lalligood
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- Jan 21, 2009
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I know there has been quite a bit of talk lately here on TRF about using radio locators in our rockets. In order to use them, you must have an amateur radio license.
I ordered the ARRL study guide (Now You're Talking!: All You Need to Get Your First Ham Radio License, $20 + shipping) from Amazon, read it, quizzed myself (thanks to the test questions in the back of the book), & took plenty of practice exams at hamtestonline.com. I spent maybe an hour a day for less than 4 weeks getting ready. I took the exam ($14) last Wednesday. It's 35 multiple choice questions. Got 32 right (only need 26 for a passing score) Looked on the FCC website when I got home tonight & my call sign was posted. I'm legal
I'm pretty stoked! Now I only need to buy a handheld transceiver & a BeeLine transmitter...
Great things about getting a ham radio license:
1) It cost $14 to take the exam but the license itself is free. The license is good for 10 years & is free to renew!
2) There are no age limits for getting a license. If you can understand the materials & take the test, you can get a license!
3) The BeeLine transmitter is small enough to fit in a 29mm tube (or BT-55) which means that it can go in a pretty small rocket! According to Big Red Bee, you can detect a signal for at least 1/2 mile (probably a lot more than that here in flat ol' Florida) when the rocket is on the ground!
I was pretty clueless before I started this process of getting a radio license. If anyone has any questions about the process, please post here, PM me, or email me!
I ordered the ARRL study guide (Now You're Talking!: All You Need to Get Your First Ham Radio License, $20 + shipping) from Amazon, read it, quizzed myself (thanks to the test questions in the back of the book), & took plenty of practice exams at hamtestonline.com. I spent maybe an hour a day for less than 4 weeks getting ready. I took the exam ($14) last Wednesday. It's 35 multiple choice questions. Got 32 right (only need 26 for a passing score) Looked on the FCC website when I got home tonight & my call sign was posted. I'm legal
I'm pretty stoked! Now I only need to buy a handheld transceiver & a BeeLine transmitter...
Great things about getting a ham radio license:
1) It cost $14 to take the exam but the license itself is free. The license is good for 10 years & is free to renew!
2) There are no age limits for getting a license. If you can understand the materials & take the test, you can get a license!
3) The BeeLine transmitter is small enough to fit in a 29mm tube (or BT-55) which means that it can go in a pretty small rocket! According to Big Red Bee, you can detect a signal for at least 1/2 mile (probably a lot more than that here in flat ol' Florida) when the rocket is on the ground!
I was pretty clueless before I started this process of getting a radio license. If anyone has any questions about the process, please post here, PM me, or email me!