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Maui Amateur Radio Club January  13, 2016 Minutes – Maui EOC Wailuku, HI

1/13/2016

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Maui Amateur Radio Club January 13, 2016 Minutes – Maui EOC Wailuku, HI
President Tom Worthington called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM. 
 
The treasurer’s report were approved, and accepted by acclamation.
15 members and guests attended.
 
New Business:
 
Talk Around:
K6GSS-John: Listening KH6RS beacon! Renewing license
NH6Y-Tom:  Lots of contests,
N0DQD-Bob: Traveling a lot.
KH6H-Mel: Nothing to report
AD6E-Alan: Tower is fixed, hoping to get an antenna on it. K5P is now active on Palmara Island.
Cwops.org considering hosting a CW class. Conversational contacts.
KH6AH-Ron: Not much, helping Delaware friend get a remote running
KH6RSB-Shawn:  Working on website
NH7U-Robin: 
KC7ASJ –
AH6CU – Joe
AH6AH – Anita:
W1TEC – Jack: Working with new Icom HF transceiver, Having BNC
KH6HTV – Jim: PSK31 on 15M sometimes 10, 20M is noisy. Wants one QSO per day!
KH6REO – Ed:
KH6JAY- Jay: Participated in ARRL RTTY Roundup. CQ WPX RTTY contest in Feb.
Wh6EYZ- Maynard:
WH6EOD – Greg:
KH6PO- Diane: Worked emergency net, worked MARS, worked Chesterfield DXpedition.
Cruise ship operation
WH6DXW- Robert: Joining tonight. Lots of afternoon net. Worked Chesterfield Island.
WH6EXE-Bill:
WH6FAM-Trip: First meeting
Mike-W5JR: Visiting from Atlanta, operating lots of events, trying to get on National Parks station.
KH6TD-Kevin: Veteran from Chesterfield Island
K7FR-Gary: Took 2M to top of Haleakala, very quiet. Joining tonight
WH6DUE-Amanda: Trying to convince her dad to get his amateur radio license
WH6DUB-Devin: Still trying to get tower finished. Thinking about antenna party
 
                                                                               
Next month’s Discussion: 
 
Officers for 2016 – Tom President, Shawn Vice President, Kent Treasurer, Bob/Dianne Secretary
 
A tower was offered to the group for taking the tower down. Not much interest
 
National Parks On the Air: Parks service has been contacted, but hasn’t responded. Current thought is to do this activity for one day, during daylight hours.
 
IARU Beacon – K6TD
Beacons around the world, KH6RS now transmits on 20,1,15,12,and 10 Meters
TS50 controllers, replaced with Icom 7200. Antenna is a 5 band Cushcraft vertical. Located at NH6Y’s QTH.
 
It would be desirable to have a low band 80,40,&160 M beacons.
 
Kevin – Contest station FLEX HF radio, remote, iPad app to operate it remote. Gave demonstration at meeting.
 
Suggested Schedule of activities for 2016:
Field Day
Series of talks on antennas, types, how they work, modeling, propogation
Alternated contest activity - Hawaii QSO party, teams, individuals,



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Club Beacon Goes Live!

1/12/2016

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The KH6RS beacon, part of the IARU Beacon network is finally on the air at Club President, Tom's QTH.  You can find information about the network at:

http://www.ncdxf.org/pages/beacons.html
​

It will take a while for all the software and websites to get updated with our club call sign, but we are on the air every 3 minutes on 14.100, 18.110, 21.150, 24.930 and 28.200 

Kevin, K6TD, came to the meeting to talk about the beacon program. He discusses the technical specifications, how the program is setup, and a rare look into the history of the beacons as well. Big mahalo to Kevin for taking the time to share his knowledge with us.

