General Class License Study Materials

[WRPH745]

I passed my Technician Exam today and I want to start studying for the General.

I used Hamstudy.org to prepare for the Technician exam and it was very helpful and I plan on using it to prepare for the General Exam.  But hamstudy.org is a test prep tool and not a way to learn new material.

While a large portion of the technician exam covered knowledge I already had from previous learning, looking at the General Exam the majority of the material is new material to me.  I am looking for resources to learn the material that is covered in the General Exam not just something that helps me learn the test.

Any recommendations on study materials?  I am also wondering if the ARRL General Class License Manual would be helpful?

 

Thanks.

 

[WRPD494]

 I used the ARRL General Class License Manual, it was def helpful to learn the basics, and then the test prep tools.  Congratulations on the Tech!

[wrci350]

Couple options:

1)  Is there a ham radio club in your area?  If so they may offer classes, either on-line or in person.

2)  I know there are some General classes on YouTube.

3)  New England Sci-Tech offers on-line classes for all three licenses.  I took the Technician class during the height of the great Covid-19 lock-down in 2020 and enjoyed it so much that I ended up taking the General and Extra classes too.  (Yes, I passed the exams along the way.)  The instructor was great, and focused on the material behind the questions, not just on the answers to the questions.  For me, it was money well spent.

https://nescitech.org/shop/online-license-course-general/

[AdmiralCochrane]

Congrats!  I read both the ARRL and Gordon West general books but couldn't make headway on the tests until I studied on hamstudy.org.  

Both books are good references to learn from and look back to while operating.

My recommedation is to buy the books, read them, then go back to the online test prep

[WyoJoe]

1 hour ago, wrci350 said:

2)  I know there are some General classes on YouTube.

The "Ham Radio Crash Course" (HRCC) on YouTube offers information on getting your General class license. It is hosted by KI6NAZ (Josh), and I think you'll find it helpful.

Here's part 1 of the HRCC series:

There is also the "Ham Radio 2.0" (HR2.0) channel on YouTube that has a series on getting your General class license. It is hosted by KC5HWB (Jason).

Here's a link to part 1 of the HR2.0 series:

 

[MichaelLAX]

Congratulations and welcome to the world of Ham VHF and UHF and some very limited HF privileges!

If I recall correctly, you also have the Radioddity DB-20G and can immediately start taking advantage of 2 meter and 440 MHz FM simplex and repeaters in your area surrounding South Bend, IN.

I am going to shout out to @WROA675to step in, as he just upgraded from his Tech about two weeks ago to his General, and he should let us know his steps to learn the General materials.

He got very lucky: as he was able to pickup an "open box" set of the Yaesu FT-891 160 to 6 meters and LDG Z-11ProII antenna tuner from a local Ham who had just upgraded to the FT-991 and got a great price!

Maybe he'll share some photos as he builds out his new shack!

[SteveShannon]

The easiest path to getting a license is online studying. I really liked HamStudy. It’s like flash cards but with explanations of every concept. It emphasizes those questions you don’t get and leads you to other information. 
Although it could be used to simply study for the test it really allowed me to learn the concepts. It’s up to the user. 

[WRPH745]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

I ordered The ARRL General Class License Manual. Dave Casler did a series containing 38 videos which goes through the book.  The videos are at the Arrl Learning Center website.  I will also use HamStudy for test prep.   So I think I am set.

 

 

 

[mbrun]

I passed my Technician Exam today and I want to start studying for the General.
I used Hamstudy.org to prepare for the Technician exam and it was very helpful and I plan on using it to prepare for the General Exam.  But hamstudy.org is a test prep tool and not a way to learn new material.
While a large portion of the technician exam covered knowledge I already had from previous learning, looking at the General Exam the majority of the material is new material to me.  I am looking for resources to learn the material that is covered in the General Exam not just something that helps me learn the test.
Any recommendations on study materials?  I am also wondering if the ARRL General Class License Manual would be helpful?
 
Thanks.
 

For me studying for an exam, including the amateur exams, is all about real knowledge acquisition. Some of that knowledge comes from memorizing simple facts, some from deep dives into particular topics, some from doing and learning the math. The memorization part is the hard for me.

I used and recommend the ARRL’s official study guides for the exam as a starter (e.g. https://www.arrl.org/shop/ARRL-General-Class-License-Manual-9th-Edition-Spiral-Bound/ )
I read the books cover to cover at first, at least once. Then more and again as needed. I then leveraged the questions at the end of the book to guide where I needed more study. Every time I got something wrong or felt i was guessing, I would re-read the relative section of the book and use the internet to seek out more information.

I did use the Kindle version of the ARRL’s books on my iPad. The hyperlinks and ToC of the book made navigating easier work. The book is structured to make is possible to hop to the questions relative to what you are studying, and possible to hop back from the questions to the area where the supporting information lives.

While I never hear it talked about, the ARRL has their own sponsored website for practice testing. https://arrlexamreview.appspot.com. I did eventually leverage that site to test my preparedness, but again used it inform where I needed to study more.

As just a point of note, some of the best written explanations of various topics I found on net during my studies I found here: https://www.hamradioschool.com. While some topics are not related to current exam question pools, the information is definitely relevant.

Congrats on passing your Technician exam. Enjoy your journey moving forward.


Michael
WRHS965
KE8PLM

[WROA675]

On 2/26/2022 at 1:26 PM, WRPH745 said:

I passed my Technician Exam today and I want to start studying for the General.

First of all, congratulations!!!

As I'm sure you've learned by now, the real lessons now begin and to whichever path you decide to take will in this hobby will present the opportunity for growth.

That said, there are many facets of this hobby open to you, each having their rewards and challenges, so pace yourself. Try to find someone in your area that shares the same passion for the the radio world as you do, with significant experience and desire to share their knowledge, that you can learn from.

However, they may not be that close to you or available much, and that's okay, do your own research, read and study about different aspects of the hobby and it's history (i.e., solar flares, propagation, spurious emissions, compositors, induction, etc.), get involved with Nets, meet others, text, email, ask questions...HAVE FUN, doing it.

If it stops being fun and interesting to you, then you'll get bored and maybe bitter, feeling you wasted your time. I imagine by this time you've past that stage and have committed yourself to broadening your horizons (e.g., studying for the next level).

In regards to passing the general exam, I'll share this, you've already got a huge advantage having recently passed your technicians exam. "You're in the zone" and much of what you learned transitions over into the general class. Don't overthink it, don't stress out over it (their not going to take your tech away if you don't pass), and don't spend money on lesson plans, classes, etc (save that for future radios and gear-you're gonna need it).

If I may, keep it simple, the exam is only a step, once you clear that hurdle, then it that's when things get complicated and the real learning starts. In, other words limit the amount of resources you engage in while studying (it can get confusing quickly). For both my tech and general, I read the books from K4AI, and used Ham Radio Prep app on my phone. Once I completed the books, I focused on the app- at least 30-60 minutes a day, work through the sections, take the practice quiz, fail, repeat, fail a little less, repeat, failing less again, over and over, and pretty soon (if you stick with it) your memory muscle kicks in and that's what you want...because the same questions on the quizzes are the same on the exam- THAT THE ONLY INFORMATION YOU NEED TO REMEMBER AT THIS POINT.

Good luck and 73,

de WROA675/KN6SDM

 

ps: a plan without a goal is just a dream....  Set a date, reserve your spot for the test, that will give you incentive and motivation to "get'er done!".