The Original Introduction called: You Need to Know You Can Do This
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Welcome. By coming here you either have a license and are thinking about upgrading, or you have an interest in electronics and radio communication that has delivered you to this doorstep. First let me say that this page is all about information and how you can more easily absorb it and store it in your retrievable memory. All along the way we'll deal with the madness that comes with preparation - the worry, sweat and pretty much unfounded fears. Some of the questions are quite intimidating, but when you break them down and get familiar with them through the videos and books and memory methods, they can be tamed easily. |
There is no pretension here of being an expert, just think of this page as a way of getting really good at taking tests - and remembering facts. My job isn't really all that hard because, well, the exams are not all that hard - you just might think they are. Don't think of them as a fearsome tower of questions but just a bunch of silly questions you have to answer on your way to pick up your license - armed with your New Bag of Tricks.
Quickly, we're not trying to say that electronics and radio communication is not a serious subject, but the more you think of the test questions as silly you'll be creating a mind set that will serve to build yourself up and look at the questions as if you are flying in a plane looking down at the landscape, and not the other way around.
Road Signs: Also, while you will learn a few memory tricks, or better yet, methods, and think of them as a road sign that leads you in a 2-step process: Remembering the question and what you learned about it in the book. The memory method is your road map, the book is your destination. On exam day, having both will allow you to rest assured your answers are rock solid! And, it will keep me out of trouble from those who might think I just want you to pass the exam without learning the material. Not true! I just believe that if you know how to recall the question, that's half the battle, you can learn about it that much easier (remember the the spoon question?).
If you do chose to memorize everything and not learn about all the whys and wherefores, you'll miss out on the real adventure of ham radio - so don't do that - roll your sleeves up and enjoy what this hobby is all about. And, by doing it in more ways than just banging your head around with multiple choice answers. Studying can be multi-faceted! And fun, darn it! Remember the road signs.
Bag of Tricks? We're going to build your New Bag of Tricks. For starters, there are not one but two free video courses you can take online. Then there are two of my favorite practice tests you can take, one of them actually meters your success level each time you take it, and it will indicate where your weak areas are. That's good news right? Add to that there are memory tricks you can learn, as well as your attitude along the way. You should smile as much as you can and make fun of your trepidation as much as possible. After all, you know you will get your license, that's a given - it's just a question of how. If only because your have an interest in this subject that already indicates you are smarter than the average bear.
You can learn by using several methods you'll find on this page. The message here is, they won't be difficult at all if you know how to apply them and which ones to use to make the questions super-easier. Like memory aids. They can be fun. Let's try this:
Is Groucho making Harpo a capacitance hat that increases bandwidth?
Now, I'll bet you'll never think of a capacitance hat again without thinking of Harpo and Groucho, I know I won't. And here's the message: Think of the Marx Brothers and assign each one of them with one of the harder questions you can find. Think of the Groucho moustache. What could that be? Something just under your nose? Something right in the direct path of your cooling fan? Something that juts out right and left of the signal output? Ahhhh. Now, Harpo. Curly hair. Could this be a Smith Chart? He is a non-talker. Could this be something silent? He has a horn. Is this interference?
You get the idea.
Tip: Practice Smiling. Look in the mirror, do it often. it will help you on exam day!
Keep in mind, these 30 minute Ham exams you're about to pass are really not all that hard and there are some very basic concepts, such as the Memory Room that you can use to get there - which by the way becomes even more important when plunking away for the really hairy don't-be-scary Extra Exam. You'll have strengths as well as weaknesses that you will come to know about yourself during this dance that you can use to your advantage - and my hopes will be fulfilled when I learn that at least one aspiring ham has benefited from this page.
Knowing your strengths is more than half the battle. Now, this doesn't mean finding out what questions you know and the ones you don't know. It means discovering why certain things and certain concepts are harder or easier for you when you apply them to learning. Do you need to see something in action to understand it? You are a visual learner. Do you need to hear it. You are an audio learner. The important thing is applying the techniques that are the best for you to remember the information you will process.
Body Language helps too. What could this be an example of?