​Take a moment to view some clips from the discussion below. 
Kevin was first licensed in 1970. Work, kids and family life took Kevin away from radio, returning in 1988. After having worked as an EE for several Silicon Valley high tech companies, he now finds HF contesting and DXing a pleasant diversion. He has operated mostly in W6 land, but, has been heard from KH6 and BV1. DXpeditions include Midway and Mozambique.  He helped with antennas for Wake.
Kevin has served as the chairman of the California QSO Party and as a director of the NCCC. He has co-chaired IDXC for 2011, 2013, and will for 2015.He's also a member of NCDXF, MLDXCC, and PAARA, and a life member of ARRL, charter member of CWOPS, and lastly SOC.
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The Secret to Getting an FCC Amateur Radio License

1/9/2016

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The Secret to Getting an FCC Amateur Radio License in Record Time!
​










by ABAZE originally posted on NOVEMBER 30, 2011, with updated links and revisions by Shawn KH6RSB on January 9th, 2016


Getting your ham license is easier than you think.

If you want to be able to use the fancy radio gear that the hams get to use, participate in a local emergency communications team, be prepared to communicate with family and friends even when your cell phone or land-line service disappears, or do the many other cool things that licensed amateur radio operators get to do, you’ll need an FCC license.
​
Here’s the quick version, with explanation and resources farther down:

  1. Study all the Q&A ahead of time, using a book or flashcards or CD or whatever
  2. Take as many practice exams as you want to online, for free
  3. Take the exam
  4. Get your license from the FCC, for free

“Oh no!  It must be very difficult jump through all the hoops to get such a license,” many of you are probably saying.  Or “How could I possibly learn all of those technical concepts without an electrical engineering degree?”, or “There’s no way I could afford the huge licensing fees.”  Good news – none of this is true!  It’s easier, probably much easier than you think.
The test is easy to pass, and the license application is ridiculously simple.  Not only that, the people who administer the test will enthusiastically help you with any questions you have about the application.

When it comes to the content of the test, the concepts are not complicated. The electronics information you’ll need to know is super-simple.  But wait, there’s more.  Have you heard of the… metric system?  You’ll need to know about that too.  And can you remember some very complex rules?  For example, “You have to say your call sign at least once every 10 minutes when you’re talking on the radio.”  Remember some rules, some numbers and letters that matter to the FCC, and you’re just about ready.

I’m  trying to make the point that the test is easy, because it is.  But I have one more bomb to drop.  Ready?  Every possible question and answer you could get for the exam is already published and available for you to study.  Yeah.  It doesn’t get any easier than that.  You will need to review the Q&A before you go take the test, because a lot of the info isn’t stuff you’ll read about in People magazine, or Wired, or whatever you usually read.

Once in a while you hear about someone who didn’t pass the Technician exam.  I can only guess that the reason why is 1) very poor test-taking skills (e.g., not paying attention to which letter you’re filling in on the answer sheet, even when you know the right answer), or 2) lack of any studying whatsoever (that must be the case for some folks, just like in school.  But you don’t have to take the ham test, so why bother?  Peer pressure?  I don’t know.)

So why do I even need to write an article on this, if it’s so easy?  Because I want to make it even easier, to help anyone pass the test and get that license and open the doors to all the fun that ham radio can bring.  Here are some tips:

  • Start by figuring out how you learn best.  Since you already know that all of the Q&A are available, you will need to best way to review them so that they’ll stick in your head.  Do you learn by reading and remembering?  There are a few good books out there that have the Q&A, as well as additional supporting info, to give context to the answers.  Do you do better with flashcards?  They have those too. Maybe you learn by listening?  There are Q&A CD’s with which you can review.  Or maybe you’re like me and you learn how to pass the test by taking practice tests.  They have those too, online and free.  Or if you like, you can pay someone to access their online test-taking tools, which track your progress.  You can find a variety of online resources later in this article.
  • One other tip, which you can use on any test that gives you Q&A in advance.  Only read or highlight the correct answers in your study guide.  Cross out the wrong answers and only ever review the right answers. After you go through all of the questions, however many times you like, you will have only imprinted the correct answers on your brain, and when it comes time to take the test, you will only remember the correct answers! 
  • Here is the link for the test questions and answers: http://ncvec.org/page.php?id=362 
  • The Number of correct answers to pass and the number of test questions from each question pool is:
    Tech:26/35 - Gen:26/35 - Extra:37/50

