Greetings all!
Short version:
HamStudy.org takes money to develop and run. Buy an awesomely lightweight and unbelievably durable (not to mention flexible) Signal Stuff SuperElastic Signal Stick and support yourselves and us! Signal Sticks are dual band 2m/70cm antennas for handheld transceivers which come with a lifetime guarantee and can be coiled up and stuck in your pocket.
From now until June 8, 2016 use the coupon code “2016fund” for 10% off and free shipping! (and did we mention the coupon applies to HamStudy.org t-shirts too?)
Long version:
We are working on a new version of HamStudy.org with some significant improvements to all study modes. In addition, we plan to make this new version available as an offline-enabled mobile app (probably for $3.99) on at least the Android and Apple app stores, possibly others.
Don’t worry! The website will always be free, and just like now it will always work great on mobile devices! The offline app will be for people who need it when not connected to the internet.
Anyway, a little known fact is that HamStudy.org is primarily funded from two sources: 1) Icom America has granted us kind sponsorship for many years now, and 2) Signal Stuff, our parent company, pays for all other costs.
Fact is, what with kids being born and real life, we haven’t had enough time to do everything the site needs, so we’re trying something new: we’re going to hire out some of the busywork so we can focus on the things we care most about: making study tools that work.
To this end, we are running a fund raiser through our parent company, Signal Stuff. All Signal Stuff SuperElastic Signal Stick Sales (SSSESSS for short) go directly towards funding HamStudy.org development. This is actually always true, but for this week we are doing an extra push.
The deal: From now until June 8, 2016 you can use the coupon code “2016fund” to get 10% off and free shipping on your entire order (which can include HamStudy.org t-shirts).
Click the image above to go to the site and check out the antennas!
By W3MIT/AE June 12, 2016 - 11:43
For new HamStudy.org features, one thing I would have LOVED to have had would be to be able to turn off those flash cards where I was getting the answer right consistently – to focus only on those questions I was missing. Maybe there could be a switch on the adaptive algorithm to stop showing those flash cards in a session after you get it right 3 times?
The randomization of question answers makes this the best exam prep site out there, IMHO. I had none worng on the Extra exam. Many thanks for this site!
By kd7bbc June 12, 2016 - 11:48
Indeed! We are currently hard at work on HamStudy 3 (see our fundraiser post) and this is one of the things that we will be putting in. Not everything is totally nailed down, but at minimum there will be a “cram” mode which will act a lot like flashcards but will have just the question, correct answer(s), and there will be a slide that you can set your proficiency for the question.
We’re also revising the algorithm a little bit and I think the problem won’t occur as often anyway. Between the two, we expect HamStudy 3 to be a huge step forward. The web version will always be free and full featured, of course, but for those who need an offline solution we’ll be releasing a mobile app for probably $3.99. (this will help pay for hosting costs of the main website)
By KM6DOS July 3, 2016 - 19:39
I missed the fundraiser but that won’t stop me from supporting such a great site. I got my tech license by studying here. Now I’m going for my general this month. Probably will go for extra next month.
The flash cards are a great way to study and the tests let you know your weak points. Only thing I wish you had was a way to go back and look at past tests to see where you got questions wrong.
By kd7bbc July 3, 2016 - 20:47
Thank you!
You actually can look at past tests — click on the dot on the history graph and it will take you to the test.
This will be easier to find in the next version.
By KM6DOS July 3, 2016 - 23:26
Ah! It works on my phone (Android – Chrome) but not on my iPad (chrome).
Thanks for the tip!
By kd7bbc July 5, 2016 - 21:06
You might try on Safari; some things I’ve found don’t work on Chrome on iOS, not sure why.
By KK6RVE July 17, 2016 - 17:47
I don’t need an antenna right now, but i just made donation…wish i could afford more right now!
This is one of the best digital study tools I have ever used. Last year in just under a month of studying i went from Zero knowledge (and i’m not gifted at with math or electronics) to passing the technician. Just studied a few questions anytime i had 5 minutes spare mostly on my iPhone anytime i was walking or waiting. When i needed a bit more background than on the ‘back’ of the cards I’d looked up the concepts on wikipedea. Now i’m studying for general, and its even better (i see now most of the ‘backs’ have wiki links now)
I particularly love how the application tracks your progress across sub-categories and retests recent wrong answers just at the edge of short term memory, and adding new ones as you improve slowly building field knowledge. Brilliant
I assume you built this on your own? Whats the tech stack? Is it open source? Are you on git-hub? Would you consider that? I’m dabbling with making a dumbed down pure js version to help me study sailing and EMS/first aid. Will credit you with inspiration if i do.
Either way thanks and keep up the good work!
FWIW i’ve had no noticeable issues on mobile safari or chrome desktop browser
By Johanna August 9, 2016 - 23:01
You must be a young man. Men have an easier time getting all this ham stuff. I am a woman past 50 and I have been studying a couple months. Take my test in about 3 weeks. I have studied about an hour a day going through the flash cards, tests, etc. on this website and the book for technicians. I think it is incorrect to state on the book or on websites that you can get your license in a snap – that it is easy. It is not true for many people. I have no liking for the subject of electronics or physics or the non-biological sciences. So this puts me at a disadvantage and I have not liked studying for this test. I have continued because I think it will be necessary to have this means of communication if we the US power grid goes down and we have no internet, etc. Just thought I would give my 2 cents. here.
