Getting Licensed

  • Posted on: 12 March 2015
  • By: Mike

I had wanted to get my HAM - Amateur Radio license for many years.  Back in the mid 90's I used to be into CB radio, and had considered getting my HAM license at that point.  I was always scared away by the code requirements.

A couple weeks ago, my wife signed our older 2 boys up for a 4h class on Amateur Radio.  That renewed my interest, and I started studying to get my ticket.  I used mostly online sources, as well as a nice litlte android app.  I went through the practice exams until I was able to score over 90% consistantly on the Technician, and then I worked my way through the General.  I took both exams the same night, and passed them both.

By far, my favorite website was HamStudy.  This site is really nice, because it has a flashcard setup, that gives very nice information as to why the answer is the correct one.  It also keeps track of how well you are doing on specific topics.  When you get a question wrong, it will repeat the question several times to make sure you get it right.

The other website I used for my studying was QRZ.  Qrz's study site works pretty well too, it just doesnt give the background information on the questions.  Like Hamstudy, Qrz tracks how you are doing for each topic.

For android, I recommend Ham Test Prep.  This works the same as both the websites, but like Qrz doesnt have the background information.

Using a combination of these, worked well for me.  I looked for a book to give to my boys to study with, as they need more background, but I have yet to find one I was happy with.  I am open to suggestions.