So you'd like to be an amateur radio operator... - Page 4

**Lost Cosmonaut** · 08-13-2008, 02:26 PM

Quote:

FJ Wolf previously said:

Awesome! It is always easier when there is more than one studying for the exams. I convinced a packmate to join me in my ham radio pursuits and it was great. We hooked up every night for a week and pounded the books, test exams, etc. It was a blast! Then, we popped in and threw down Tech and General in one fell swoop. Studied some more and popped our extra a couple weeks later. The "HamTestOnline" link above was fantastic BTW for really hitting everything home before the big exams. So the best thing you can do - is to definately get your father involved and make it a family thing!

Ok, if you like the feature-rich gear, then there are two means by which to nail this one. Do you want to go for your General and higher and do HF long-distance communications?

If so, I highly recommend the Yaesu FT-857D ($700). It will do VHF/UHF and all HF bands as well. Couple that with a YAESU ATAS-120 antenna on the Bandi Mount (enlarged hole for a UHF mount) would be a killer package that will keep you set for a long time.

If you'd like to start with VHF/UHF only, then by all means, go for a Yaesu FT-8800R ($350) dual-band rig and a diamond dual-band antenna on a Bandi. It is solid, has a remote-mount face that you can put anywhere, and even does cross-band repeating. Now what that means is you can then buy a little 5-watt UHF handheld radio, and key up near your FJ - and your 8800 will then repeat your signal out the VHF side at its full 50 watts for longer distances! How cool is that!

Now, if you want to keep your CB as well, I'd say throw a Firestik on the Bandi mount, then mount your choice of ham antenna on the roof using a through-roof NMO or UHF mount in that nice open area in front of the stock roof-rack. Dropping a headliner and drilling holes is scary as hell, but it will make a WORLD of difference, trust me. If you don't feel comfortable doing it, I recommend finding a local two-way radio shop (ask your local police or fire folks) and have them do it. They can drop a headliner and pop in an antenna for you no sweat usually for under $100. Be sure to see a sample of their work tho... buyer beware as always.

Edit to add: You might even try mounting it to your front bumper. That may be another possibility.

Believe me when I say - Amateur Radio is just as addicting as FJ Mods.

Howls,
FJ Wolf

Thanks for the advice. I'm probably going to stick to Tech to begin with but General and Advanced certainly look interesting to me, especially now that they don't require code (even though I'd still like to learn code for the heck of it). You can always buy new radios later, right?

- Patrick

**JoeUser** · 08-13-2008, 02:58 PM

Wow, went to HamTestOnline and scored 77%, with no prior studying. Of course, I've been around CB radios for most of my adult life, but never have done HAM (although my stepfather has an advanced license, don't know which class though)...

**Wolf** · 08-13-2008, 04:44 PM

Quote:

JoeUser previously said:

Wow, went to HamTestOnline and scored 77%, with no prior studying. Of course, I've been around CB radios for most of my adult life, but never have done HAM (although my stepfather has an advanced license, don't know which class though)...

A lot of the basic Amateur test is basic RF and radio info, so if you have any electronic aptitude, you should do pretty well.

Howls,
FJ Wolf