- Location
- Grantsville, Utah
It's time to give up CB's and get my HAM license. I've heard there are cram classes held from time to time. I work weekends, so I'll need to take a day off to get this done. Any news of a cram class would be appreciated.
Anyone know of a HAM cram class?
- Thread starter Hickey
- Start date
- Location
- Bountiful, land of rocks
Take a bunch of the online tests. I'm not aware of a cram class
gijohn40
too poor to wheel... :(
- Location
- Layton, Utah
or just get the book that everyone has been floating around and memorize the test questions seeing they are the real test questions....
by the way... cb is still used alot but ham is slowly creeping up on it!
by the way... cb is still used alot but ham is slowly creeping up on it!
- Location
- Grantsville, Utah
I've got an app on my android that has the test pool questions.
I've used a CB on a daily basis for over 20 years, and I'm just disgusted with the lack of quality products and performance. You have to buy the illegal stuff to get any kind of quality.
The band itself is so cluttered with skip that it's unbearable, and its not even a peak year in the solar cycle. I'm ready for better products, better privacy, and clearer comms.
I've used a CB on a daily basis for over 20 years, and I'm just disgusted with the lack of quality products and performance. You have to buy the illegal stuff to get any kind of quality.
The band itself is so cluttered with skip that it's unbearable, and its not even a peak year in the solar cycle. I'm ready for better products, better privacy, and clearer comms.
The third Saturday each month Steve Whitehead holds a class at BYU in the morning followed by a chance to take the test afterwards.
Steves info
Statewide testing dates and info
I did this BYU class thing with my older brother (and my younger brother did it a few month later) back in 2014. We didn't know what we were getting into but the instructor read the FCC operating rules manual with some slides for the class. There wasn't much discussion about the rules or any discussion about how to actually use HAM or what gear to get or anything like that. He read the manual, we broke for lunch around 11 or 11:30 then went back to the library and did some self study (free online multiple choice tests) and when we felt confident enough that we would pass went and took the test that they had set up and ready to go. It costs $14 to take so if you don't pass on your first try its not too painful to re-take.
In reality I will concur with what others in this thread have said about taking the online tests rather than sitting in on the morning portion of the class. Spend 30 minutes a night for a week zipping through the tests which are composed of the actual test questions and then take and pass the test without any trouble at all. This is actually what we recommended that my younger brother do and it seemed to work fine for him.
Really the only reason I can see that you'd want to take a class is to learn practical use stuff and gear familiarization but this is NOT what is offered at the BYU class. I'm certainly not a HAM wizard but I'm not aware of a class that does the familiarization AND gets you the info to pass the test. Get the license then work on figuring out the gear.
Steves info
Statewide testing dates and info
I did this BYU class thing with my older brother (and my younger brother did it a few month later) back in 2014. We didn't know what we were getting into but the instructor read the FCC operating rules manual with some slides for the class. There wasn't much discussion about the rules or any discussion about how to actually use HAM or what gear to get or anything like that. He read the manual, we broke for lunch around 11 or 11:30 then went back to the library and did some self study (free online multiple choice tests) and when we felt confident enough that we would pass went and took the test that they had set up and ready to go. It costs $14 to take so if you don't pass on your first try its not too painful to re-take.
In reality I will concur with what others in this thread have said about taking the online tests rather than sitting in on the morning portion of the class. Spend 30 minutes a night for a week zipping through the tests which are composed of the actual test questions and then take and pass the test without any trouble at all. This is actually what we recommended that my younger brother do and it seemed to work fine for him.
Really the only reason I can see that you'd want to take a class is to learn practical use stuff and gear familiarization but this is NOT what is offered at the BYU class. I'm certainly not a HAM wizard but I'm not aware of a class that does the familiarization AND gets you the info to pass the test. Get the license then work on figuring out the gear.
- Location
- Grantsville, Utah
Thanks! That's great info. You're spot on with your assumption about me wanting practical knowledge. I'm not interested in a live version of an audiobook, especially on a technical manual.
When I took my test there was a 12 page printable study guide I found online (free) - it was very concise, and seems like every sentence was a possible question. I have been trying to find something similar for my kids to study since the questions changed, and haven't found anything - Has anyone found a good quick study guide? (intended to pass the exam, not learn how to practical use)
After I took the class and was disappointed in the lack of practical information I started to ask around here and Expedition Utah for some tips. Wasatch Cruisers ended up doing a tech night on ham and opened it up the heathen folk like myself at the time, I'm now enlightened. It was a great class and Ryan Davis who hosted is the biggest ham nerd. He had some gear set up so that we could hit a repeater and talk to another member on the other side of the valley and also was able to answer a lot of questions that us new guys had.
We've (Wasatch Cruisers) thrown around the idea of having another noob ham session and may end up doing that in a few months but really that is where you will get your questions answered. You could find a ham radio club meeting and go in person to get the same effect but its at something like that where you will get what you're looking for.
