Hola, hay una version en español de esta plataforma? o algun instructivo para principiantes? gracias!
Hi everyone, I have been studying for the technician license with The ham radio prep level 1 am about ready to sign up for test. But no testing centers came up for me? I know they have and online test, but my internet and phone are weak here in the mountains, I fear the video call might drop and it would waste everyones time. How do I find a local test center? Thanks 73
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Without knowing where you are I can’t offer anything more specific than this:
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Thanks, yes, i tried that, put my zip code in, nothing comes up, i finally called them and a nice lady gave me contact of someone in knoxville. I am in speedwell Tn near ky and va corners, apparently not much in my area. I dont mind driving so everything is good now. So i guess the issue with the site, is you have to use a different zip code if nothing comes up near you. All good, just a minor learning curb. Thanks for your reply, greatly appreciated. 73
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Happy to (try to) help. 
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2 posts were split to a new topic: How to Update Your Callsign
How do you hear traffic
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You need to be a little more descriptive with your question.
I just passed my Technician license yesterday thanks to Ham Study and waiting to receive my call sign and start reaching out.
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Outstanding.
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Good morning. When choosing a radio for emmcom, how do I know what Hawaii frequency operates on, DMR, Dstar, or fusion? I got a baofeng…it does not reach any of the emergency radio frequencies here…and after a few lessons I realized why.
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Are you familiar with any of the emergency response ham radio groups in your area?
KO6OZV. Just got my callsign last week, im trying to find the best budget way to enjoy the hobby. As of now, i have a baofang F8HP pro, and im having a hard time making any contacts. In the future i think i want to do POTA, so if im building a system, id kinda like to do one that could serve as base station/POTA or SOTA. Just looking for advice on what would be a good starting point.
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Not sure what all you have in mind, but I will say that the Xiegu G90 is an awesome POTA radio! And I used it as a base station for some time as well!
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I agree with Andy on the G90 recommendation. It is probably the most common “1st HF radio” purchased these days. I used mine for about four months before upgrading to a 100 watt radio for home, but I still use the G90 for any POTA activations.
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Congrats on getting your license! And welcome to being totally disappointed in 2m (it can be pretty sparse and quiet outside of repeaters). Going to HF is worth it if you want to hear anyone else on a regular basis. You can do lots on 10m as a tech, but if you’re a general now or soon, that opens up more to have fun with.
I 100% agree with the G90 recommendation. It’s a little heavy for SOTA, but with a 3ah battery, small windup spool antenna and leaving the fan base at home, it’s totally manageable. 20w is plenty for SOTA or POTA and I run 5-10w a lot of the time. An older Yaesu 817 or 818 would be equally great. I use my G90 as my primary at-home that I setup outside and take down (inside base stations are overrated!) and my portable for SOTA. It has enough features to be an all-arounder radio without so many that it’s hard to learn and get on the air. Plus there are a ton of YT videos explaining it and being helpful.
The built-in tuner is legendary for good reason. Takes a lot of the stress of setting antennas up out of the beginner’s equation. The built-in SWR meter is great for quickly testing different setups.
A few upfront changes I found helpful:
- Change the knob below the volume knob to be RF Gain and don’t use the pre/att
- Put a 90 degree PL-259 to BNC (or whatever your coax is) on the back so that when you tilt the radio up toward you, it doesn’t put strain on the end of the coax.
- Get some rails; they’re worth it
- Grab some headphones/earbuds and go with those over the speaker.
- Get a simple EFHW or portable dipole and use it for everything. Practicing setting it up, taking it down, and tuning it over and over and over again will make life so much easier when you’re activating.
- Once you have your General, pick a single band to hammer for a few weeks before moving to a new one and different antenna. It’s amazing the difference being familiar with a band’s goings-on, net schedules, ragchew freqs, etc makes when you’re tuning around–way more fun than feeling like you’re in a foreign land all the time. I started with 20m since the antenna is small and super portable, but 15m, 17m and 40m would all be great to start on.
Have fun and don’t get into the overthink trap - get out there and have fun.
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