Ham Radio License Exam Testing Resources

Here are some of the most common, useful books:

  • From the ARRL, with CD included:  Ham Radio License Manual.  You can buy it here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0872590976/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=hamr0b-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=0872590976.  All the Q&A are here, with some additional, basic explanations.  All you need to pass the test.
  • From Gordon West, probably the biggest name in Amateur Radio license training: Technician Class 2014-18 FCC Element 2 Radio License Preparation 8th Edition.  You can buy it here: http://www.amazon.com/Technician-2014-18-Element-License-Preparation/dp/0945053797/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1452373764&sr=1-1.  I like Gordon (“Gordo”) West’s books.  He’s old-school, and takes a fun, interesting approach to learning about ham radio and getting that test out of the way.  All the Q&A are here also.
  • Downloadable Study Guide: http://www.kb6nu.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/2014-no-nonsense-tech-study-guide-v20.pdf
Here are flashcards, if you learn well this way:

  • Technician Class Flash Card Set: http://www.flashandpass.com/amateurradio/ Note: the ARRL does not seem to carry their official set any longer. I do not have any experience with this particular set so feedback is appreciated. 
You can take the tests in advance, as many times as you want, for free!  (There are other sites you can pay for, but take a look at your free options first):If you have a tablet or phone there are apps that let you take practice exams whenever or wherever you are. Have to wait in line at the DMV, perfect time to practice! On your lunch break? Take a practice test while you finish your sandwich. Once you pass the practice exams every time you are ready for the real thing.

Apple iPhone or iPad 
  • https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ham-radio-exam-tech/id601991935?mt=8

Android
  • https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iversoft.ham.test.prep&hl=en

Here are some online testing resources that you can use directly from your computer or laptop.  

  • http://www.eham.net/exams/
  • http://hamexam.org/
  • http://www.hamtesting.com/index.php
Note:  If you have only read one or two chapters of a licensing book and want to take a free online test, and then only get 15% correct, don’t get frustrated and give up!  You will need to review the rest of the material in the license book. If you go through all of the Q&A before you take an online test, you will get much better results.  I know that may sound like common sense to many of you, but I know a lot of folks who are so itching to take the test that they don’t review all the Q&A first, and they wondered why they didn’t get all of the answers right. :-|  But I know you’re smarter than that.

What did I do?  I started by reading through both of the Q&A books I list below (but I often take an overkill approach).  Then I read a book that explained additional info for beginners to ham radio, because I was curious about how ham radio worked.  And then I took a few practice tests, until I could reliable get a score greater than 80%.  After that, I focused on areas where the answers made the least sense to me, practicing those a few more times, making sure I had the right answers fresh in my memory.  This approach made passing the test a piece of cake.

Find the study approach that works well for you, and when you’re ready, take a couple practice exams. Once you can pass the online test regularly at 80% or higher, you should be ready to take it for real.

You can do it!  Seriously – how often does the test you’re taking already have all of the answers available?

Where to Take a Ham Radio License Exam

Finding a place to take the exam should not be difficult.  When I looked, I had a hard time finding a place, but I was on my own with nobody to help me.  These resources will make it much easier for you!

  • Here is one way to find a place giving an exam, from the ARRL: http://www.arrl.org/find-an-amateur-radio-license-exam-session​ .  (By the way, I recommend that once you get your license, you join the ARRL and get your subscription to QST Magazine, full of great articles on amateur radio every month.  The ARRL helps keep amateur radio frequencies available to us all, and the magazine is a great way to learn more about the hobby.)
  • Another site you can use to find a ham club in your area:http://www.hamdepot.com.
  • Here is another (filtered to the US, but you can search worldwide):http://www.dxzone.com/catalog/Ham_Radio/Clubs/North_America/USA.
Eventually you’ll find out where the testing takes place in your area.  And that’s it.  You can review all the answers at your leisure.  You can find a club nearby who will let you take the test and help you (if you need it) with the simple FCC form.

