What is Reddit's opinion of Ham Test Prep?

I can hit a repeater 30 miles away with a Baofeng and Rollup J-pole antenna (and I know this because I did it last night on the net!). Total cost: $90. Should be able to go simplex then if both sides had the same setup.

Ham radio. Get your licence.

Here's a great app for practicing: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iversoft.ham.test.prep&hl=en

Also, /r/amateurradio

I'll also note that in an EMERGENCY, it's legal to transmit on the HAM bands without a licence. However, it's best to have one and practice with the radio before something goes wrong. They're complicated little buggers.

It's always legal to just listen in though.

Since no one has said it yet, getting legal is SUPER easy.

Download this app, and use it: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iversoft.ham.test.prep&hl=en

Once you get above 80% on the app consistently, type your info in here and find a testing session: http://www.arrl.org/find-an-amateur-radio-license-exam-session

Then wait a couple weeks and you're legal. At that point you can use any ham frequency you want. The only problem is you both need tickets (really anyone with a baofeng).

And the reason we hate on people who transmit illegally is because the whole reason we have these mostly de-regulated bands of frequencies is because we self-regulate.

It'd be a damn shame if the FCC just said "Nope, no more ham frequencies" because a bunch of kiddo's grabbed some baofengs and used them like they were FRS radios.

I powered through the questions in this app for about a month to prepare. Passed my technician exam on my first try!

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iversoft.ham.test.prep&hl=en

I'm sure there should be an iOS version as well.

I think you should be fine. I studied from the General guide that was expired when I took my exam. The qualitative content of the exam really doesn't change. The question pools change somewhat but if you know your stuff, you'll have no problem learning the changed questions. I used a combination of the old book for understanding everything followed by this Android app for studying all the current questions (similar resources available online too). The combo was bulletproof and the exam was no prob.

Hamstudy is a great resource. I used them a little bit while working on my Extra and recommend them to everyone. On Android, I recommend the Ham Test Prep app from Iversoft. I used it to study and review. For core study, I used the ARRL book, but it's arranged more like a collection of articles than an actual study guide. I've also heard great things about Gordon West's study guides.

This app for Android got me through my Tech... Ham Test Prep. It pulls and updates from the official pool questions. Not sure if it is available for Apple devices though...

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iversoft.ham.test.prep&hl=en

disclaimer: I am not affiliated with this app or its creator. Its just free and it worked for me.

Honestly no! There are great resources including an android app to help out. The questions are exactly like the ones on the test and I used this app and google for the things I didn't know in order to get my Extra. Tests are held in most towns by local clubs authorized to give the test. In my town it is once a month on the third Saturday of every month.

Most people will never need more than a technician level but once you really get into the hobby you may get your general to be able to talk on HF (over the world) or extra for some extra power and tower type privileges. The best part. You license is usually transferable to most countries around the world and you can say, go to England and still have HAM privileges.

There's at least one!

If you've got an Android device, Ham Test Prep is the app I used to study for the exams (Tech and General). It'll randomly generate exams from current question pools, then let you know how you did. It also keeps track of your performance on individual areas of study and questions, so you can work on what you're bad at.

Good luck!

Totally. There are some good ones for fruit-based phones also.

Reading through one of those Gordon West study guides is useful. For each of the three levels of tests I read the book and then studied with the app until I was consistently passing. Then I went and tested and got on the air, talking around the world with nothing more than a wire strung up in a tree in Volunteer Park and a battery.

EDIT: But most of the conversation is mediocre. Need more interesting stuff to chat about.

I used Kb6nus study guide and this test app https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iversoft.ham.test.prep Now I just have to find out when they are testing near me, I know all the questions just about

Here you go: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iversoft.ham.test.prep&hl=en

It won't teach you anything, but it does provide an easy way to memorize the test questions.

2-weeks of on-the-shitter questions and you'll pass no problem. If you can get an 85% or better in the app, you'll pass.

Your boss seems kind of like an, ah, I won't say it. I feel harsh wanting to say it. I know it is your own choice as to whether or not you're okay with working in that type of environment but I will say that your boss definitely didn't do his research. If you're going to be a ham it's for personal use only. If he tries to make you transmit anything for business reasons contact the FCC.

That said if you're wanting to do this for personal reasons as a hobby and enjoyment I recommend the No-Nonsense Study Guides. In the guide they linked this app as one of the many options for studying out there. Use it. I used the guide to learn the general knowledge and studied and quizzed the life out of myself right up until the moment I walked into the room and took the test.

Please don't use this for business/commercial reasons. It really is a wonderful hobby and community of people that I actively encourage you to join but do not participate in illegal activity.

