I just passed the Technician level of the Amateur Radio exam! So as soon as my name appears the FCC database, I’ll be an official HAM. This will allow me to equip the airplane (or anything else) with APRS, which was the main motivation to do this. However, APRS is just a small piece of what Amateur Radio is all about — lots of other interesting aspects too. Maybe once the plane is done I will dive into it deeper.
Exam preparations included getting The Book and attending a two-day class put on by the Greensboro Amateur Radio Association. The class concluded with the Technician exam ($12 fee). Once you get a passing grade on it, you are allowed to take the next level test (General), in the same sitting, for free. The Tech exam was all I needed for the APRS, but I’m a big fan of free, so I tried it. It was a whole ‘nuther level of HAM, that I had not prepared for, so I was not surprised when I didn’t pass. But, I got the entry level license which was the objective, so mission accomplished.
Bowen Aero 