I've hit the books and, wow, what a difference it makes. I am now passing all attempted tests in a reliable fashion with scores mostly in the 90's. I've got the V= I x R thing all sorted out along with P = V x I for DC (though I occasionally do something backwards and where I'll come up with "120 amps" instead of "1.2 amps".. just like back in middle school I have to "slow down and read the context of the question").
That said I think I'm getting close to ready for the test. The problem is I don't spend many weekends in the Raleigh area though I can assure you that the next weekend I am in town I will make special arrangements to ensure I can get to wherever the nearest test location on the day of testing (along with preregistration, etc).
The bummer is I'm in town this weekend but I have to upgrade code on the data center switches all day Saturday. BUMMER! Early August looks like the ticket, though. K is going to England for a week in early August and my parents are occupying the beach place for the next two weeks. By that point I should be scoring in the upper 90s with a 100 or two thrown in for good measure.
Let's get to the really important matters: what should I purchase as my first radio? I'm thinking hand-held. I rarely drive my super-tanker and I don't think Kelly wants to mount a mobile station in her Infiniti. Plus I'd like to have a station both at home and the beach. So it sounds as if mobile is the first and best solution. But what brand? What functions? The Yaesu radios look pretty cool, but I have to admit, I don't even know what I'm really look for.
Suggestions are welcome!
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Almost everyone ends up getting an "HT" (short for "handie-talkie") for their first radio, and almost everyone I know around here ends up regretting it because the area is just so spread out that it's hard to reach repeaters with a radio that puts out not that much power. So, these days, if you get your ticket around here I recommend getting a mobile radio, and not just any mobile radio, but a dual-band (2m/70cm) one since there are quite a few 70cm repeaters in use around here.
If you want, sometime in Aug when J gets back from camp, you're welcome to see how I've mounted a mobile radio in her Acura TSX. I've got it so you can just close one door in the middle of the car and you can't see anything. :-)
If you are set on an HT, though, as far as brands go Yaesus are good. I've got an Icom T-81a quad-band HT and it's pretty good. But, if you've got the extra money, I might suggest getting the Kenwood one with built-in TNC and APRS support.
BTW, if you do go for a mobile, I'd recommend the D700 or it's newer version the D710.
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