HAM exam questions??

[Klondike Mike]

>>I would be surprised to see any questions regarding CW on the current exams ... and most of the fretting and fuming about the content expends more energy than the studying to pass them does.

I hope you are right CK. The online practice exam I took discouraged me enough to start this thread. Is it my understanding that new exams are just around the corner? As a fellow Canadian, what/where would you suggest one go to get the latest information/study guides regarding this topic?

 

[RatsoW8]

I hope you are right CK. The online practice exam I took discouraged me enough to start this thread. Is it my understanding that new exams are just around the corner? As a fellow Canadian, what/where would you suggest one go to get the latest information/study guides regarding this topic?

Seriously...don't get discouraged. What a shame that the internet has so much influence on people and so quickly! I won't even tell you how long it took me to find a llicensed ham to even ask the question about how to get licensed, let alone how much actual reading (from offline books) it took. did I mention code practice? Some things actually take time even in our "instant gratification" society.


The day you can be licensed by taking a test to verify your a human being is the day I smash all my equipment with a 10lb sledge.

Don't be afraid of a little effort.. It won't hurt you.

Good luck and 73'

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

I hope you are right CK. The online practice exam I took discouraged me enough to start this thread. Is it my understanding that new exams are just around the corner? As a fellow Canadian, what/where would you suggest one go to get the latest information/study guides regarding this topic?

I would start here.

Information for Those Starting Out In Amateur Radio

Try here for downloadable files from Industry Canada.

Spectrum Management and Telecommunications - Related Official Publications

 

[W5LZ]

Klondike Mike,
I've never seen thos questions on a license exam, so I figure they must be on the Canadian tests.
Why questions about tubes or CW? Why not, both are something you might encounter in amateur radio. Not all radio equipment is solid state by any means, and contrary to popular belief, CW is not dead. In fact, it's probably used as much, if not more, than when it was a requirement.
Just not interested in learning any of that 'useless' stuff? Then maybe an amateur license isn't as important as you might think, or who ever is thinking about getting one of those kind'a licenses? If it's worth having then it's worth working for. That includes a little brain 'sweat' too.
Did you have to do a parallel parking thingy for a drivers license, I did. In the last 30 some odd years I've probably only had to do that parallel parking a couple of dozen times. It's still handy to know.
Oh well...
- 'Doc

 

[Sonwatcher]

In the last 30 some odd years I've probably only had to do that parallel parking a couple of dozen times.

Being in Oklahoma I believe you ! lol

 

[Klondike Mike]

Yes, the practice exam I took was labeled as "CAN Basic", located here; HamTestOnline™

Don't get me wrong, I'm not adverse to learning new things. My brain is continually bombarded with the latest and greatest daily. Its just that I am very selective as to what I am going to "sweat my brain" with. As mentioned by Office888 earlier, there still is a large amount of traffic with CW which I will not dispute. But it will be a mode that this brain will not allow to take up any residence.

 

[W5LZ]

Too bad, i think it's fun.
- 'Doc

 

[Klondike Mike]

Too bad, i think it's fun.-'Doc

Good answer. Thats why we do this in the first place. I won't be bull-headed about CW, I'll reconsider and allow someone/somewhere to give me a demo. But I won't change my mind on tubes, I don't like HV and having to buy from the Russians.

 

[Wire Weasel]

Yes, the practice exam I took was labeled as "CAN Basic", located here; HamTestOnline™

Don't get me wrong, I'm not adverse to learning new things. My brain is continually bombarded with the latest and greatest daily. Its just that I am very selective as to what I am going to "sweat my brain" with. As mentioned by Office888 earlier, there still is a large amount of traffic with CW which I will not dispute. But it will be a mode that this brain will not allow to take up any residence.

I feel your pain Mike. I waited until the code was dropped...on purpose...before I upgraded to General here in the states. Nothing has ever been "wrong" with CW, just that it has long since made no sense to require a morse proficiency to obtain voice privileges on HF. Up until then I got by just fine with HF voice all over 11 meters which I still do.

Basic theory is good to learn because with radio a resistor will always be a resistor and a volt a volt and propagation waves remain propagation waves irregardless of the year or whether you rig is an old homebrew or FT 9000DX.

Good luck

 

[Jaymom]

The comments here remind me of the day I applied for helicopter school in the Army and was told that I didn't qualify. I asked why and they said that I didn't have the background knowledge. I had taken the easy courses in High School and let courses that would have given me the opportunity to be more useful in life just sit there on the shelves. I didn't understand it back then but I do now.
Anyway, those courses would have proven that I had the need for a more useful life and that's all there is to it.
I use CW almost every day and can't imagine not using it. Too much fun especially when I run across someone just starting out with CW. Maybe I should have been a teacher. lol

Harold

 

[Klondike Mike]

Wire Weasel: Much better response, thank you and I feel the same with what you said. I checked the Canadian links posted by CK and no mention is made of any upcoming changes. I'll check with the local HAM shop. I may be waiting such as you did and stick with 11mtr. voice. I would initially be interested in 10 and 6 mtr.

Jaymom: Sounds like those who invested the time/effort like their CW. Who wouldn't want to keep their investment alive? Haven't heard any CW bashing here. Its just a resistance to using a mode which is technologically modest. I'll see if I can find a keyer app for my iPhone.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

Mike, don't get all hung up on the CW or tube thing. With the number of questions on the test and the pass mark of only 70% you could forget everything about tubes and CW and still pass the test. Concentrate of the rest of the stuff and don't worry about the CW stuff. When I wrote my exam, many years ago when we actually had to WRITE part of it as well as draw block diagrams and answer 100 multiple choice questions while sitting in a Dept. of Communications office (now called Industry Canada) I completely ignored anything related to television transmissions and radio teletype (RTTY) and guess what. There was only one or two questions about each on the exam. I scored 98% on my rules and regulations and 100% on my electronic theory. I made a lucky guess on one of the questions regarding RTTY and got it right. No reason you can't do the same thing on something you don't know.The basic exam is REALLY not that hard and if you fail it the first time then brush up a little and write it again. No big deal. Especially if you REALLY do want it.

 

[Klondike Mike]

Mike, don't get all hung up on the CW or tube thing. With the number of questions on the test and the pass mark of only 70% you could forget everything about tubes and CW and still pass the test.

Good point of view. That practice exam I took had about 12 questions pertaining to CW and tubes. That was -%12 of my exam score. Thats what got me riled up. I would like to get 80+ to get the HF benefit.

There were a number of antenna questions that I thought were fair, but because I took the exam on a whim and did not study, I got those wrong. Thanks all for your input, I'll see what I can dig up for study guides.

 

[bamacj]

My opinion would be to learn what is required to pass the exam. After that choose what parts of the hobby you are most interested in and enjoy.

 

[N0NB]

Morse may not be in your range of interests now, but no one knows about the future. There are still a fair number of amateurs in far off lands who appear only on the CW portions of the bands for various reasons. If you're interested in that aspect of amateur radio, some Morse proficiency will be required to satisfy the desire to "work them all".

As for tubes, I've not had a tube in the shack since I sold the TS-830 some years ago. Still, it's important to know at least something about them, since high power transmitting tubes are so common, if for no other reason than to avoid grabbing an energized plate cap.

If there were questions about properly setting the gap on your rotary spark transmitter and get the decrement correct, I'd be inclined to agree with you. Even arcane knowledge can sometimes prove useful, even in IT.