I learned using this app on my phone. Crammed for 12 hours and passed general. Also these these videos for my tech and general even though the general is out of date. Really easy to follow!

Just saw Canada, but leaving it here for anyone else in the US that might be looking

Can't help you with the equipment... But you have an android, I used this app and passed my HAM tech test 100%. Just play with it for 15 minutes every day and you'll have it memorized in a few weeks. Also keep an eye out, that mormon church on fruitvale ave does tests every once in a while. When I took the test there usually weren't any in town.

License isn't that bad and no shame in trying more than once. My kiddo and I both passed it. One thing I liked a lot was this app for quizzing.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iversoft.ham.test.prep

Yep - just... didn't have the brain cycles to attack another thing. Some other stuff going on that day as well, and I was done.

I have the HAM Radio Test app ("Ham Test Prep" - here) on my phone, which has prep-tests for Tech, General and Extra along with links to resource for any question you miss... plus it can bias the question pool for your tests to the ones you're getting wrong. Very helpful.

I'm not planning to go HF for a while - figure out 2M first. Most of my goals are APRS and packet-radio related.

http://hamstudy.org

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iversoft.ham.test.prep&hl=en

Seriously, it took a week of on-the-pooper "studying" and I passed my Tech class no problem. Baofengs are like $30 to get OTA, and it's a really handy skill to have.

/r/amateurradio

Again, go spend some time browsing /r/amateurradio. You'll learn a lot.

Here's a great app that will help you get started with your licencing. There's a test, and after about a week of just plugging through that app I passed with flying colors. I didn't even have to pay to take it, as there was a club meeting so they tested for free.

There are TONS of radios out there, and my experience is budget-limited to the Baofeng that I've got. Yaesu, Icom, Kenwood, they all make good, high-quality, HT's (handhelds) in your price range. They also make slightly larger ones meant to be mounted in a car in that range as well (generally called mobile radios).

Know though that although a single-band (or dual band, you'll be licensed in the 2m and 70cm bands as a tech) radio can be had fairly cheaply ($200 range), there are LOTS of more expensive options ($700+). If you really get into the hobby, get your general or extra class licence, and get a HF radio (High-frequency, the ones that talk around the world) those are up in the $700+ range.

As far as interfacing with a bigger antenna, pretty much any radio you get from an HT, to a mobile, to a big base station will interface with any antenna. There are 4 or 5 major standard antenna connectors, but all of them can be adapted and they'll all work on all the radios (assuming they're made for the frequencies you'll be operating on).

Further, the antenna size isn't the only factor. Power output of the radio is one, antenna mounting height is another.

This is a good study app for memorizing answers, but I'd recommend picking up the arrl handbook and looking up anything that doesn't make sense as you're going through questions.

EDIT: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iversoft.ham.test.prep&hl=en

The (free, no-ads) android app, "Ham Test Prep" by Iversoft seems really solid (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iversoft.ham.test.prep&hl=en). I'll know for sure after my exam(s) tomorrow!

I got the UV-82 myself and it seems decent enough.

Good luck!

Edit: added link

I was acing my practice tests (using the pretty cool app Ham Test Prep), but then life got in the way of actually getting out to the test.

That was a year ago.

And video version by KB9OKB

I just watched this and used this app on my phone to take some practice exams.

While I found the No-Nonsense Study Guides to be great it really took me using apps on my phone during every spare time I had before the exam to have it really drilled into my head. I personally used this one but I'm sure you can find whatever you want (e.g. if you have an Apple phone, I have got zero idea on iPhones sorry).

That's all I used and I passed the exam with 1-2 days of studying. Granted I did have past experience with HAM knowledge but not the full exam worthy amount.

I used www.hamradiolicenseexam.com to go from zero to extra and was very satisfied with the service. Money well spent.

Free options include www.hamstudy.org and www.hamexam.org

Download the study guides from www.kb6nu.com/study-guides (currently appears to be down)

Install Ham Test Prep on your Android mobile device (don't know what iOS options exist, maybe someone can chime in with a recommended app) to make it easy to get some quick studying in while you have some downtime.

It's quite easy and I say that as someone with zero formal training in engineering (although I've been a maker for a long time). I used an app to study the questions and then had the study manual that I used to learn the concepts in more depth. Only missed one question my first try (and it was a dumb one too lol).

This is the app I used: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iversoft.ham.test.prep&hl=en

This andriod app really helped me study. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iversoft.ham.test.prep

I also downloaded and printed the study guides.

http://www.kb6nu.com/study-guides/

I watched all the old question pool videos from KE4GKP's blog and used the ham test prep app on android. I know you have IOS and I'm sure there's another app with practice tests that is similar. I between both I managed to study and take my tech in 2 days and crammed about 8 hours to get my general last week.