Kirk- when did the test questions change?
We've (Wasatch Cruisers) thrown around the idea of having another noob ham session and may end up doing that in a few months but really that is where you will get your questions answered. You could find a ham radio club meeting and go in person to get the same effect but its at something like that where you will get what you're looking for.
Kirk- when did the test questions change?
- Location
- Grantsville, Utah
I'd be interested in a ham learnin night.
TurboMinivan
Still plays with cars
- Location
- Lehi, UT
Once you make the switch to ham radio, you'll think you died and went to heaven! You're gonna love it.
This is more-or-less what I ended up doing. I bought the official printed book and quickly read through it once, then went back and re-read a couple chapters again. At that point, a number of people (especially our own Brett Davis) strongly encouraged me to close the book and just start taking online practice tests, so I did. In a very short time, I was consistently passing the test by a comfortable margin... and then I went and took a test and passed it. No live class for me.
If you have an internet connection, practicing with the online tests is a lot easier than attending a live cram session IMO. You can do an hour here, an hour there until you feel comfortable. At that point, you can go take the test on a week night--no need to take a day off work. For your specific situation, this sounds like an easier/better strategy.
THAT. Do not try to do everything in one action. Instead, break it down into steps. Step #1 = get your license. After that, you can easily learn about equipment that fits your needs. Also, you'll probably want to spend at least a few days just monitoring a radio to get a feel for operating procedures, general etiquette, etc.
After taking my test--in other words, too late for me--I found out about the No Nonsense Study Guide. This is one man's (fantastic) effort to help others get their license. He takes the current question pool, rephrases all the questions as simple statements, and he inserts the correct answers in bold type. Best of all, you can download the whole thing in a .pdf file for free (Technician version only; the upper two cost a few bucks but are well worth the meager expense). This is what I now suggest to everybody that wants to get their Technician license.
The Technician pool changed on July 2014. This current pool will be used through June 2018, at which point it will change again.
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johngottfredson
Threat Level Midnight
- Location
- Alpine
I took the one day class/test at BYU. I went in the morning knowing nothing about ham radios...passed the test in the afternoon...and left not really knowing much about ham radios from a practical standpoint. So if just passing is your goal, I thought it was awesome return on time/investment. I'm looking forward to a ham night at wasatch cruisers or here on RME to get some working knowledge of this stuff.
Yup - for the Technician class (the lower, entry-level one) there's no morse code requirement anymore. I'll second what a lot of folks have been saying too - use the online study guides & practice tests. Take the practice tests until you can pass them consistently, and you should be fine. My preferred method was HamStudy.org, because it shows you the questions, but also explains the reasoning behind each correct answer to those questions. It's a lot easier to remember the answers that way.
Once you pass, get the radio, and then worry about figuring out how to actually use it. There's no real substitute for being able to actually use the gear when learning how it works. Until you have the license, you can listen, but not transmit, so it's not nearly as fun to play with.
Once you pass, get the radio, and then worry about figuring out how to actually use it. There's no real substitute for being able to actually use the gear when learning how it works. Until you have the license, you can listen, but not transmit, so it's not nearly as fun to play with.
TurboMinivan
Still plays with cars
- Location
- Lehi, UT
I did the HAM radio thing in Jr High and the advice given to just practice the test is the best so far. I took a class. I didn't help
Speaking of online tests, I did mine at qrz.com after setting up a free account. I've looked at a couple online test sites, and I personally liked QRZ the best. Why? Many reasons. Yes, it tracks your scores (duh). It also tracks which questions you've seen and rotates in questions you haven't yet seen. If you miss a question, it flags that one and feeds it to you again in a future test until you answer it correctly. And best of all, it jumbles the order of the answers and thus forces you to actually know the material rather than erroneously just remembering, "the answer to this one is B."
All in all, I think this is the very best way for an online practice test to benefit you.
No, you do not.
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
so much great info in this thread, thanks everyone. it's time to get mine.
sixstringsteve
Well-Known Member
- Location
- UT
Thank you for this recommendation, I'm finding it extremely helpful. I didn't realize I could see the "why" until you mentioned it. (hint- click the upper-right corner of each question). I'm actually excited about studying this now. Thank you fogo.
I agree, that's a super helpful way to learn. Hamstudy.org does the same thing.
gijohn40
too poor to wheel... :(
- Location
- Layton, Utah
once everyone gets their license I can get some gear together and have a tech night if you all wish... I have a 2 meter in the jeep and a hand held and several antennas. I have been a ham since 1991 and know a few things here and there. I would suggest you not buy a radio until you talk to a few people. Sure 2 meters is nice but there is also 70 cm (440 mhz) that is great and even more higher up as well as 6 meters (50mhz) that can be fun as well. So buying a single band radio might not be the best thing when you can get a dual or even multi band for not much more.
- Location
- Vehicular limbo
Technician class is only good for 2m and 6m though right?