3B8CW – The Technical Wizard of Mauritius. From DXNews.com

Clive, 3B8CW, is one of the most technically advanced Amateur Radio operators in Mauritius. I met him twice while I was on holiday in this charming island in December 2016.

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New Zealand quake -IRLP

I am interested in monitoring HAM radio in New Zealand via IRLP as a learning opportunity. I just want to confirm that I can use IRLP to monitor a repeater in NZ without disrupting communications there In any way.

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How easy or difficult is the technician exam?

So I’ve always taken a casual interest in ham radio. As a kid I loved tinkering with scrap electronics to try and make new things, or jury-rig old broken things. So the idea of being able to tinker and modify something so basic yet so advanced is very appealing to me.

Once I discovered you needed a license to operate one though I sort of stopped pursuing it. I figured it’d be expensive to get or hard to pass and take thousands of dollars worth of class tuition to pass, like lots of other licenses. Recently though, I found out that the tests are actually pretty cheap, and on Tuesday they’ll be giving the exam at a place near me for free! While that’s short notice, it wouldn’t hurt to try at least.

So my question is, how difficult is the technician exam? I’m competent with science, physics, and electronics, and based on what I’ve seen on sample questions, a lot of it seems like common sense stuff, especially if it’s multiple choice. So would the average Joe be alright with just brushing up on some sample questions or should I buy a review book? Either way I’m taking the test on Tuesday because it wouldn’t hurt to try. I’d just like to know what my odds are.

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Help indentify

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Beginner setup for handheld SOTA activation?

I have been reading previous posts in regard to previous SOTA setups, and it seems like many posts recommend “box” type of tranceiver such as FT-817 or KX3.

However, I would prefer handheld due to its cost and lighter weight.

1. What is the practical difference between handheld from Baofeng and Yaesu? Yaesu is $100 more expensive, so I am wondering what extra features that $100 bring, and if those would be worthy investment for beginners.
2. I heard that antennas are more important than tranceivers. Some of the most recommended seem to be J-pole, yagi, and the one where you sling across a tree branch (what is this called?) If you could bring one antenna with you, which one would it be?
3. I am generally afraid of making my first contact in SOTA as it seems to be more challenging than in a controlled environment since there are so many external factors that could interrupt the contact. Given the setups you have provided, how reliable would the contact be for the first timer? Should I just start from house and move up to SOTA? I live in the Bay Area.

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This battlestation is fully operational

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