General Class Ham License – On-Line Help for Your Self Study

You may have been redirected here from www.ke0og.net/general. You’re in the right place! By popular demand, I am adding a set of videos to help you upgrade from Technician Class to General Class. As with the Technician series, it’ll take me awhile to get all the videos up. To help this along, Lew French, KCØUER, is helping with the video duties, and others have volunteered too. Click here to meet both Dave and Lew in a 3½ minute video. Does this method of video-aided self study work? Read the testimonials.

Studying for your General Class Ham Radio License

The General Class License is the middle level of amateur radio licenses and has vastly-increased privileges on the HF bands—and you can use these to talk with the world! Watch the video below to learn how. It tells you what self-study book to buy, where to get it, how to study it, and takes you through the introductory chapter.

Guided Self Study

Although the book is self study, sometimes it’s helpful to have a guide. Out here where I live in Southwestern Colorado, there aren’t very many people, let alone hams! That’s why I’ve created this video guide to your self study. It’s in convenient chunks—short videos followed by short sections of self study. Enough – let’s watch this 4½ minute video!

Note that this video is available in a variety of resolutions, including HD.

The links I talked about

The ARRL General Class License Manual For Ham Radio, ISBN 978-0-87259-811-9, is a mandatory adjunct to this course. In fact, just as with the Technician set of videos, it is the course! These videos give you an overview of the sections you’ll be studying, along with a few videos of how things actually work. Each video introduces a section of the Manual, which you then study. Try out the test questions, then come back for the next session.

You can get the General Class License Manual by clicking on this link at Amazon. It’s actually somewhat less expensive on Amazon than at the ARRL website, and Amazon’s shipping charges are less too, which will save you a few dollars.

There’s a General Class License Manual Support Page on the ARRL website that provides additional material to supplement the manual, including a version of the question set that follows the same outline as the manual.

If you have a question about any section, simply post a comment under that particular video. Others may have the same question! I’ll post my reply to every question.

All the videos

Each video is on a “post,” meaning you click on the link below, and it takes you to the post with the video. Each post has any additional text to help you. You then return to this page. Be sure to keep track of where you are! The videos are numbered the same way the sections are numbered in the license manual, and as they are uploaded the links will be live. Good luck!

• 1.1 The General Class License and amateur radio, click here for introductory video
• 1.2 How to use this book (the License Manual), click here for the introductory video
• 1.3 The Upgrade Trail, click here for the introductory video
• 2.1 HF Operating Techniques, click here for the introductory video
• 2.2 Digital Modes, click here for the introductory video. BONUS! Click here for a video of an entire PSK-31 QSO example.
• 2.3 Emergency Operation click here for the introductory video
• 3.1 Regulatory Bodies, click here for the introductory video
• 3.2 Amateur Licensing Rules, click here for the introductory video
• 3.3 Control Operator Privileges, click here for the introductory video
• 3.4 Technical Rules and Standards, click here for the introductory video
• 4.1 Electrical Review, guest host Lew French, KCØUER, click here for introductory video
• 4.2 AC Power, guest host Lew French, KCØUER, click here for introductory video
• 4.3 Basic Components, click here for introductory video
• 4.4 Reactance and Impedance, guest host Lew French, KCØUER, click here for introductory video
• 4.5 Active Components, guest host Lew French, KCØUER, click here for introductory video
• 4.6 Practical Circuits, guest host Lew French, KCØUER, click here for introductory video
• 4.7 Basic Test Equipment, guest host Lew French, KCØUER, click here for introductory video
• 5.1 Signal Review
• 5.2 Digital Modes
• 5.3 Radio’s Building Blocks
• 5.4 Transmitter Structure
• 5.5 Receiver Structure
• 5.6 HF Station Installation
• 6.1 Antenna Basics, click here for introductory video. This video is a little longer and provides background for the entire Antenna section.
• 6.2 Dipoles, Ground-planes, and Random Wires, click here for the introductory video. This video is also a bit longer and provides lots of useful background info, practical advice, and additional introduction to the material in the text.
• 6.3 Yagi Antennas, for introductory video click here. At fifteen minutes, this video is time well spent to learn key concepts needed to understand the material in the ARRL General Class License Manual.
• 6.4 Loop Antennas, for introductory video click here.
• 6.5 Specialized Antennas, click here for the introductory video
• 6.6 Feed Lines, click here for video lecture that introduces the material and provides considerable practical information.
• 7.1 The Ionosphere
• 7.2 The Sun
• 7.3 Scatter Modes
• 8.1 Electrical Safety
• 8.2 RF Exposure
• 8.3 Outdoor Safety
• Final Preparation to Take Your Examination

What do you do when you’re ready to take the test?

Go to www.arrl.org/exam_sessions/search, enter your zip code, and search for an examination session in your area. Good luck!

Yes I want your comments!

No instructional course is ever complete, nor is it perfect. Please comment! Please put the comments right on the same post as the video you’re commenting about. Don’t worry, I see them all!

Have fun!

There’s probably a ham radio club near you (and with your Technician Class license, hopefully you’re a member of one!). Go to www.arrl.org/find-a-club to locate a club near you. Attend their meetings and introduce yourself. You’ll find yourself instantly among friends. And your new friends can provide assistance as you study for your test. After you pass your test, they can help you equip yourself for your new privileges, too. Enjoy!