Passed my amateur radio General Class license.

[1911sw45]

I passed the General class test today. Only missed 3 questions.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Congratulations! :grin:

[jorg0370]

Congrats!

[ascast]

nice !

[Bazoo]

Congratulations.

[Davy Sprocket]

Congrats! I recently got interested in ham radio again. I want to get my general ticket this winter and learn morse code.

Sent from my SM-T867V using Tapatalk

[farmerjim]

Congratulations!
I got mine 45 years ago. It took 13 WPM CW to get the General back then. I never did get the 20 for the Extra ticket. WB5SZT

[falmike]

Congratulations

K5CWO

[Minerat]

Congratulations! I need to do that, don't know code but might give me incentive to work harder to master it. I took a practice test last month with no study and got 60% right. 73's

[bakerjw]

I went in to take my 5wpm test many years ago and the examiner, who I already knew, made me take 13 to start. I didn't have 100% copy but was able to answer 8 of 10 questions about the conversation. Walked out with a general. I went in a month later and passed the advanced test.
I've not done any HF work in years but I always had fun swinging the beam toward Africa and calling CQ DX....

One day I was calling toward Africa for a few hours and picked up a contact in Zaire?.We exchanged pleasantries and when we said 73's there was a minor pileup of people trying to get the contact. He came back and said, "He's on this frequency so I'm heading up the band." I kept calling and a short while later chatted with someone in Kenya or Nairobi. At the end, there was another pile up. I would never have believed that there were so many people just listening to me call CQ DX and not answering.

[WebMonkey]

congrats!

worked indonesia and hawaii just the other day.

general class ticket will really open up the fun on ham radio.

even just an off center fed dipole will take you places on HF

'monkey
(amateur extra old school 20wpm)
:)

[flyingmonkey35]

Grats

KE7AFP

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[Jeff Michel]

Congratulations
KE8EKH

[rockshooter]

congrats!
K7RLJ

[Bull-Moose]

Congratulations!

[Brokenbear]

Congrats and 73's

KD0HFK

[John D]

Congratulations!
Got mine 44 yrs ago. Did the 20 wpm for the Amateur Extra.
CW and RTTY only. Mostly contesting and DX.

WA2EYA

[tommag]

Congratulations! I recently became a general, too. (Where do I round up some colonels, sergeants, corporals, etc.?;))
I built John Portune's inverted double delta loop for hf, but the tuner won't hold a tune for more than a minute or so, so back to the drawing board. Other than 10m, I've only made a few contacts on 15 and 20.
73
KI7SYG

[elmacgyver0]

Congratulations!
I have been a ham for a long time, although have never been very active.
When they dropped the code requirement I thought I would automatically become general because I held a tech+.
A tech+ license was the general exam but not passing the code, never able to get much past 9 words a minute.
I was really disappointed and pretty much lost interest.
I currently still hold the tech license. Someday I still hope to take the test and get general.

[Bazoo]

I guess I'm the odd one, I don't have any interest in talking to folks unless it's bout guns.

[bluebird66]

Congratulations! 30 year extra class here. KC4VAJ

[JohnFreeman]

Excellent news!

50 yr ham here, mostly CW. See you on 20M!

John

[WebMonkey]

Congratulations!
I have been a ham for a long time, although have never been very active.
When they dropped the code requirement I thought I would automatically become general because I held a tech+.
A tech+ license was the general exam but not passing the code, never able to get much past 9 words a minute.
I was really disappointed and pretty much lost interest.
I currently still hold the tech license. Someday I still hope to take the test and get general.

i hope you do try for your general ticket!

btw, tech plus was a designation for those that were novice class that passed the tech exam AND for techs who passed the 5 words per minute code exam.

general privileges have always required a general exam even after the code requirements were modified/dropped.

good luck!

[Kosh75287]

Hot dog!

[tinsnips]

Good job ! It is always a good feeling passing any kind of test.

[Daveco]

Congratulations on your step up!

KV4VE

[FredBuddy]

In the Army I was on the voice side
(Spanish), but I always admired the Morse
Code guys (ditty bopers). Most of them
could copy the automatic machines of
the day !

With the latest BS on 'unsocial media'
you ham radio guys may be the best way
we will have to seriously communicate in
the future.

[smoked turkey]

congratulations on passing the general class ham ticket. It is a great hobby and I miss not getting on. DXing was my big thing and I enjoyed working those stations way far away. A terrific ice storm took my CL-33 and my 2 meter beams down several years ago and I never put things back together. I still have some tower stashed away just in case I get the ham bug again someday. 73 and all the best from WA0ATU since 1961.

