Well, I passed. Yesterday, I couldn't even spell "Ham", today I are one! Aced the tech exam, and at the VE's suggestion, I tried the General as well. Much to my amazement, I passed it! I certainly didn't ace it, but I passed it.
I already have two, the requisite Baofeng handheld (with upgraded antenna) as it only costs $19.99/shipped. Then I bought a Retevis RT-95 (Aka Anytone 778UV or CRT Micron) for the jeep, but don't yet have an antenna for it (I have a Diamond in my Amazon cart), and I have to get it installed which is going to be a bit of a project what with the CB and GMRS radios already in the Jeep.
I'd really want to work 10 meters with vintage equipment. Its just "what its all about" as far as I'm concerned. Maybe glowbug QRP as well.
I'm still rather in shock that I passed the General...
Zorba, I just sent you a PM with a attachment that migh thelp with your "too many radios" dilemma. Your rev RT-95 can do more than whats on the surface.
AWESOME ACCOMPLISHMENT! General. That is hard to do.
Did you get the part about "uncontrolled environment"? What you don't know won't hurt you is what I got from it.
AWESOME ACCOMPLISHMENT! General. That is hard to do.
Did you get the part about "uncontrolled environment"? What you don't know won't hurt you is what I got from it.
Yep pretty cool. You think the $150.00 for a mobile gmrs is worth it? Do you get any daily use?
I paid way less for a GRMS, I think it was about $60 - although it isn't the most advanced radio available. I bought it for trail use, but I've squawked with my granddaughter on her FRS a time or two.
Try Hamexam.org study guides and practice tests all free.
I used hamstudy.org - but its the same idea. All free, very effective!
The thing is, I studied like crazy for the tech exam. I knew I'd ace it, if I didn't have a brain fart and miss one from mis-reading the question. What I didn't study for was the general. I took exactly four practice tests for general (I took a couple dozen for tech), 3 of them I failed, 1 I passed just barely. What I did do was review the questions I had failed. I learned just enough to be able to pass the actual test. I knew some of the material already, learned a tiny bit more from the 4 tests I took, figured out more from common sense, took a SWAG at several, and a WAG at the rest! I got "just the right test", obviously - I would have failed otherwise.
So *NOW* I get to study the material more, so that I'm actually deserving of the license I got largely by dumb luck! Oh, and get this: When I took the tech exam, somebody had written the correct answers inside the test booklet - or at least the first three were correct. I raised my hand and made the VE aware of it, so he gave me a fresh booklet. When he was handing out the General test booklets, I told him "NOW would be a good time for a test with circled answers!". He laughed!
I was an electronics tech and sometime engineer in a former life - that and being around hams and deploying commercial radio gear gave me "just enough" I guess. The operating rules and conventions were the hardest for me - they're somewhat convulated.
Or something called the "CRT Micron". French apparently. Since they're all the same radio by all accounts, price ruled. Got mine for $119 shipped from a U.S. warehouse - and they included the programming cable. The Anytone 778UV is a bit more.
Yea, the VE encouraged everybody to try the General, all but 2 did. I don't know how many got the General, I was the first one called who did though. But then I was gone so I don't know what happened afterwards.How awesome, and you got your General too congrats!!
N6TAY
I certified as VE last year but now stay too busy now to start doing it.
Wouldn't have happened. I barely passed General. The VE did relate a story of a guy that came in for a Tech test, and aced it like I did. He wasn't planning on anything further, but was reluctantly talked into trying the General. He aced that. The VE told him "If you don't take the Extra exam, somebody needs to hit you upside the head!". So he did - and ACED THAT TOO! I wasn't in the same class at all!!
Hey again. I might pull the trigger on this one in a week or so. Are you enjoying it so far? Not too hard to program, etc?
Also, if I get my GMRS license, I'd enjoy using the same radio for both. Does Retevis let you transmit on those frequencies, like I think the Anytone does?
I'm still installing it - but a program called "Chirp" will program it. Technically, its illegal to transmit GMRS on a ham rig. Stupid, I know...
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