Happy to announce I got my licence!

Late last month I got my HAM Radio licence.

Very pleased.
I started with a couple of Baofeng radios.
More recently managed to score myself a Yaesu ft857d, Atas120a, and most of the other gear I needed to get on HF..

I took the Essex hams online course, and enrolled on the classroom course of MKARS, with my original exam on the 19/4, but the ol corona got in the way...

So MKARS did an online course too. I read through the foundation licence booklet and the exam secrets booklet a dozen times if not more!
And nervously took my exam on the 21st.
I got me a 23/26 on the exam. Chuffed.
But gosh, there is soo soo soooo much more to learn its unreal...

Come into the big wide world of radio and feel like I haven't learn anything... And it doesn't help with the Facebook experts throwing there 2 pence in and confusing me...

So far though, the contacts I have had, and people I have met, have been very encouraging, helpful, understanding and super friendly, (with the odd sour grape thrown in)

Anywhoo. Just wanted to chase my good news.

73 for now, look forward to hearing you on air sometime soon.
26ct2910, M7LRO

I'll add, at the moment, I am using my truck as a base for the antennas, and the radio is running off the mains and a power source, and I have an swr of 1.2
I have a battery to go portable, but need to sort out some connectors and coax.
I also have a mount and coax for the car, but again need to sort a connector on one end.
And I have to get myself another power cable - so I have a set for home, portable and in the truck.

Its never ending lol...

Because I want an antenna for the garden, portable and the truck, just to save me switching about all the time...

Congratulations Adam,

Great to hear that

looks like you are amassing a right little shop for yourself

73's

Graeme.

Thank you Graeme.
All the gear and no idea....

Lol - no I am coming to terms with the Yaesu quite quickly...

Its the rest of the info I'm struggling with lol.

For instance, yesturday I thought I'd done something wrong in the menu... As the bands were dead...

Totally forgot about the propergation, and bands turning off - I think is the phrase I heard...

Lol,

That's why it's called Amateur Radio is it not... always experimenting and learning.

have fun with it, after all, I expect that's why you got into it in the first place.

Well done Adam & Congrats! Love the truck, looks awesome!

Thanks @mv communicator

Congratulations Adam.

I hope to work you on the bands. Get that intermediate course booked while it's still fresh in the mind!!!

73's Gary.

Congratulations and well done Adam Enjoy. I used the Essex Ham online course too, I found it very interesting and so much easier to take on board rather than just reading the book.
I wonder if they do a similar course for the Intermediate?
Great photos.
Cheers
Dale
26-CT-3550
M7DEW

Thank you.

I know mkars are looking at doing an intermediate course for the online exam. When it will materialise, I don't know...

Well done!! Got mine in a few weeks so not in panic mode yet I've been through Essex Ham course and will do it again before the exam.

Thanks Gents.
Indeed, look forward to it.

Many congratulations Adam, as Gary says go for the intermediate.

Nice one Adam and well done !



Craig CT Admin 73

Well done, Adam.

73s John.

Well done Mate and welcome to the hobby of ham radio.  I like the LR Defender.





Here is mine running a Tarheel II for HF and 2/70 as well into an Icom 7000. Always lots to learn and nice places to go!

73

Tom

Thanks chaps. Certainly looking into it.

I have spent the last couple of days moving the radio from the dining room table to the back room, and wiring for a more permanent spot. Got the coax out last night, and connected down to the wall and fence.
Today i plan to get the antenna up, and the ground plane sorted.

Might even get the wiring done for the truck!

Well done Adam - I passed not that long ago - feels great doesn’t it - you are a Radio HAM! Just waiting for the RSGB to allow online examinations for the intermediate level now.
Good to see you're already on QRZ.com.
All best
73's
CT2934 | M6WDV

Thanks again for all the well wishes.
Surprised to see my face on the CT email newsletter this morning

LRO...Lol. Was there a degree of choice in that? Land Rover Owners. Got my exam on Sunday. Started out studying last month but been dealing with a house sale since. i fear i may have fallen off the boil in the interim. Fingers crossed. Congrats on the licence...Increased expenditure on toys now........Wonder if the xyl will notice the purchase of an IC705 ?

Lol, yeh, I wanted my initials first, but as that were taken, the next thing I though of was LRO - easy to remember too. Lol
Good luck with the exam. I hope it goes well.
& Good luck with the purchase

Well done mate, now the fun starts.

Having been involved in radio from back in the late 60's my contact with a Californian trucker from my van in Maidstone with my 5 watt Cobra I was hooked. I worked professionally as a car radio installation engineer in the days that cars were not built with entertainment in mind and we had to re design the dash and cut holes for speakers in the doors and fit aerials on the wing or roof. We then got into installing mobile telephones (before we had smartphones or cellphones) and the first was called "Air call" where one would call through a central operator with your call sign who would then connect you with a land line phone or another mobile radio on your network. My call sign was "Lilac 305" .
Then came the first mobile cellular phone that were the size of a large GPO hand set with a big box mounted in the boot connected to the TX/RX transmitter and an antenna that had to have the SWR set by cutting the required length to the stainless steel whip. All this time still using my Cobra in the van Illegally as AM as a no no back then . We used to go to rallies and protests to try to make AM legal in this country but still using it being careful not to get caught and getting you radio confiscated or worse. Well they did eventually allocate CB to the UK just in time for the sun to loose its sun spot activity and the down turn in propagation meaning we could only reach 10 miles if you were lucky on 11 meters.
I was under the impression back then that only rich clever people could get a Ham ticket so it was not till Feb 2015 I took my Foundation and then my Intermediate a few months later with Essex Ham and C.A.R.S at Danbury. I am retired now and have several work related disabilities/ injuries so limited physically but have my radio and contact with this brilliant hobby. I still dabble with my old mates on CB and are pleasantly surprised at the way that users have improved their radio operating skills and respect for other users and can put some Ham operators to shame so well done you CB Guys that have improved the reputation of radio operators on all bands.
Anyway good luck, I hope you enjoy your new hobby and get that 2E0 under your belt if you can. You will learn a lot and be pleasantly surprised about how much you al ready know and it is beneficial to your fun when you really get into it you will be hungry for more knowledge. We are are all here to help so don't be shy and give us a shout. 73

Well done Adam on passing, but never forget were your roots are, I passed to a few years ago I am happy with my 70cms and pmr