[derek45]

HF is where the interesting stuff it

congratulations

:drinks:

[fcvan]

I passed the General class test today. Only missed 3 questions.

I got tech 1999, code in 2002 along with general at the same testing, went straight to Advanced and Extra the following month. My bother got his Tech a few months before me, the rest of the tests we took together. Love twisting the knobs! I run my portable radios off an 8 amp hour battery, fed with a 33 watt solar cell. It will run the 100 watt 897, but I generally run on low power, between 5 and 20 watts.

Our 'Elmer' was a retired Deputy Sheriff who sadly passed. Before he died, he sold his Kenwood 520 to my brother. After he passed his wife wanted to know if I wanted his Kenwood 930 it was the one he taught me on. Radios are a sickness and I am much afflicted having collected a few along the way. My wife spoils me and has bought me a few. Yaesu 897 came along for Christmas of 2002, Yaesu 817 was summer of 2006.

My brother and I do Parks On The Air (POTA) but no summits yet. After talking a lot, we finally started doing QRP Digital modes, using a Raspberry PI to operate the radios. Digital is kind of cheating, but you can send regular messages rather than just quick QSOs. I want to practice CW, kind of got out of the habit after passing the test.

I found out the hard way, the power output for the Y 817 is backwards. When your phone has full bars it means more power. With the Yaesu 817 it means low power. I worked a guy in Central TX from Southern Oregon on 1/2 Watt. Oops! I like the challenge of QRP operation.

Just last month, my brother bought me 2 MFJ QRP tuners for my birthday, one does loop, the other random length wire. I bought a Hula Hoop for the loop and plan on wiring it for 40 M. The random wire just has 33 feet of wire. I still have a speaker wire dipole hanging on the picket fence out front. It's a compromise set up as it's only a few feet of the ground. Reception kind of sucks due to excessive QRM near the house in N CA.

Last week I took the random wire down to the pier in the harbor and had reasonable success using 5 watts. My brother came down with his Yaesu 818 but forgot a connecting wire so he didn't get on the air. Currently in N CA as I split my time between here and the Rockies. I'm looking forward to driving up Pikes Peak again. You can really get out at 14,110 feet!

Anyway, I know there are a lot more Hams here, you are not alone, congrats on getting your ticket! :) Social Distancing with radio is cool. 73s, Frank, W6FCV

[tommag]

I got tech 1999, code in 2002 along with general at the same testing, went straight to Advanced and Extra the following month. My bother got his Tech a few months before me, the rest of the tests we took together. Love twisting the knobs! I run my portable radios off an 8 amp hour battery, fed with a 33 watt solar cell. It will run the 100 watt 897, but I generally run on low power, between 5 and 20 watts.

Our 'Elmer' was a retired Deputy Sheriff who sadly passed. Before he died, he sold his Kenwood 520 to my brother. After he passed his wife wanted to know if I wanted his Kenwood 930 it was the one he taught me on. Radios are a sickness and I am much afflicted having collected a few along the way. My wife spoils me and has bought me a few. Yaesu 897 came along for Christmas of 2002, Yaesu 817 was summer of 2006.

My brother and I do Parks On The Air (POTA) but no summits yet. After talking a lot, we finally started doing QRP Digital modes, using a Raspberry PI to operate the radios. Digital is kind of cheating, but you can send regular messages rather than just quick QSOs. I want to practice CW, kind of got out of the habit after passing the test.

I found out the hard way, the power output for the Y 817 is backwards. When your phone has full bars it means more power. With the Yaesu 817 it means low power. I worked a guy in Central TX from Southern Oregon on 1/2 Watt. Oops! I like the challenge of QRP operation.

Just last month, my brother bought me 2 MFJ QRP tuners for my birthday, one does loop, the other random length wire. I bought a Hula Hoop for the loop and plan on wiring it for 40 M. The random wire just has 33 feet of wire. I still have a speaker wire dipole hanging on the picket fence out front. It's a compromise set up as it's only a few feet of the ground. Reception kind of sucks due to excessive QRM near the house in N CA.

Last week I took the random wire down to the pier in the harbor and had reasonable success using 5 watts. My brother came down with his Yaesu 818 but forgot a connecting wire so he didn't get on the air. Currently in N CA as I split my time between here and the Rockies. I'm looking forward to driving up Pikes Peak again. You can really get out at 14,110 feet!

