Lawrence "The Dreamer" Chen's Blog

Today, I wrote the test to become a Ham again. I first wrote the Technican, which I passed....I think I got one wrong in the end. I then tried to write the General, which I missed by 2 questions.

I had skimmed the material for the Technican, and done some practice tests online...so I expected to pass this one. I hadn't read the material for General, and failed the one practice test I had take online (also missed it by 2).

I was largely winging the General based on the fact that I had both my Basic and Advanced qualifications in Canada...and that I'm an EE. But, it has been many, many years since I got my EE or my Advanced qualifications. And, I hadn't used either in a very long time. I've been living in the United States since 1998, and had cut back on Ham activities after working the flood in June 1995 in Medicine Hat. I only did one or two public service events since that. Or doing packet radio.

Follow up:

Not really sure what I'm going to do now that I have a license again. Kind of limited on what I can do now that I'm a condo dweller. And, I don't know if packet gets much use around here....but I might see about dabbling in digital modes again. Considering that's what got me interested in ham radio to begin with. Though I don't know if I'll attempt any HF from home.

But, it was the icepocalypse that got me thinking that I should have something for the next emergency/disaster....

Don't know what I might be buying in the near future in terms of ham equipment. But, first inclination might be a new HT. Unless I can find and resurrect one of the old HTs. Not sure about my mobile rigs, perhaps I need to clear some space in one or two of the extra rooms in my condo and setup a station.

I'm thinking something in a modern, compact HF rig...as a possibility. Even if I an can't effectively have a home station, might be something to have for emergencies or field events. Of course, I don't have a car. The only thing I saved from when I totaled my car, was my dual band 2m/70cm rig....hopefully it still works. I had foolishly tried to pull the car stereo as other stuff to save, but the insurance company wouldn't pay out for the write off without it. Though, at the time, I was probably thinking of trying to recover the CDs that were in it. (I ended up buying those CDs again.) I was limited to what I could stuff into my backpack as I walked away from my car. The dual band 2m/70cm rig was practically new, so I definitely didn't want to abandon that. Other than the mangled mag mount antenna, little else in added stuff to the car was new. Well, at least in the non-automotive variety.

Because I had just had extensive work done on the car a month before the accident, including new tires that were only a couple weeks old. Thinking back, I wonder if the excessive newness of the tires played a part in things....

Anyhoo....