[bars] Suggestions for a radio for new ham?

Thu Feb 6 00:24:14 EST 2020

I recently had the opportunity to use HamTestOnline (2017-Q4) and heartily recommend it.

As a late life licensee, at 70, I wanted to accelerate the process so I took some freebie Tech/General courses -- getting what I paid for 😊

They were a quick, crude intro to see if my synapses still sparked.  Seems they do.

My avocational background (for the last 60 years ago) has been some physics, EE, space research, various degrees of others - but MATH is NOT my thing.

Did a lot of computer design, art, engineering, photography, coding, writing, AI, etc.  All with no math beyond trig.

I had used radios my whole life but only as a  passive (AM-SW) DX Listener.

Been around AROs my whole life but never as an operational observer or shack buddy.

My AR-specific knowledge for Tech, Gen, and Extra varied between 0 and 2 (out of 10).

So, I investigated online tutoring and HamTestOnline stood out in a field of few flowers.

Being a late starter, I wanted maximum speed of knowledge acquisition.

I studied and tested their Tech & Gen courses for 2 weeks until I maintained 9+5% scores.

I then headed for Chelmsford Q4-2017.  I passed both with only moderate hair pulling. 

They suggested I try the Extra (which I neither knew nor studied for).

As I expected, I failed, but to a lesser degree than I had forecasted.

Went  back to HTO, signed up Extra, studied a week until I hit 95%, then to next earliest test (Lunenburg).

To my utter delight, I missed only 3 questions on the Extra exam! 

So, from zero to Extra in a little over 3 weeks.  All with HTO as my sole education source.

Mind you, as is de riguer for any course, I studied and self-tested 8-10 hours day.

I self-tested maybe 20 times a day.  You see, the test process is the education process.

You miss a question, it shows you a clip of supporting info and you try again.

Around and around you go. It breaks the monotony by switching up the order and topics.

I started literally with near zero knowledge. It took me the whole way.

One anecdote that portrays what I liked about HTO is that it goes above and beyond what you might expect.  To wit: There was a question in the test pool whose accepted answer was wrong.  It was about the increase in gain to expect if you doubled a dish's diameter.  Well, that squares the area so 2x diameter becomes 4x area.  4x = 6db.  But the approved answer was an incorrect 3db. HTO taught me to enter the WRONG answer to pass that question. Sure enough, I got it, I entered to correct wrong answer and I passed it. I hear they've since corrected the pool question. HTO was one of those who petitioned for its correction. 

Overall, my modus operandi was nothing more than the online tutoring.

I did NOT take side trips to research and study topics (as is my typically wont).

I did not study books or articles. 

The online testing is, unto itself, the course on what you are being tested on.

A beautiful example of positive recursion.

You can visit them and use some of the courses for free to get a feel for it.

http://HamTestOnline.com which takes you to http://www.hamradiolicenseexam.com

Don't judge its utilitarian UX (user interface).  The beauty is in the recursive testing/teaching.

Give it a shot.  It's free to try. Nothing to lose.

Ps. I found Tech harder than General since Tech has the basic tedious rules.

Extra was a different kettle of fish. More questions at a much higher level of difficulty.

TK Anthony 

-----Original Message-----
From: bars <bars-bounces at w1hh.org> On Behalf Of sidj at day100.com
Sent: Wednesday, February 5, 2020 8:20 PM
To: Gary's Ice Cream <gary at garysicecream.com>; Andy Klock <andy at klockmail.com>; Tony Brock-Fisher <barockteer at aol.com>; bars at w1hh.org
Subject: Re: [bars] Suggestions for a radio for new ham?

Let me suggest that you use ham test online:

 <https://www.hamradiolicenseexam.com/> https://www.hamradiolicenseexam.com/

I used it several years ago, it seems to be an active web page today.

The books put me to sleep,  <https://www.hamradiolicenseexam.com/> https://www.hamradiolicenseexam.com/ was a big help.

After the Technician test, I used hamtestonline for the general and extra.

Sid

ab1nz

> On January 31, 2020 .2:57 PM Gary's Ice Cream < <mailto:gary at garysicecream.com> gary at garysicecream.com> wrote:

> 

> 

> We'd love to have you at our next VE test session on Feb 13th in Chelmsford.

> 

> Gary F.

> Gary's Ice Cream - Chelmsford Creamery, Inc.  Chelmsford, MA 

> garysicecream.com Ice Cream College - classes in Massachusetts and 

> Florida icecreamcollege.com

> 

> -----Original Message-----

> From: bars < <mailto:bars-bounces at w1hh.org> bars-bounces at w1hh.org> On Behalf Of Andy Klock

> Sent: Friday, January 31, 2020 12:50 PM

> To: Tony Brock-Fisher < <mailto:barockteer at aol.com> barockteer at aol.com>;  <mailto:bars at w1hh.org> bars at w1hh.org

> Subject: Re: [bars] Suggestions for a radio for new ham?

> 

> 

> Thanks all for everyone's advice and encouragement.

> 

> I ended up going for the General last weekend, but while things are 

> still fresh in my brain I'm thinking of taking the Extra on the 13th. 

> I've got a teenager who might come with me (and possibly a couple of 

> his buddies) as well if he is ready.

> 

> I'm still not sure what my actual plans are but maybe that is a good thing.

> I like to hike in the mountains and carrying an antena sounds like a 

> fun thing to do.  The thing that made me interested in the first place 

> was reading that story of a ham who found an old NASA satellite:

> 

>  <http://www.arrl.org/news/view/canadian-radio-amateur-finds-resurrected> http://www.arrl.org/news/view/canadian-radio-amateur-finds-resurrected

> -nasa-

> satellite

> 

> That is just the sort of scientific inquiry that I find interesting. 

> But, since I'm a complete novice I'm sure I'll find some other interests too.

> 

> My kids got out of school early today so we're going to head up to 

> Salem to check out that ham shop. Will keep you posted.

> 

> Thanks again. 

> 

> Andy K

> KC1MOW

> 

> PS. I'll try and make it to the next meeting.

> 

> 

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