stumbled onto Ham Radio Prep and HamStudy.org. I signed up for the  Technician/General package at Ham Radio Prep and started in. I found that liked working that way through the material better than the book. Also, I found the review tools at HamStudy were very good. Very helpful. It wasn't long before I was passing my Technician practice exams in the 80-90% ranges. At that point I moved on to the General studies via Ham Radio Prep. Gotta say, I was studying about as hard as I did back in my college days for a Final exam. I was even turning off the TV to really dig in!!   LoL Even so, I sure didn't have the same confidence in the General material. Oh that math was messing me up. Never was that good in it, and this stuff, and their combining formulas, was making my head spin. On my first General practice exam I think I just got a 45%. Ugh! A few days later I tried again and happened to just squeeze out a 75%. "Okay, maybe this is doable." Mostly, the last couple days, I just finished the Ham Radio Prep material, and then I used the HamStudy tool to just keep reviewing, capturing my wrong answers to review the correct ones, and repeat. Actually, some of it was even making more sense to me!   So, this morning when exam day came, I felt better, but I was still quite unsure of the General. Boy! I didn't figure on the stress of having 3 people watching me taking my exams!   As I worked though the Technician exam I could hear myself thinking, "Take it easy. Don't mess this up. Relax. Go back and check." Ha! I passed the Technician, and it was on to the General. I knew it all depended on what group of questions I got from the pool. It could go either way. I was less sure on the General, that's certain. But, as I reviewed my answers, I thought perhaps I had a chance. I clicked that Submit button and held my breath. Shortly afterward I heard the moderator saying, "Well, you passed your General."     I mean, my mouth literally dropped open, my eyes opened wide with amazement, and all I could say was "Wow! Wow! Wow!"

 

So, looks like I'm a Ham now. My sister said, "A ham for a Ham!" LoL Oh, I just ordered a better HT too. ;-)

[mbrun]

Well, let me be the first on myGMRS to congratulate you. Way to Go! Make sure to add your callsign to your signature.

 

I am a General myself and currently working towards my Extra.

 

 

Michael

WRHS965

KE8PLM

[MacJack]

WRKS279, Your post is an encouragement... you see I was happy just in GMRS, but good meaning Hams asked me if I would go for it... I took the practice Technical test and fell short of one questions with just my years of knowledge and a few guess answers.

 

So Grand Daughter has been walking with me in GMRS, did the Space Museum in Huntsville, AL and we planted the see of joining Space Force... So we made a pack as she is 12 yo and it would be good to be a Ham and we will do it together this summers as she does homeschool all year around.  So G Mom said ok for this summer learning...

 

Again your witness of what it was like for you and what tools you used is an inspiration to us.  So let us also congratulate you on passing and telling us about what was going on.  FYI, I reached out the the local Ham Club asking for a mentor/coach and got two, the private owner of local repeater who allow us on and been very supported to GD and family, and new guy who has a heart for Ham.  So my first question is what should I use to start studying....  

 

We are happy for you and look forward to seeing your Ham call sign on your profile.

 

Jack

[WRMA611]

Congratulations!!! Radio in ALL forms is a great hobby.

[wayoverthere]

From one new ham to another, Congrats!

 

I held off trying for general (really debated trying), but recently passed my tech as well (got my email from fcc this past Tuesday, actually).

[Lscott]

Well, today I passed my Technician and General exams for Ham license. When they told me I passed the General also, my mouth dropped open and all I could say was "WOW!"   LoL

 

I knew a few weeks ago I wanted to at least get my Technician license. And, I did order the book and got started studying for it. Along the way, I heard some folks on Facebook saying they wished they'd gone for the General too. Others said they hadn't studied for it, but were given the opportunity to take the test, and only missed by 2 or 3 questions. So, given the much increased communication privileges of the General, I decided to try to go for both of them. What a glutton for punishment! I was about 1/2 through my Technician book when I stumbled onto Ham Radio Prep and HamStudy.org. I signed up for the  Technician/General package at Ham Radio Prep and started in. I found that liked working that way through the material better than the book. Also, I found the review tools at HamStudy were very good. Very helpful. It wasn't long before I was passing my Technician practice exams in the 80-90% ranges. At that point I moved on to the General studies via Ham Radio Prep. Gotta say, I was studying about as hard as I did back in my college days for a Final exam. I was even turning off the TV to really dig in!!   LoL Even so, I sure didn't have the same confidence in the General material. Oh that math was messing me up. Never was that good in it, and this stuff, and their combining formulas, was making my head spin. On my first General practice exam I think I just got a 45%. Ugh! A few days later I tried again and happened to just squeeze out a 75%. "Okay, maybe this is doable." Mostly, the last couple days, I just finished the Ham Radio Prep material, and then I used the HamStudy tool to just keep reviewing, capturing my wrong answers to review the correct ones, and repeat. Actually, some of it was even making more sense to me!   So, this morning when exam day came, I felt better, but I was still quite unsure of the General. Boy! I didn't figure on the stress of having 3 people watching me taking my exams!   As I worked though the Technician exam I could hear myself thinking, "Take it easy. Don't mess this up. Relax. Go back and check." Ha! I passed the Technician, and it was on to the General. I knew it all depended on what group of questions I got from the pool. It could go either way. I was less sure on the General, that's certain. But, as I reviewed my answers, I thought perhaps I had a chance. I clicked that Submit button and held my breath. Shortly afterward I heard the moderator saying, "Well, you passed your General."     I mean, my mouth literally dropped open, my eyes opened wide with amazement, and all I could say was "Wow! Wow! Wow!"

