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AZF350PSD

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For anyone that might be interested in Amateur Radio, the West Valley Amateur Radio Club will be participating in the national "Field Day" exercise this weekend, June 23/24.

Open to the public.

Location is:
North County Fire Station #103
13431 W. Deer Valley Drive
Sun City West, AZ 85375
(Corner of Deer Valley & N. 135th Ave.)
Appx. Time: Noon Sat-Noon Sun
 
Are you a member ? I have been for years. Good group. A little tight at the Fire Station, but with the heat this time of year it is better than out in the park! It you take your test at any of the regular monthly meetings and pass, you get a free years membership also.
 
First time I've seen a radio club promoting their Field Day participation in the greater Phoenix area.

Good for them and 73
 
Azbuilder: Yep, have been for years also.

Flash: Not a "sanctioned ad", but as a member I thought it couldn't hurt anything.
Most of the other local clubs usually go up to the mountains so not much chance of the general public dropping by.

Dit dit.
 
JULY HAMFESTS

28-29 July 2018 -
Hualapai ARC AutoShow/Hamfest hosted by the Hualapai Amateur Radio Club:

Cerbat Lanes Parking Lot
3631 Stockton Hill Road
Kingman, AZ
Hours are 8:00 AM til ?? For information, contact Bill Beaman at 928.718.1139.

28 July 2018 -
White Mountain Hamfest hosted by the Kachina Amateur Radio Club:

932 Woodland Road
Lakeside, AZ
Overnight camping may be available. VE testing, Demonstrations, Hourly and Grand Prizes, Tailgaters,
and Coffee and Donuts.
Visit the website at www.kachina-arc.org and click on "Hamfest" for up to date information.
 
AZF350PSD said:
Azbuilder: Yep, have been for years also.

Flash: Not a "sanctioned ad", but as a member I thought it couldn't hurt anything.
Most of the other local clubs usually go up to the mountains so not much chance of the general public dropping by.

Dit dit.

What's amazing is that you get extra points for advertising your Field Day and if you're going to do Field Day, why not get the extra points? The ARRL doesn't care if you're out in East Jesus and no one will come, they just want you to advertise. The local newspapers will place your ad for free as a public service.

Full Disclosure: I spent over 20 years as the Field Day Technical Engineer of a Ham Radio Club that took 1st place in 8A Battery for over 20 years straight. It was a big enough deal that the ARRL did a whole article on it in QST years ago, primarily because one of the largest QRP clubs in the US challenged us one year and went head to head with us. We won by something like 1,500 pounds.

I haven't done the Field Day thing in around 15 years though. 73
 
Wait, wait, wait...

Ham radio guys leave the house? Guess my neighbor didn't get the memo. He's waiting for the Apocalypse.
 
Don't stress it. Take your time and read the study guide and use one of the online question programs to practice the question list that your test will be pulled from. Just make sure it covers the current test questions for 2018. There is a little math, but nothing bad. Main thing is to get use to how the questions are worded (multiple choice). You will do fine!
 
Desert Rat said:
I have decided to get my Tech license, started studying for it. Hope to take it in a month or so.
Any suggestions on studying?

I can not recommend this study system more. And they are local.

https://www.hamradiolicenseexam.com/study.jsp
 
JMpcc17 said:
Desert Rat said:
I have decided to get my Tech license, started studying for it. Hope to take it in a month or so.
Any suggestions on studying?

I can not recommend this study system more. And they are local.

https://www.hamradiolicenseexam.com/study.jsp

Important. The key to passing these multiple choice tests is recognizing the correct answer. Understanding the material comes with time...later. Don't look at the INCORRECT answers :)
 
SEPTEMBER HAMFEST

29 September 2018
Tucson Fall Hamfest
Hosted by the Radio Society of Tucson
Target Store Parking Lot, 9615 E Old Spanish Trail, Tucson, AZ
Hours: 7:00 AM - 11:00 AM - Seller setup starts at 6:00 AM
Free Admission and Parking - Vendors $10.00 per space
Free VE Testing
For Information & Map, visit http://www.k7rst.org
 
The tests are really very easy these days as they've dumbed the test procedure down a ton since when I got licensed.

Back in Moses' day when I got licensed, you had study guides but they weren't very accurate with respect to what you'd be tested on so you had to know radio and electronic theory pretty thoroughly. A guy named Dick Bash, KL7IHP changed all that when he started interviewing guys who had just taken the tests and he would record the questions and put out a study guide that covered what was being tested at that time.

The code tests were the stumbling block for a lot of people. I'm a volunteer examiner for the ARRL, have been since the program first started and I've seen a guy who hopped on a plane in Tahiti, flew to the west coast, started learning the code when the plane took off and passed a 5 wpm test when he landed.

The 13 wpm test was harder, especially when these were administered by the FCC at one of their field offices and while most people eventually passed if they tried hard enough, quite a few didn't.

The 20 wpm test was where the rubber met the road. The FCC sent code that they deliberately had misspelled words and when you filled in the blank, you had to misspell the same words in order to pass. When I took it, 35 people sat for the test and 10 passed, which gives you a rough idea of the degree of difficulty. If you passed, you were then allowed to take the written test for Extra and that one was advanced radio theory and basic digital electronics. Around half of the people passed that one. I found it easy as I'm an Electronic Engineer and did the written in around 10 minutes. Most people found it difficult.

Anyway, study any of the current study guides and you'll pass with no problems. The guides give you the questions you'll see on the test with parameters changed a bit but that's all.
 
Also took most of the exams at the Field Office in Chicago.

As I remember, they only tested on Friday. Unlike now, no retakes without a 30 day wait back then.

They provided a straight key. If you used a bug or iambic you had to bring your own.

A carload of us made the 200+ mile one way trek.

The good old days.
 
Way, way back when, you had to send also and my dad took the test in Anchorage Alaska. He went with a friend who verified his story.

When he was in his early 20s, he was a high speed code operator for the Union Pacific Railroad and later for the Alaska Railroad. They mostly sent and received at around 60+WPM. He sent the code for the FCC examiner and then asked how he did. The examiner said "I don't know. I can't read code that fast but it sounded good." He was using his own bug from work that was cut down to run faster.
 
Thunderbird Hamfest 2019
Saturday, January 12, 2019
An ARRL Sanctioned and ARCA Co-Sponsored Event
This Event will occur Cold, Rain, Wind or Shine. Come prepared!

Location:
Glendale Nazarene Church
5902 W. Cactus Road
Glendale, AZ 85304
(Note the new address - just north of Cactus Road on the west side of 59th Ave.)

Date:
Saturday January 12, 2019

Time:
Open to Vendors at 7:00 AM
Open to Public from 8:00 AM to 12:00 Noon
Commercial Vendors can set up Friday night after 5:00 PM or Saturday after 6:00 AM
Vendors must supply their own tables

Cost:
Tailgate Swap and Vendor: $10.00 per Parking Spot with 2 admissions
General Admission: $5.00 per person
 
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