Even though the questions are from the old pool on the blog videos, they work well enough as theory hasn't changed too much. 35 videos doesn't take long if you skip the tests and just crash course it. While it worked for me, YMMV.

146.520 is the national calling frequency ("Hey, anyone on?", just having a chat). Probably lots of people listening in or chatting during an emergency. Just key up and say "I need help, this is an Emergency and I don't know how to use this thing."

If people are talking on it, press the key to talk (PTT button Push-To-Talk), and say "Break Break Break", then release and wait for someone to come back to you. They'll say "Go ahead" and then you can ask for help.

Some will say that 146.550 is the 'emergency' frequency, but that's not official. Worth writing down anyway.

Mostly just set it on scan: Hit the VFO/MR button to display numbers on the display, then hold the "SCAN" button, (usually the asterisk key), and it'll cycle through channels until it finds a transmission.

Once you find a channel, press exit.

if you wanna watch 2 channels, hit the A/B key to switch to the other numbers on the display (top or bottom), and then either key in the frequency if you know it, or just scan on one while listening to the other.

NOAA weather reports can be found in the 162 frequency range (between 162.400 and 162.550).

Write down frequencies, keep the sheet with the radio (rubber banded to the antenna is fine). Keep it charged.

if you hold the red "Call" button (above the PTT button), it'll swap to FM radio mode, and you can hear the local radio channels just like you would in a car.

Repeaters are a whole nother topic, and require programming which is beyond the scope of this. If you do have a programming cable already, download Chirp. In the menus at the top, select "Radio", "Import from data Source", Select the state and county that you live in, or are going to be in. Then select "2m" for the band. Select the repeaters you want (all of them if you don't know what you're doing), and assign them to channels.

Then do the same for "70cm" band.

Then do the same for the FRS/GMRS channels and any other defaults you want. Upload it to radio. Everything will be programmed in for you automatically.

Lastly, to anyone else reading this: DON'T WAIT UNTIL AN EMERGENCY TO LEARN TO USE YOUR GEAR! That's the absolute WORST time to do it. Go spend some time on /r/amateurradio and http://www.arrl.org/get-on-the-air. Seriously it'll take you a week of on-the-pooper study to be able to earn your licence, and you'll learn everything you need to know.

Hello fellow pilots both current and soon to be! I would like to take a minute of your time to discuss getting your amateur radio license.

If you were wondering why you should/need to get your amateur radio licenses, it is both important to legally utilize the amateur bands (433 control, 1.2/3, 2.3/4 video, 3.3, 5.8) with unlicensed equipment and to help keep the air waves clear of unnecessary RF noise and interference.

The FCC certifies either a devices, person, or entity (business/organization) for broadcast privileges in the USA. The idea being that depending on the rules you wish to operate under, including frequencies and power limits, requires certain levels of qualifications.

In the USA we as RC/FPV pilots are concerned with two sets of rules, often referred as Part 15 for FCC licensed equipment, and Part 97 for FCC licensed amateur operators.

Part 15 covers a lot of equipment we currently use, like our 2.4GHz radio transmitter. It affects decisions like "non-removable" antennas, the use of RP-SMA connectors when they are removable, tx power limits, and frequency hopping. Part 15 devices are often referred to as "unlicensed devices" because the end user does not have an FCC license and does not need one. These devices are also restricted to certain frequencies, often in the ISM bands (915Mhz, 2.4 GHz, and 5.8GHz all overlap between amateur and ISM).

Part 97 covers most of our FPV video transmitters, and LRS control systems (OpenLRS, DragonLink, EZUHF). The reason this is, most of the FPV video transmitters do not meet the requirements for spurious emissions, power output or connector types. Most LRS systems only use 433ish MHz so they fall directly in the amateur-only radio band. If you check your video transmitter and there is no FCC id on it, it is not a certified devices and requires an amateur license to legally operate in the USA.

All digital solutions seem to be using certified transmitter hardware, so solutions like the connex do not require an amateur license. Same is true for the majority of our RC systems (frsly, spektrum etc). Also there exist some FPV vtx for 5.8 that have their FCC certification and are limited in terms of power output and antennas since modifying the antenna to a different gain/radiation pattern would take it out of compliance.

Enforcement is not happening at a rate that indicates you are likely to get in trouble if you do not operate your FPV equipment legally, however it's better to put the best foot forward especially if you live in a place where local people could call the police to harass you while flying at your favorite spot. Having all your paperwork covered makes their complaint look that more meaningless.

When you get your ticket and become a ham, it opens up new power levels, frequencies, and permissions on the air waves.

