Same I have mine.... Rarely use it.... I got it so I could keep a police scanner in the car. Have radios that I could transmit with.... but since I am not much of a conversationalist.... dont care about talking to random old guys over the air.
Same I have mine.... Rarely use it.... I got it so I could keep a police scanner in the car. Have radios that I could transmit with.... but since I am not much of a conversationalist.... dont care about talking to random old guys over the air.
Still waiting for my call sign... hope it appears today or tomorrow. Got the handheld programmed with CHIRP to include all the 2M and 70CM repeaters in the nearby area. Also in the process of moving out of the valley and up to higher elevation on a hill... house already has two masts for antennas so I guess I'll buy a large omnidirectional antenna and probably a yagi directional antenna and antenna rotor since I am more or less midway between Louisville and Cincinatti and would like to reach those areas.
Once I get my general class license I'll start having a lot more fun with some HF stuff though.
If you tested in Franklin, you had one of the best teams in the state. On the down side, they are a ARRL VE testing team. The ARRL VEC takes FOREVER to get your paperwork sent to the FCC...I have seen ARRL results come back in 10 days and I have seen ARRL results take three weeks. So don't get impatient...it'll come. If you live close enough you ought to join the Midstate Amateur Radio Club there in Franklin. They meet at the REMC building on US 31 but you knew that.
Dayton hamvention is 3 weeks away, it's a great hamfest and is now in Xenia Ohio. You should go and sit in on some fo the forums and buy an HF rig.
73 de PistolBob
I am a CVE for W5YI and hold test sessions for the ARRL. I have never had it take longer then 4 days from the time the ARRL gets my paper work for a license to be issued. And I have seen them post as soon as 2 days. Someone is being lazy and sitting on the paper work.
First, CONGRATS!!!!
Elmer rocks. I had my call sign in just a couple days after my test last month (KD9IEZ). I think I appeared in the database within 48 hours. Remember you are legal to transmit as soon as you are in the database.* Though I just realized I never got anything official in the mail like a card or some such. The only thing I got was a magazine from the ARRL congratulating me and asking me to join.
Kinda annoyed with the call sign since the last 3 are all of the "similar sound" variety. IEC? ICE? For some reason that I cant explain I DESPISE the "zed" phonetic. But it flows faster than zulu so I think I am forever ...IEZed. And changing/vanity seems like a big hassle. (especially since I dont actually know what I want as much as what I DONT want) I need to start studying for my General so I can play around with the DX gear. Though I am a bit spooked. I studied for several weeks, then used the ARRL practice tests at least 4x and was testing at 90%-ish+ having seen what seemed to be a good covering of the questions, So I sat for the exam. I was surprised with the number of questions that blindsided me that I didnt get in the practice tests. I think I barely passed.
*Search here by name: License Search as soon as you appear you are GTG.
Congrats to OP! I have been interested in getting started with radio, but haven't started the research yet. Are there some good resources around the net that you can recommend to get started with?
No. The team at Franklin sends the test paperwork to HQ that same day they test. I am a Laurel VE, we submit everything electronically and have new callsigns and updates usually within 24 hours unless it's a Saturday or Sunday test session since the FCC doesn't work weekends. I am also a ARRL VE and I have seen HQ take over 2 weeks from the time they get the package until the time the FCC has the info. Also an ARRL member here but they need to get rid of the testing fee...volunteers don't need to be paid, volunteers well....they volunteer.