A Family of Hams 

Thank you! 🤗

That was a lot of studying to jump 2 steps so quickly.

Mark, We hope to join the event as a family next year if that is okay. Thank you for taking time to talk with us and your words of encouragement at field day. My son was inspired to continue with his general license with success.

Thanks Stu. We are also considering joining the local free amateur radio club, ARES, which helps with natural disasters and emergencies. They use the local VHF & UHF bands to help people navigate emergencies, in our case it would most likely be forest fires or needing assistance when cell service is down.

@@LivingaSustainableDream I have met a couple of them they are nice people. One day we will get our licenses.

Let us know if you need any tips for passing the exam when that time comes. Our technique was to memorize, with very little understanding and learn more hands on after we had our licenses. We bought our cheap hand helds, before we were licensed and just listened to the nets until we passed.

Keith, our HF radio is back ordered, but if you're near Libby, we might be able to qso on the 2 meter repeater there. Haven't attempted the reach yet.

@@LivingaSustainableDream I live in Butte might be able to use the link repeater system the MRLA repeater link. It is the 147.380 repeater in three forks Mt and there is a pl tone. I know the feeling of things on back order. Have an awesome day and again awesome job. I to am working on my extra class.

@Keith, my son and I reached 1 of the repeaters in Libby, but no response. One day the radio has great reach, the next day maybe or not at all. We are using a borrowed IC-229H with a homemade j-pole my son and I made. Congrats on working toward your AE. I told my son I will not attempt getting the AE unless he does. He wants to try next summer and is making plans, so atleast I get a break from studying for a bit. What do you use for studying? We use the hamstudy.org and Gordon West books.

@Rip start at the free site www.hamstudy.org to get your license. And you are not alone on you thoughts about the supply chain.

@TheLaurieBella, We are going to purchase the Yaesu FT-991a. We wanted 1 radio for all frequencies. We hope to do long distance dxing, and work the local nets and simplex 2 meter and 70 cm bands. The radio was on sale in June and we ordered it. The radio says it will arrive in August, but this is our 4th postponement due to shipping problems. However if it delays again, we may buy something at a ham swap meet.

I would use Icom radios IC 7300 is nice should you have the money lol. Peace from Montana.

@Keith, we looked into the IC 7300. We ended up saving more money going the Yaesu route. Plus, the IC-7300 was back ordered as was the Yaesu. For a 1st all purpose single shack radio the "shack-in-the-box" FT-991a has everything we need. We debated buying the IC-7300 and a seperate mobile vhf/uhf, but the price was considerably higher. When on a budget the Yaesu FT-991a wins. Now, if not on a budget, we would have considered the Kenwood TS-990S, but that's like a Corvette and I drive a PT Cruiser.