Extra

[Highway Man]

How many of you guys hold the Extra class license?
Recently discovered a coworker has this license and was impressed. Wondering how long it took to achieve this.
It's my new mission to try and work towards a goal like this

 

[Riverman]

Highwayman, I took my Technician test in January 2018.
Then my General in March. And my Extra in May.

Many recommend taking the Tech and General on the same day. If I were doing it again, that's what I would do.

I used hamstudy.org to prepare.

Was 65 at the time. It was a mission and a goal for me as well.

Get started!

Jim

 

[BJ radionut]

https://www.w5yi.org/page.php?id=17
https://www.w5yi.org/catalog.php?sort=4

 

[Highway Man]

River that's mighty impressive. job well done!
thanks for the study links. I have a feeling that I will need all i can get

 

[fogdog]

Tech in 2013, General in 2017, made Extra Sep this year. I studied hard for about 3 months, took many,many,many online exams. Digging the extra band width.
Now I think I'm going to learn a new language, it's called CW.

 

[fogdog]

Check out AA9PW.COM
I think this is the best online practice site. It's what I used, and it worked.

 

[543_Dallas]

I upgraded to extra a few years ago. Read a Gordon West book or keep taking practice tests on eham until you can pass. You can pass it.

 

[Robert Roy]

Got my Extra this year. I think it was about 3 months after I passed my General.

I was not even planning on pursing the Extra, but when I took my General exam the VE's encouraged me to try the Extra exam afterwards. I did not pass, but they were said that with a few weeks of intense study I would pass. I ended up buying a Gordon West book and using the Hamstudy app to study. Both worked well for me and I passed on my next attempt.

 

[ExitThirteen]

I was extra class years ago, then let my license lapse. The code test was a little bit tough for me, but I made it through. It took me about a month of studying. I also recommend doing the tech + general test at the same time.


~Cheers~

 

[Beetle]

Passed 20wpm code test on a straight key in Portland OR in 1976, officially, and passed the written test easily without worry. And this was well before the internet tests online. I'd been licensed since 1959, though, and had only operated cw most of that time. Learning by doing is the way to succeed.

 

[Blackcat630]

Got my tech back in the mid 90's as a teen
Interests changed (girls, cars, booze, weed).. got out of radio for a few years. Settled down about 10 yrs ago and started back with my roots (11 meters). Got my general in 2014.. then extra in 17. Got my vanity last year never liked my old call.. happy now. Feels good to have full privileges. Now just have to get good on my code to gain the respect of the elders and work more DX!

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

I have what would be the Canadian equivalent of extra but without the sub-band restrictions. I can basically legally run SSB on 14.010 if I wanted too. Been licensed since 1989. One day out of the blue I decided it was time to get my ticket so I called what was then called the Department of Communications on a Tuesday and asked when the next exam was being written. This was back in the day before volunteer examiners and we had to go to the Department of Communications office. I was told the next exam was two days later on Thursday. Since I had been working in commercial broadcasting for some time the theory was not an issue and I had already brushed up on my regulations. I took the following Thursday off and went to the city and wrote my exam. Scored 100% on my theory and 98% on my regulations. This was back in the day when we had to actually WRITE some answers as well as have some multiple choice and draw block diagrams and know basic schematic diagrams. I wish the exams were still like that today.

 

[Highway Man]

Captain that sounds intimidating to me. I must do baby steps first

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Captain that sounds intimidating to me. I must do baby steps first

When I wrote I had been working in the engineering dept. of a commercial broadcasting network for almost six years and made my living servicing broadcast equipment so the theory was a not an issue for me. I had been DX'ing on 11m for ten years before that and was interested in amateur radio so I had already pretty much learned all the operating procedures and regulations by that point.

 

[sunbulls]

Novice in 1964 (age16), Made General 3 months later in the same year.
First Class Radio Telephone license (repair license) in 1978
Advanced in 1979
Got my Extra in 2003 for the primary purpose of working CW DX on the bottom end of 40.