Anyway, I know there are a lot more Hams here, you are not alone, congrats on getting your ticket! :) Social Distancing with radio is cool. 73s, Frank, W6FCV

Frank, social distancing with radio is 144mhz, right? (2meters)

[bakerjw]

HF is truly where the fun is. The low sunspot count wreaks havoc though. When I first started one of the hams told me of working Africa on 15 meters mobile with 10 watts. It was at the peak of a very active sun spot cycle though.

One of my favorite all time HF contacts was T32A.

[fivegunner]

Congratulations! From KD8OHS

[Bulldogger]

Congratulations! Passed Technician and General in September myself.
KO4GMY
Bulldogger

[fcvan]

Frank, social distancing with radio is 144mhz, right? (2meters)

2 M, SSB, EME, it's all good!

[Tatume]

HF is truly where the fun is. The low sunspot count wreaks havoc though. When I first started one of the hams told me of working Africa on 15 meters mobile with 10 watts. It was at the peak of a very active sun spot cycle though.

I don't have any trouble working Europe on 20 meters using 5 watts with a portable antenna right now.

[BamaNapper]

Congratulations. It's an enjoyable hobby with a LOT to learn. I expect an update with a pic of the new 'shack' with some details once you're up and running.

But now comes the hard decisions. When you have 10 mins to burn, do you check the boolit or the HAM forum? Does that extra $$$ you set aside go for a chronograph or an antenna? And the ultimate question: how can you combine the two hobbies?

[downzero]

Nice work! I'm an Amateur Extra and have been for ~8 years.

Made DXCC in 2018.

[MaryB]

i hope you do try for your general ticket!

btw, tech plus was a designation for those that were novice class that passed the tech exam AND for techs who passed the 5 words per minute code exam.

general privileges have always required a general exam even after the code requirements were modified/dropped.

good luck!

Old tech plus was 5wpm and the general exam. When they dropped code it grandfathered me into general from tech plus.

[MaryB]

Congrats! I have been licensed since 1974! Grandfathered into general about 14 years ago but only dabble on HF. I prefer to operate VHF plus! 2 meter SSB long range contacts are my favorite but I operate 6m, 2m including EME, 1.25m(222mhz), 70cm, 23cm, and 3cm is being added!

My 2m array tracking the moon

https://i.imgur.com/rSc05hh.jpg

[marlin39a]

Great accomplishment Sir. Now comes the real expensive part.

[Shamus]

Lately I haven't been active on HF due to storms, but I want to get my antennas back up! Dang tornadoes. Last one didn't leave me many tall tress, might have to put up a tower. [smilie=s:

[myg30]

Congrats 1911sw, ( wish you had a name ). Been a ham since 1971. Learned everything the hard way but had a break when I took the extra with a good friend ( now silent key) I felt the test and code was much less difficult then back in the 70’s.
Random letters and characters at 20 wpm was tough fer most back then especially being a teenager.
We are packing up and getting ready to move so operating is almost at a halt fer me. Just 2m/440 mobile.
I’m going to throw up an antenna so the winter I will be able to operate some.

Good luck and all the best DX to ya, de Mike WA2DLN

[bakerjw]

OK.... YOU ARE ALL IN TROUBLE NOW.....
My wife said no more hobbies and I caught myself looking at HF rigs again because of all of you!!!!
All in jest.

With all of the turmoil, I can get an HF rig and not catch flack for it as she wants to have some communications. I might poke around and see what is out there at a decent price. I know where I can get a Heathkit HW101. My first radio was one and I loved it.

[derek45]

https://i.imgur.com/RJfAoF6.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/9Og3JNM.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/EYBm4X9.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/5Z1uuPc.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/dCBHKw4.jpg

[derek45]

https://i.imgur.com/rfwK4d8.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/EsZxSqK.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/iCuUkQK.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/pmAjS0p.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/pAkHVYT.jpg

[derek45]

https://i.imgur.com/m2QebKC.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/6mE7lOZ.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/HaJiOHY.jpg

[WebMonkey]

gratuitous shack photo

269807

kb0wlf

[myg30]

Very nice QSL’s Derek. I used to have my shack lined with them. I only have a handful of very precious cards that I will always remember and save. Some are friends that are long gone and others were the DX contacts I made as a novice on cw with DX-60B w/crystals, HQ- 110 and a inverted V at 28’.
The smiles were stuck on my face fer days working those hard earned DX Qso’s as a 13 yr old.

[MaryB]

My custom built(by me) radio desk, steel workbench legs, a piece of counter top with bracing, red oak riser to hold junk, wall mounted monitors so they don't interfere with radio space.

https://i.imgur.com/muTfrFf.jpg

[Mr_Sheesh]

Some nice gear!

