After getting my Extra callsign I didn’t waste any time in signing up as a Volunteer Examiner with GLAARG and got my certificate through this afternoon so I’ll have to start sitting in on some remote exam sessions and learning the ropes. Taking into account time zone difference early afternoon sessions Pacific time should work well for me, my own exam was 14:30 PST which works out as 22:30 here (GMT), so not sure I want to do any much later than that!

If we have enough GLAARG VEs around here then we may be able to do some in person sessions too, although personally I prefer the online thing for sheer convenience!

I’ve spent the last month studying for the US radio amateur exams using the Michael Burnette, AF7KB Fast Track books and the HamStudy app and last night took my all 3 exams and passed. I have to say a huge thanks to Dave DiGiorgio and the GLAARG / HRCC team for setting up my exam, I let him know Weds afternoon that I was going to get through the last of the question pool on Thursday and he got it set up for Thursday evening, very quick!

If anyone is looking to take any or all of the US exams I thoroughly recommend the Burnette books and the HamStudy app they are both great.

I did my studying in a bit of an odd order, I started with the Extra book just before Christmas, reading it on the Kindle and going through the practice exams on the website and using the HamStudy app, then just after new year I started listening to the Technician audiobook on my commute and runs along with going through the extra. I didn’t do the Fast Track practice questions for the Technician, I just used the HamStudy app a little. As I completed the Extra and Technician I then read and listened to the General which using both methods only took a few days, however I did make sure to go through the questions on the Fast Track website for that. For anyone else wanting to do the exams I’d probably recommend you study for them in order rather than in the odd order I did!

The HamStudy app is brilliant and it would be quite possible to study just using the HamStudy app, particularly if like me you already have a non-US license or knowledge of radio. If you don’t have any radio background then whilst possible with the HamStudy app alone I think it would be a struggle and you’d miss out without the extra context around the subjects, the explanations in the app probably aren’t sufficient for a good grounding.

Despite having my UK Full license and skipping some of the explanations/context in the books I did find it useful going over some of the familiar concepts from a different perspective and of course expanding my knowledge in the parts which didn’t overlap with the UK exams or my existing experience.

All in all it was a great experience and now I have my Amateur Extra call…KY4MF

On the 08/11/20 I took my full exam and passed gaining the new callsign G5JIM.

I’m looking forward to digging into a few areas of amateur radio now such as doing some construction work – a couple of projects I’ve been waiting to finish and get started on, spending more time learning morse code and experimenting with P25.

I’m pleased to say that I passed my intermediate exam on the 21st of August so I’ve got a new callsign 2E0JDJ. I’m excited to move on to studying for the full exam and get back to studying Morse code, I took a bit of a break from that as the exam was nearing and unfortunately it feels like I’m back to square one.

Thanks to everyone at Warrington ARC for your assistance, particularly difficult at the moment with no face to face meetings!