 

So, looks like I'm a Ham now. My sister said, "A ham for a Ham!" LoL Oh, I just ordered a better HT too. ;-)

Congratulations! You just opened up a world of opportunities to explore. One thing that give me satisfaction is mentoring others by answering their questions and always encouraging others to at least try. It seems that self doubt is what holds back many from trying to take the license exams.

[axorlov]

Congrats!

[BoxCar]

Got my Tech the 19th so I know how you feel. KO4OCP

[Extreme]

Wahoo!  And such enthusiasm..  Congrats.

[wrku937]

Got my Tech the 19th so I know how you feel. KO4OCP

Congratulations. We must have passed and been registered on the same day. Our call signs are very close (KO4OHY)

[Roadtrekker]

Congratulations! This from an old ham who had to pass CW (morse code) at 20 words per minute (took 3 tries). I know some of us old time hams denigrate newer hams who did't have to pass tha code. But I don't think they have looked at the new question pools. To me, they seem much harder than the old exams I took including Advanced (very heavy on the math), Extra, GROL with radar endorsement and GMDSS?

 

So, once again congratulations. (and when a e you going for Extra?)

 

73,

Tim

[Mikeam]

Congratulations!!!! Still studying on line!

[n4gix]

Congratulations to all of the new hams! Way to go! 

 

I highly recommend not only hamstudy.org for their on-line training practice exams, but also Craig "Buck" K4IA's marvelous "All Ham and No Spam" series of books: "Pass Your Amateur Radio XXX Class Test" (Tech, General, Extra). I'm using his book for Extra. 

 

His books are divided into two sections, the first being explanation of the correct answers, and the second being a list of all questions in a class's pool of questions. At no time does he quote the "wrong answers." The emphasis is on learning the "correct answers" instead so one can zero in on them when they appear in the exam booklet.

[wayoverthere]

Congratulations to all of the new hams! Way to go!

 

I highly recommend not only hamstudy.org for their on-line training practice exams, but also Craig "Buck" K4IA's marvelous "All Ham and No Spam" series of books: "Pass Your Amateur Radio XXX Class Test" (Tech, General, Extra). I'm using his book for Extra.

 

His books are divided into two sections, the first being explanation of the correct answers, and the second being a list of all questions in a class's pool of questions. At no time does he quote the "wrong answers." The emphasis is on learning the "correct answers" instead so one can zero in of them when they appear in the exam booklet.

Full agreement there; K4IA and hamstudy were my sources for study, and I will probably grab the general book as well.

[MacJack]

Thanks n4gix... G Daughter and I will be studying this summer to seat for Ham Ticket.  

Jack

Congratulations to all of the new hams! Way to go! 

 

I highly recommend not only hamstudy.org for their on-line training practice exams, but also Craig "Buck" K4IA's marvelous "All Ham and No Spam" series of books: "Pass Your Amateur Radio XXX Class Test" (Tech, General, Extra). I'm using his book for Extra. 

 

His books are divided into two sections, the first being explanation of the correct answers, and the second being a list of all questions in a class's pool of questions. At no time does he quote the "wrong answers." The emphasis is on learning the "correct answers" instead so one can zero in on them when they appear in the exam booklet.

[jas]

Congratulations!!!

[n4gix]

Thanks n4gix... G Daughter and I will be studying this summer to seat for Ham Ticket.  

Jack

 

Use the hamstudy.org sample testing exams until both of you can score at least 90% consistently, or at least at or more than 30 correct answers.

 

Only the first attempt was a failure, the other twenty-four were passing. The Tech exam is very simple, and the General not really that much harder. I've had many youngsters pass their General as young as nine! 

 

[WyoJoe]

Congratulations WRKS279 on passing your ham exams!

 

For those interested in becoming a ham, there have already been a couple of good suggestions given to help with studying. I'll add to that by saying there is some good info on YouTube about how to prepare for and pass the exams. One channel that has become popular in the last few years is called the "Ham Radio Crash Course." Josh Nass is the host of that channel, and although his channel offers a lot of info about passing the ham exams, it also offers a lot of other good information about the hobby of radio, including not just amateur radio, but also some info on FRS and GMRS, as well as general interest information such as emergency communications and disaster preparedness.