And, darn, you'll need the ARRL Books in addition to the videos and memory rooms and other assorted tips and tricks, so please, before you get wet feet, click here and purchase what you need. They are the foundation to the stuctures you'll build as you prepare for the big event. They might seem expensive today, but when you look back a few years from now, they will seem like a very minor investment (especially when your buddies talk you into those eye-popping multi-color radios with the fancy dials and pan-adapters!). These books will tell you why things are the way they are and how they do the things they do. They will be your mainstay.
Also, if you don't own one already, get an iPad. You can take it anywhere with you and use it to take your tests. It was my most important gadget. I actually believe that without it I would not be a licensed Ham today.
This was my first introduction to induction. Mom said I did it a lot. Go figure.
Jellyfish? Alien spaceship? Traffic Jam? Football strategy? Exit plan? Anything to remember.
A Word About Electricity. If you know that electricity isn't just electricity, then you are probably someone who has played with spare radio or television parts when you were younger. If you don't know that electricity isn't just electricity, then utilize the concept of divide and conquer (which we'll talk more about) and you will do just fine. Here's the thing, everything you will learn, including proper ham etiquette, has something in some way, shape or form to do with the bending and shaping of electricity to get us where we want to go, whether it is rag chew, DX or contesting.
What waves don't go through walls? Higher frequency, the less they are able.
All Hams are Not Alike. Someone should have told me from the start that I would be amazed at all I would learn when I jumped back onto the airwaves. I am what they call a retread. I had my novice back in 1969 and later when I retired I got my General and Technician license in the same sitting and 5 months later my Extra. I met RV people who talked about travel and rig maintenance, pilots who talked about flying and mechanics, antenna enthusiasts who talked about A/B testing and wavelengths, like Group 7155. In fact, if you have a question about anything, there is a ham somewhere with answers. Want to find a store with a specific thing in your area? There is a ham who can not only tell you where it is but offer some advice about deals and sales. How about that? Cooking, that too. Off roading, hiking, golfing, gardening, you name it - anything you can dream up. Your knowledge base is about to take a giant leap - and that's a fact. Bottom line, Ham Radio is not an exclusive club by no means - jump right in and it will take you on the most magic ride of your life.
The Ham Whisperer.com - Ham Technician and General Exam Video Study
-~- Possibly the best tool in your kit ever! -~-
Please know that I am not the Ham Whisperer's promoter. I just got lucky. I found his courses online and learned from every video. I endorse his courses because they were a major factor in passing the exams. It's the perfect audio and video course. I have no idea why it is free, but it is. Thank him, his name is Andy, KE4GKP, when you get there. This is a must have/must take for all new hams or soon-to-be hams.
Addendum: Be careful, these videos are not up to date. View the videos to see an approach in study.
And, if that doesn't float your boat, here is another video course that covers not two but all three exams, I did not use this next set of videos when I studied but they come with glowing recommendations (you should see his Testimonials Page, wowsers!)
My Southwestern Colorado: Off Road, Touring, Ham Radio & More!
-~- Meet Dave Casler, KE0OG -~-
Now, don't let the title in his heading throw you. You won't have to learn how to ride a Harley to take his courses. He has wonderful videos. He will require that you buy the books and I believe also that you need the book to give you the "why things are the way they are, and why they do the things they do" perspective. And, in his approach, his videos are essentially an accompaniment to the basic stufy materials. I'll cover the exact steps you need to take in just a few more down arrows, but for now, here is how Dave describes his video course:
He call his method a "Guided Self Study"
Dave says, "Although the book is self study, sometimes it's helpful to have a guide. Out here where I live in Southwestern Colorado, there aren't very many people, let alone hams! That's why I've created this video guide to your self study. It's in convenient chunks—short videos followed by short sections of self study."
This Page Summary
And there you have it. Two video courses to watch and, in the first paragraph of this page, a Memory Room to run through. And we haven't even talked about how I used body language. It will make studying for all three exams (you can do all three, so don't get nervous) a walk in the park. Good golly, think of 50 years ago. Really?! They had to hand draw schematics and take code tests with dots and dashes flying by at lightning speed (cover your ears you hard core cw'ers; just because you can read words and sentences when the dots and dashes float by, doesn't mean you know everything).
