From: Dave Brubaker (b52d@piace.com)
Date: Sun Jun 01 2003 - 12:44:05 PDT
Go to www.mkmvpa.com/links.html and go to the bottom of the page. You will
find a list of links to various on-line practice test sites.
Find one you are comfortable with and start practicing! I got my ticket
this way, taking an on-line test twice a day until I started getting 80% or
better. You can miss up to 10 questions and still pass. The hardest
questions to remember answers to, for me anyway, was the frequency range
questions. You can miss them and still pass. A worse case scenario for
them is a max of three questions about frequency and you will never get
three.
Without sounding insulting or anything, it is a very easy test once you get
past the first exposure. A new batch of test questions is fixing to come
out for the next year.
We use 6 meter radios with our club in convoys with great success. You may
not be able to have a working machine gun, in many states, but you sure can
have a working radio!
Dave
============================================================================
============================
David & Donna Brubaker
Member MVPA #18115
M-151A2
KCØNZN
http://users.piace.com/~b52d/
President: Mid-Kansas MVPA
http://www.mkmvpa.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard" <metal@fullwave.com>
To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
Sent: Sunday, June 01, 2003 1:35 AM
Subject: Re: [MV] MV COMM-NET
>
> hmmm....
>
> I was nodding my head at the general concept
> of the MV commnet, but the assumption that we
> ought to avoid ham-radio as a solution kind of
> startled me. Of COURSE we should be using
> ham radio.
>
> Given the high average level of intelligence, drive,
> and self-sufficiency here, every MV member really
> oughta have a ham license. In fact, now that I
> think about it, it's kinda surprising that more MV'ers
> don't have their 'ticket' already. It's such a 'natural'
> for MV's.
>
> The "Technician" class ticket is EASY, for
> ANYONE, with 2 brain cells and a microwatt
> worth of personal energy. You DON"T need to
> learn morse-code. It's almost exactly like a driving
> license test. It's mostly just questions about rules
> and regs. Even if you don't know any electronics,
> the simple 35 question test can be easily passed.
> Ya only need 70% right I think.
>
> And there are some great web-pages that let
> you take authentic tests over and over until
> your passing percentage is high enough that
> you feel ready to hit the local ham-club and
> take the test. It's that easy. My wife took the
> webpage 'test' 10 times in 60 minutes over 2
> days, and was passing it at 88%.
>
> When you're hitting 85% on the web tests, ya
> drive over there, lay down 6 bucks, and 10
> minutes later, you're a ham....FOR LIFE. Take
> it once, and you're done. A whole new capability
> in your personal 'toolbox', and a whole new
> community of "do-ers" that you're connected to.
> A lot like the MV community in many ways. For
> six bucks and a couple hours easy work.
>
> Every MV'er oughta think of a ham ticket as
> 'standard equipment'; just like their socket-set
> and jerrycan.
>
> I bring this up for serious consideration because
> there are some BIG advantages to using ham radio
> for the MV commnet instead of FRS.
>
> 1) Using 2-meter ham gear as standard practice
> gives a VASTLY more robust comm-link than FRS.
> Vastly more. Without getting into details, let's just
> say that 2-meter ham vs. FRS is very much the same
> as comparing a minivan with a DEUCE ! Truly. It's
> that kind of comparison.
>
> 2) 2-meter usage gives us access to the HUGE
> network of repeaters (many with phone-patches)
> all across the continent. (across the world really).
> In most parts of the country, you're talking about true
> 50 mile range between moving vehicles.
>
> 3) FRS is junk. Also, in some areas it's already crowded.
>
> 4) In any disaster or emergency, local hams are
> always key components of communications;
> especially when the cell phones go down....<g>
>
> Since MV's are natural emergency-solvers, they
> fit hand and glove with ham radio.
>
> 5) In every state I know of, it's legal for a ham to have
> scanners in their vehicles. Even in states that ban scanners
> in general, there's an exemption for hams.
>
> There are probably a few more advantages, including
> other legal advantages, and features that 2-meter gear
> has built-in, like digital links between laptops etc; but
> I've already used a lot of space, and probably made my
> point sufficiently.
>
> Think about it guys. It's the pro way to do it; and it's
> super easy and cheap.
>
> Richard
> --
> ============================
> www.OregonStone.Com
> ============================
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>
>
>
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