Ham Radio FCC License Fees

And then you pay.  Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you.  The cost of a license is expensive… NOT!  An FCC amateur radio license is FREE.  You may have to pay ~$15 to take the test, so that the club running the testing can pay for supplies, room rental, postage to ship off your answer sheets to the FCC, etc., but you read correctly about the cost of the license.  Free.

But wait, what about when you renew, 10 years later?  (Yeah, every ten years.  Pretty convenient, right?)  That’s when you have to pay, right?  No, it’s still free.  However, there is a special circumstance when you could pay, if you really wanted to.  If you want a “vanity call sign”, which means you can pick some of the letters and/or numbers (if that combination isn’t used already).  Some hams do that with their initials (like me – my call sign is AB8L).   So that must be expensive, right?  Sorry to disappoint you once again.  It’s $14.25.  For ten years.  And the cost is the same when you renew, 10 years later.

What to Bring to Your Exam

Please bring two no. 2 pencils, a pen and if desired, a calculator (memory must be cleared).
We will furnish NCVEC Form 605 and scratch paper. In addition, iPhones, iPads, Androids,
smartphones, Blackberry devices and all similar electronic devices with a calculator
capability, may NOT be used.


Candidates must present a legal photo ID. If no photo ID is available, you must present any
two of the following: Social Security card, birth certificate, minor’s work permit, school report
card, school ID, library card, utility bill or bank statement in your name, postmarked envelope
addressed to you at your current mailing address.

If applicable, bring the original and a photocopy of your current Amateur Radio license
and / Or Certificate(s) of Successful Completion, CSCE.

The Debt Collection Improvement Act of 1996 (DCIA) requires the FCC to collect a TIN/SSN
from each person doing business with them. All Amateur Radio license and upgrade
applicants must use their Federal Registration Number (FRN), if they have been assigned
one, when completing Form NCVEC 605. Using your FRN also means that you need not
enter your SSN on Form NCVEC 605.

Take your web browser to www.arrl.org/fcc-cores-registration-instructions for info on
registering in FCC’s Commission Registration System and obtaining your FRN.

Special testing assistance or needs must be arranged in advance.

IMPORTANT: As of February 17, 2015, the FCC no longer routinely issues a paper Amateur Radio license document. Licensees can access their official license via the ULS License Manager. You may print an unofficial copy from the FCC’s ULS License Manager or request a paper license from the FCC. www.wireless.fcc.gov or www.wireless2.fcc.gov

One more thing — the first license level is called “Technician“.  It allows you access to a certain set of UHF, VHF, and some HF frequencies, which will give you the ability to do short- and some medium-range communicating.  The second license is called “General“, and gives more access to more frequencies, including a lot more of the HF spectrum, which will be important for medium- and long-range communications.  Tip:  if you are studying for the Technician exam, you may want to do the General exam at the same time.  You can take more than one test in the same testing session for no additional charge!  (And the license is still free.)  The last type of license is called “Extra” and gives access to all of the frequencies available to amateur radio operators.  You will probably need to study a lot more for the Extra exam - it’s quite a bit harder.  But Technician and General are probably all you would ever need.

Now what?  Have I covered all of your questions and concerns?  If you have any questions, post them and I’ll reply.

Now go out and get a license, and I hope to hear you on the air soon!

Mahalo to Andrew, AB8L for creating this guide! 

3 Comments

    De KH6RS BLoG

    Aloha fellow hams! This blog is for you. Remember to stop by if you ever miss a meeting or would like to know what the club has been up to. Please feel free to make suggestions on anything you would like to see here.  

    ​73 - Shawn KH6RSB 

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MAUI AMATEUR RADIO CLUB
President: Riley, NH70

Vice President: Joe, AH6CU
Secretary: Alan, AD6E
Treasurer: Kent, KH6CJJ

PO BOX 1791 KAHULUI, HI 96733
aumiller@gmail.com
joe@connect802.com
ad6e@arrl.net
kentfae@gmail.com
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