US HAM License

[Kev Walton]

Hi All

In case anyone else is interested, it is relatively easy to get your US ham license at the moment - with a bit of study of course.

You need a US address, either a forwarding company or a friend, then you fill in the form to get an FRN number - which comes back straight away:   https://apps.fcc.gov/cores/userLogin.do  

Then you can book an online exam session, I used these guys in Australia who were very friendly and helpful, with sessions running up to Midday on Saturday in GMT+1:   https://vea.org.au/book-exam-session

GLAARG were also recommended to me:  https://glaarg.org/remote-sessions/

Study / revision wise, personally, I did about 3 hours for the Technician, and about 10 hours for the General and passed both easily.  The Extra is a step up again in size and complexity.

I used https://hamstudy.org/ and https://www.hamradiolicenseexam.com/ as my main study resources.

Cheers

Kevin

[Nigel Vander Houwen]

For a bit more info, technician class has full privileges on vhf and above. Most folks will be covered well by this. The test is very simple, mostly common sense stuff. The question pools are all published for study. 

General class adds the hf bands. The test is pretty much technician+. A little more, but not super complicated. 

Extra class is mostly a status symbol IMO. It adds a few tiny slices of spectrum on a few hf bands, and the test ramps up significantly wanting you to have some understanding of theory and receiver construction. 

And I’m sure you’re all aware that we are allowed airborne operation. We don’t have the LoRa network it seems you folks do on the other side of the pond, so most of what I see, and what I run, is APRS.

Nigel

K7NVH (with my Extra class status symbol, and vanity callsign because vanity.)

On Oct 18, 2020, at 11:37, 'Kev Walton' via UKHAS <uk...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

Hi All

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[Steve]

I honestly didn't find the Extra class that taxing - I think I put in about a days study - but there again I had already been a full UK amateur for many years.

Steve

G8KHW / AJ4XE (Extra class but no vanity callsign 'cos I'm tight and AJAX E was close enough).

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[Steve]

Oh, and I think its worth pointing out if the plan is to use the US license for CEPT privileges (which may or may not be needed when transmitting in the airspace of another country) then for CEPT you need to be Extra or Advanced Class.

I don't think Advanced exists any more (I think it was Granfathered in 2000).

That was another reason I went for Extra.

    Steve G8KHW / AJ4XE

On 18/10/2020 20:02, Nigel Vander Houwen wrote:

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[Andy Sillence]

Steve   Im  glad  you hear  you went for  the whole  hog!  We used to do the  exam  at Havant  Hampshire   when the RAE  cost  nearly a hundred quid  as a far cheaper way  for   newbt hams  and  class Bs  to upgrade  I kept my Technician licence  as KE4IRF  up to Extra,.. the Advanced was jolly hard  work  despite  holding a UK licence  for  30 years at that time,I went on to teach the exam  then invigilate it   something to do  HI!

 Congratulations    all the  same  and  enjoy!

 Andy  G8UVS   G4MYS    KE4IRF  US extra

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