Also as the "internet of things" continues to grow, 2.4 and 5.8 will become increasingly congested. Being an amateur operator not only gives you legal ability to run higher gain antennas and transmitters to punch through the noise floor.

Becoming a ham operator doesn't guarantee you will gain the knowledge you are seeking, its more of a license to experiment and learn about RF and various aspects surrounding it.

If you are someone who thinks "moar power means moast range!!!!11!" then I really urge you to take some time, study for the first level (Technician) exam, spend the $15 for your seat and test processing, and get that ham ticket.

Being a good FPV pilot means following the rules, including those meant to govern radio broadcasting, not just flying our aircraft. It really is becoming a safety issue as more and more devices go wireless and share a limited bandwidth and need to compete to get their signals through the noise.

Getting your ham ticket is easy, inexpensive, and quite useful in this hobby as well as others.

-73 N0FPV

Hello fellow pilots both current and soon to be! I would like to take a minute of your time to discuss getting your amateur radio license.

If you were wondering why you should/need to get your amateur radio licenses, it is both important to legally utilize the amateur bands (433 control, 1.2/3, 2.3/4 video, 3.3, 5.8) with unlicensed equipment and to help keep the air waves clear of unnecessary RF noise and interference.

The FCC certifies either a devices, person, or entity (business/organization) for broadcast privileges in the USA. The idea being that depending on the rules you wish to operate under, including frequencies and power limits, requires certain levels of qualifications.

In the USA we as RC/FPV pilots are concerned with two sets of rules, often referred as Part 15 for FCC licensed equipment, and Part 97 for FCC licensed amateur operators.

Part 15 covers a lot of equipment we currently use, like our 2.4GHz radio transmitter. It affects decisions like "non-removable" antennas, the use of RP-SMA connectors when they are removable, tx power limits, and frequency hopping. Part 15 devices are often referred to as "unlicensed devices" because the end user does not have an FCC license and does not need one. These devices are also restricted to certain frequencies, often in the ISM bands (915Mhz, 2.4 GHz, and 5.8GHz all overlap between amateur and ISM).

Part 97 covers most of our FPV video transmitters, and LRS control systems (OpenLRS, DragonLink, EZUHF). The reason this is, most of the FPV video transmitters do not meet the requirements for spurious emissions, power output or connector types. Most LRS systems only use 433ish MHz so they fall directly in the amateur-only radio band. If you check your video transmitter and there is no FCC id on it, it is not a certified devices and requires an amateur license to legally operate in the USA.

All digital solutions seem to be using certified transmitter hardware, so solutions like the connex do not require an amateur license. Same is true for X-fire rc system. Also there exist some FPV vtx for 5.8 that have their FCC certification ad are limited in terms of power output and antennas since modifying the antenna to a different gain would take it out of compliance.

Enforcement is not happening at a rate that indicates you are likely to get in trouble if you do not operate your FPV equipment legally, however it's better to put the best foot forward especially if you live in a place where local people could call the police to harass you while flying at your favorite spot. Having all your paperwork covered makes their complaint look that more meaningless.

When you get your ticket and become a ham, it opens up new power levels, frequencies, and permissions on the air waves.

Also as the "internet of things" continues to grow, 2.4 and 5.8 will become increasingly congested. Being an amateur operator not only gives you priority access to these bands over your unlicensed neighbors, you also learn a lot about interference, antenna gain and radiation patterns, and how power vs gain affect range and signal quality.

If you are someone who thinks "moar power means moast range!!!!11!" then I really urge you to take some time, study for the first level (Technician) exam, spend the $15 for your seat and test processing, and get that ham ticket.

Being a good FPV pilot means following the rules, including those meant to govern radio broadcasting. It really is becoming a safety issue as more and more devices go wireless and share a limited bandwidth.

Getting your ham ticket is easy, inexpensive, and quite useful in this hobby as well as others.

-73 N0FPV

So the ARRL is pissed at some long range ignorant FPV pilots and bad importers (HK).

If you were wondering why you should/need to get your amateur radio licenses, it is both important to legally utilize the amateur bands (433 control, 1.2/3, 2.3/4 video, 3.3, 5.8) with unlicensed equipment and to help keep the air waves of unnecessary RF noise and interference.

If you are someone who thinks "moar power means moast range!!!!11!" then I really urge you to take some time, study for the first level (Technician) exam, spend the $15 for your seat and test processing, and get that ham ticket.

Being a good FPV pilot means following the rules, including those meant to govern radio broadcasting. It really is becoming a safety issue as more and more devices go wireless and share a limited bandwidth.

Getting your ham ticket is easy, inexpensive, and quite useful in this hobby as well as others.

ham test prep on google play https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iversoft.ham.test.prep&hl=en