Barlavento is equipped with an ICOM M-802 marine radio. This radio is capable of transmitting and receiving worldwide on both the marine single side band (SSB) radio channels and the amateur or Ham radio channels. I have an FCC license to transmit and receive on the marine SSB radio channels. I do not have a Ham license, which is required to transmit on the Ham radio channels. Fortunately, no Ham license is needed to listen to the Ham radio channels, so I can listen to the cruising nets where I obtain weather reports. Still, I would like to be able to transmit on the Ham radio channels. To do that, I must first obtain a Technician Class Ham radio license, and then a General Class Ham radio license. The Technician Class license only allows extremely limited use the Ham frequencies, but it is required before obtaining a General Class license, which allows use of the Ham frequencies I really need.
After returning to Mexico from Newport Beach, I learned that a Ham radio license test was to be held in La Paz on the morning of Saturday January 11th. I decided to commit the entire week to preparing for the Ham radio license test. I hoped to take the Technician Class exam at a minimum; and to take the General Class exam if study time permitted.
To obtain a Technician Class license, I need to memorize the answers to 394 multiple choice questions. I must then take a Technician Class exam that will contain 35 of these randomly selected questions and pass the Technician Class exam by getting at least 74% of the questions right. Once I have done that, I can obtain a General Class license by memorizing the answers to 456 multiple choice questions. I must then take a General Class exam that will contain 35 of these randomly selected questions and pass the General Class exam by getting at least 74% of the questions right. It is like passing your written driving test but significantly harder because many of the questions are technical and require knowledge of how radios and antennas work.
The questions and answers for both the Technician Class and General Class exams are all published. Gordon West’s “Technician Class Amateur Radio License Preparation” book lists all of the questions and provides all of the answers along with a brief explanation for each question for the Technician Class license. His “General Class Amateur Radio License Preparation” book does the same for the General Class license. I read both books.
I then found a web site that allows you to take online practice “Technician Class” and “General Class” tests. The web site allows you to review all 394 Technician Class questions and all 456 General Class questions. I took both tests repeatedly until I had memorized all 850 questions and answers. I kept practicing until I was able to take both tests with a passing score of 98% or better.
On Saturday morning my friend Jim drove me to Marina La Paz where the Ham test was being offered. I took and passed the Technician Class test missing only one question. I then took the General Class test missing no questions. The drawback to obtaining your Ham license in this way is that you focus primarily on passing the test. There is lots of useful information that you miss taking this approach, but I can now use my General Ham license to participate in the Ham cruisers nets. I am glad I took the time to get these Ham licenses.
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