I am interested in becoming a Ham. What's my first step?
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Interested in becoming a Ham
- Thread starter Interstate 78
- Start date
Hi,
I’m glad to see somebody interested in becoming a ham operator. The easiest thing to do is to go to www.arrl.org. They have books, pamphlets, and information on the web site for becoming a new ham.
The short form answer for becoming a ham is the same way you get to Carnegie Hall – practice.
There are three levels, each requiring a multiple choice exam. They are:
Technician – everything 30 MHz and above and some small privileges below 30 MHz.
General – Adds HF (below 30 MHz)
Extra – adds more HF.
They need to be taken in order, but not necessarily at the same time.
There are 50 or so questions on each exam (out of 300-700 question pool) and the passing grade is about 72%. The exact questions and exact answers are in the study guides (available from ARRL or Amazon). Gordon West (WB6NOA) has a very good study guide.
So the steps would be:
1. Get the Technician study guide.
2. Review the materials.
3. Go to a web site such as www.qrz.com and take practice exams until you feel comfortable with being able to pass.
4. Go to www.arrl.org or www.w5yi.org to find a VEC (Volunteer Exam Coordinator) giving an exam in your area.
5. Call up the VEC and make an appointment. They will tell you what to bring.
6. Take the exam. And if you fail the first time, depending on how the VEC team feels, you may get to do a retest. But don’t count on it. Also, typically the flat fee ($12-$14), lets you take as many sequential exams as you want. So if you passed Technician, take the General even if you didn’t study for it, just so you have the experience.
Once the exam is passed, it will be about 5 days before the FCC posts your license grant giving you a call sign and allowing you to operate under your call sign. The license is good for 10 years, renewable and best of all – FREE.
So the only expense you have invested in getting the license is the cost of the study materials and the VEC exam fee.
And, BTW, Morse code requirements went away last February.
Good luck.
K6JHU
I’m glad to see somebody interested in becoming a ham operator. The easiest thing to do is to go to www.arrl.org. They have books, pamphlets, and information on the web site for becoming a new ham.
The short form answer for becoming a ham is the same way you get to Carnegie Hall – practice.
There are three levels, each requiring a multiple choice exam. They are:
Technician – everything 30 MHz and above and some small privileges below 30 MHz.
General – Adds HF (below 30 MHz)
Extra – adds more HF.
They need to be taken in order, but not necessarily at the same time.
There are 50 or so questions on each exam (out of 300-700 question pool) and the passing grade is about 72%. The exact questions and exact answers are in the study guides (available from ARRL or Amazon). Gordon West (WB6NOA) has a very good study guide.
So the steps would be:
1. Get the Technician study guide.
2. Review the materials.
3. Go to a web site such as www.qrz.com and take practice exams until you feel comfortable with being able to pass.
4. Go to www.arrl.org or www.w5yi.org to find a VEC (Volunteer Exam Coordinator) giving an exam in your area.
5. Call up the VEC and make an appointment. They will tell you what to bring.
6. Take the exam. And if you fail the first time, depending on how the VEC team feels, you may get to do a retest. But don’t count on it. Also, typically the flat fee ($12-$14), lets you take as many sequential exams as you want. So if you passed Technician, take the General even if you didn’t study for it, just so you have the experience.
Once the exam is passed, it will be about 5 days before the FCC posts your license grant giving you a call sign and allowing you to operate under your call sign. The license is good for 10 years, renewable and best of all – FREE.
So the only expense you have invested in getting the license is the cost of the study materials and the VEC exam fee.
And, BTW, Morse code requirements went away last February.
Good luck.
K6JHU
Thank you K6JHU for your detailed post, er... your "checklist!"
Thank you very much for the information. Very helpful! I'll keep you posted on my progress.
Let me add my congratulations to your wanting to become a ham! I've made so many friends all over the world through the hobby.
A great place in the Internet for free practice tests is www.aa9pw.com. Check that out.
Definately get the Gordon West books. He has a great way of taking a rather technical subject and boiling it down to a level that anyone can understand it. He's a great guy and I'm proud to call him a friend.
Find a hamfest in your area. Chances are that you'll take your test at a hamfest anyway, so go ahead and try to find one to attend while you're studying. It will give you a chance to see what some of the radio equipment looks like. If you can you have to make a trip to the Dayton Hamvention in May. It's the largest hamfest in the world. All the manufacturers and retailers are there and the new radios are usually previewed or debuted there. Dayton, OH on the 3rd weekend in May. The easiest way to find a hamfest near you is to search for them on the ARRL website, www.arrl.org. Check out Dayton at www.hamvention.org.
Good luck and 73!
Don, AE5DW
A great place in the Internet for free practice tests is www.aa9pw.com. Check that out.
Definately get the Gordon West books. He has a great way of taking a rather technical subject and boiling it down to a level that anyone can understand it. He's a great guy and I'm proud to call him a friend.
Find a hamfest in your area. Chances are that you'll take your test at a hamfest anyway, so go ahead and try to find one to attend while you're studying. It will give you a chance to see what some of the radio equipment looks like. If you can you have to make a trip to the Dayton Hamvention in May. It's the largest hamfest in the world. All the manufacturers and retailers are there and the new radios are usually previewed or debuted there. Dayton, OH on the 3rd weekend in May. The easiest way to find a hamfest near you is to search for them on the ARRL website, www.arrl.org. Check out Dayton at www.hamvention.org.
Good luck and 73!
Don, AE5DW
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Interstate 78 said:
If you can, also find a local club or even a local neighbor who is a ham....helped me when I got my ticket @ age 14 (35 years ago!)......The local ham or club can get you hooked up with a VE team who gives exams and maybe prep classes...also WATCH and listen a lot before getting on the air...but you'll still be nervous once you go for it the 1st time...I was....but got over it....now I work in radio!!! (but thats another story)...ENJOY..there is a LOT this hobby has for anyone....
-.-. .--
Advanced since 1974 (ONE day I may get the Extra)
Check out W5YI.ORG and click on their "software" link.
They have a program that will run on your PC and allow you to take sample tests that are worded just like the real test. If you spend just 20 minutes a day for one month, you should not have any problem in passing your ticket.
They have a program that will run on your PC and allow you to take sample tests that are worded just like the real test. If you spend just 20 minutes a day for one month, you should not have any problem in passing your ticket.
Also www.qrz.com will let you take sample tests on-line/real time. And the format gives instant feedback as to whether you got the answer right or not.
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