Fast Track to Your Technician Class Ham Radio License Reviewed
Title: Fast Track to Your Technician Class Ham Radio License
Author: Michael BurnetteLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-burnette-4596431
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, Michael Burnette, AF7KB
Published: October 17, 2014
Format: Paperback, Kindle, Audible
Pages: 296 pages
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1503077373
ISBN-13: 978-1503077379Genre: Radio Operation, Test Prep
About the Book
Memorizing answers is hard. Learning is easy! The Fast Track to Your Technician Ham Radio License explains the reasoning and technology behind each correct answer on the amateur radio exam so you’ll understand and remember the subject matter. Created by an experienced ham and adult educator, it’s like having your own patient, experienced, good-humored mentor for the exam.
About the Author
Michael Burnette, AF7KB, holds an Amateur Extra class license. He has decades of experience in commercial and amateur radio, and more decades of experience as a professional adult educator.
The Review
How would you communicate with your friends and family or get help if the grid went down? Cell phones and land lines would go silent and become useless. Two-way radios and CBs provide value for short-range communications, but HAM radios are a much wider-scale solution. While anyone can purchase and listen to a HAM radio, only licensed enthusiasts can legally transmit. But if you don’t practice, how will you know what to do when it really counts?
The Fast Track to Your Technician Ham Radio License is not just any old exam prep like those that offer all of the questions and answers along with a few sample tests. This guidebook offers a comprehensive, yet easy to understand digest focussing only on what you need to know to pass the FCC’s Level 1: Technician Class license exam, and why you need to know it.
The Level 1: Technician Class license is the entry-level ham radio license that allows you to operate on all ham frequencies above 30 MHz, which includes the ever popular 2-meter band and several other popular bands and modes. Recently, licensees have been granted additional privileges on certain HF frequencies including 80, 40 and 15 meter bands using CW, and on the 10 meter band using CW, voice and digital modes. While Morse code is no longer part of the Technician exam, it is certainly good to know, especially when you want to make use of the additional HF frequencies.
The Technician license exam covers basic FCC regulations, operating practices and electronics theory, with a focus on VHF and UHF applications. It consists of 35 multiple-choice questions drawn from a pool of about 350 which is why understand the material provides a clear advantage over memorizing questions and answers.
Book Features
– A complete course, not just a copy of the questions and answers.
– Includes every possible question and every answer
– Correct answers clearly marked in bold
– Precise instructions for how to locate a testing session, how to prepare, and even what to bring — and what not to bring — to the test.
– All technical topics explained in clear, plain language, most with illustrations
– Step by step instructions to solve all the math problems, complete with exactly which keys to press on your calculator for each problem
– Test taking strategies
– Hints to easily solve many questions and avoid the traps in the test
– Written in “learning order”, not just the order of the official question bank.
– Covers questions that will be used until June 30, 2018.
– Nearly 300 pages packed with information
Initially, I began listening to the Audible audiobook, but after a few chapters I quickly realized that I needed the read it for myself, or at least follow along in the book as I continued to listen. As a result, I was also able to benefit from the many illustrations provided in the print versions of the book.
Once I found the method of consuming the information found in the book that worked best for me, I was able to get through each chapter with a clear understanding of the material, all without feeling overwhelmed by an abundance of unnecessary information. The author, who also happens to be the voice of the Audible audiobook speaks clearly throughout each lesson, and his sense of humor really shines along the way. He is easy to connect with, making what could be a very dry subject both interesting and entertaining.
So if you have been wanting to get your ham license, or just want to dig deeper into details without boring yourself to death, this guidebook is a great place to start.
Don’t forget to visit the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) website for great Amateur Radio resources including guidbooks and sample tests.
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