General for some years here, just can't really do lots on my budget in an apartment. So just 144MHz / 440 on occasion, been doing other things for a while due to RL 'stuff'. Need to get car radios some time.

[MaryB]

Some nice gear!

General for some years here, just can't really do lots on my budget in an apartment. So just 144MHz / 440 on occasion, been doing other things for a while due to RL 'stuff'. Need to get car radios some time.

Gte an Icom IC-705, a magnetic loop and work the world on FT8! Or even SSB! QRP can do some long haul stuff just fine. Loop can go on your deck when in use, sit inside when not. They are tiny and don't take up much space(53"w and 42" tall for this one https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/bcm-loop-40 ). Yes they are fiddle to use, require retuning if you change frequency... but it can get you on the air. A ham stick on the balcony railing with a ground wire dropped straight down or ran back into the apartment can work too... LOTS of ways to get on the air from an apartment!

[elmacgyver0]

I have been a technician for a long time. Built a 500 watt uhf amplifier for ATV fast scan with 2 4CX250 transmitter exciter tubes I got from an old radio/TV station engineer.
I used to love building electronics. Funny thing, I was always shy about getting on the radio, never got my general license but was able to pass the written test.
Figured I would be general automatically when they dropped the code requirement as I was Tech+ which means I passed general but flunked the code part.
Well I was wrong, they just dropped the Tech+ back to Tech. The Tech+ holders got the shaft. Never did much with the radios after that.

[derek45]

I have been a technician for a long time. Built a 500 watt uhf amplifier for ATV fast scan with 2 4CX250 transmitter exciter tubes I got from an old radio/TV station engineer.
I used to love building electronics. Funny thing, I was always shy about getting on the radio, never got my general license but was able to pass the written test.
Figured I would be general automatically when they dropped the code requirement as I was Tech+ which means I passed general but flunked the code part.
Well I was wrong, they just dropped the Tech+ back to Tech. The Tech+ holders got the shaft. Never did much with the radios after that.

CW requirement was dropped several years ago.

now it's tech, general, and extra, no more advanced, written tests seem to be pretty easy for most folks.

I started as a tech plus in 1993, made my first QSO on 10meter SSB.

then passed the General written, failed the morse.

VE's / Elmers of the club talked me into calling CQ on 40 meter CW to get my speed up.

It worked, a month later I passed the 13 word per min. CW and advanced written.

Then Clinton said american citizens could not be trusted with 30 round mags, and bayonet lugs, so I sold all my ham gear and started buying more rifles
( 1994)

I got back into it again after Sept.11th 2001

.

[lesterktm]

Congrats!

[sagamore-one]

Congrats from North Eastern Indiana , home of KD9GEA.

[1911sw45]

Thank you all. Just have to get a HF rig. Right now just running 2m and 70cm. With Yaseu FTM-400XDR as my base with a Yaseu 2800M in the car. HT with a FT-60R.

[MaryB]

I have been a technician for a long time. Built a 500 watt uhf amplifier for ATV fast scan with 2 4CX250 transmitter exciter tubes I got from an old radio/TV station engineer.
I used to love building electronics. Funny thing, I was always shy about getting on the radio, never got my general license but was able to pass the written test.
Figured I would be general automatically when they dropped the code requirement as I was Tech+ which means I passed general but flunked the code part.
Well I was wrong, they just dropped the Tech+ back to Tech. The Tech+ holders got the shaft. Never did much with the radios after that.

Depends on the year you got Tech+, it had to be before March 21, 1987 I think, and your license needs to be active or in the grace period for renewal. And it had to be done by a certain date...

[Mr_Sheesh]

MaryB, I am glad you are optimistic re: my budget, sadly reality's less helpful :-P I'll work on it.

[MaryB]

Want to budget it go with one of the QRP radios like this one https://www.radioddity.com/products/xiegu-g90-hf-transceiver good reviews by many! $449 is affordable too! QRP is a challenge... but can be done. I used to run 5 watts mobile and worked DX!

[derek45]

Want to budget it go with one of the QRP radios like this one https://www.radioddity.com/products/xiegu-g90-hf-transceiver good reviews by many! $449 is affordable too! QRP is a challenge... but can be done. I used to run 5 watts mobile and worked DX!

QRP ( low power ) is a fun challenge, but I don't recommend it for a new general license.

QRP is like deer hunting with a snub nose 38, it's not easy with the current low sunspot numbers.

I like my YAESU QRP rig.

https://i.imgur.com/eozJmPN.jpg

[trebleplink]

Congrats! Looks like lots of hams on the forum. Got mine in '75.

73 DE W4NEQ