By kd7bbc August 16, 2016 - 13:59
I have worked with a lot of different people in a lot of demographics — from the 12 year old girl who passed her extra at our test session recently to the 65 year old guy who had to take it 4 times to pass it. Easy is relative; while the author may have overstated the case, the point is that it’s an attainable goal if you’re willing to work at it. For some it will be easier than for others… but then, I suspect that in your field I’d likely be completely out of my depth too =]
Good luck and good studies!
By Angela Ross Williams November 4, 2016 - 21:31
Ok, how and where do I get to the study materials? I just signed up on this site tonight and only see test site information. Am I on the right website to learn Ham? Thank you.
By kd7bbc November 15, 2016 - 21:43
Click on the “Technician class” text on the front page. Those are clickable links! Then select “Read questions” or “flashcards”. Use the practice exams to gauge your progress periodically.
By Robert F. Martin July 24, 2016 - 02:59
I’m having trouble accessing the flash cards, etc. Am I doing something wrong?
By kd7bbc August 4, 2016 - 12:17
If you’re having difficulty with the site please email us details at support@hamstudy.org and we’ll try to help you out. Note that with what you’ve told me I have no idea — it could be anything from a catastrophic failure of our website to you trying to access it on the toaster. More specifics would help us narrow that down a bit =]
By Nathanael Allen August 14, 2016 - 10:52
I’m new to HAM but I’ve spent countless hours playing puzzle, logic, and trivia games on my phone. THIS WEBSITE IS GREAT!
I work as a maintenance supervisor and this site is great for refreshing the seldom used knowledge I’ve lost over the years.
I suggest marketing this towards the puzzle gamers as well as the self study types. It can open a new market for ad revenue and introduce intelligent problem solved people to the HAM community.
By kd7bbc August 16, 2016 - 14:01
One of the things we’re working on for the new version is a set of tools for studying in a group. I won’t say too much here since it’s not done (or even started, other than discussion), but we’re working on a lot of exciting things =]
Just need to find some time to build them…. Progress is being made, though!
By Jerry August 24, 2016 - 11:00
Wow i love this site ! Love the flash cards too . Hope to get my license soon .
By Phil Erickson September 11, 2016 - 14:31
Hats off to KD7BBC – I used the flash cards and sample exams on this site to ace all three exams in one setting today! I’ve donated through PayPal, and will order a SignalStick later on. I highly recommend this method to any who are studying – stick with it, and you will succeed. Great job, 73, and keep it up!!
By Philip Miller September 12, 2016 - 10:23
Best study exam especially for its intended purpose. Constant reinforcement leads to ingrained memory commitment. I passed my first tech license in 1961. Lapsed for decades. Passing the new technician license was easy with this study guide. The Extra exam is tougher but this is clearly the best and more powerful way of passing the extra. something I always wanted when I was younger. You could apply the same technique to FAA licenses as well.
By kd7bbc September 12, 2016 - 10:32
Glad it’s useful for you! Just to make sure, are you aware that in the US if you’ve previously held a General or Extra class license all you need to do is pass your Tech again and provide proof of your prior license and you can regain your prior license.
See http://localhost:8080/2014/06/fcc-to-allow-expired-general-extra-class-operators-to-relicense-by-taking-the-tech/
(You probably already know that, but I wanted to be sure =])
By Thomas Bowie October 28, 2016 - 21:52
I got my tech, then general and am now preparing for my Extra almost exclusively with hamstudy! Once I get close I mix in a free android app… The site works great, is fun to use, easy and pleasing to interact with. Things I would like improved seem to be getting attention. Thanks so much to Hamstudy, and Icom, Signal Stuff as sponsors! And thanks so much for allowing it to be free! P.s. I am now an Icom owner among other brands…
By kd7bbc November 15, 2016 - 21:44
Hi Thomas! Congrats on passing those exams! We are working on an offline mobile app and hamstudy.org does work on mobile as well, but whatever methods you use keep up the good work!
By masjo222 November 11, 2016 - 15:03
I studied the cards for a couple days when I went to test there wasn’t one question from the cards on the test what gives am i doing something wrong
By kd7bbc November 15, 2016 - 21:42
If that’s the case then there are a few possibilities:
1. You may have studied the wrong material. Which exam are you studying? Make sure you get to the section for it by following the links on the hamstudy.org homepage and make sure you’re studying for the correct exam. If you study for the General and then take the Tech test you won’t find much =]
2. You may not have studied enough of the pool that any of the questions you studied showed up. For example, there are 426 questions in the current (2014) Tech pool and you’ll see only 35 of them on your exam; if you haven’t seen them all then you could easily have gotten a test that just happened to have a lot you hadn’t seen.
2. The VE team you took the exam from may be using outdated materials. They shouldn’t be — and the VEC needs to know about it if they are — but it could happen.
The questions we use are exactly the ones that the VEs are required to use. They are allowed to make minor wording or punctuation changes if they feel it’s necessary or even throw out questions but they have to use the same pool.
To protect against this we strongly recommend you use the practice tests periodically to see how close you are. They are realistic exams which are generated the same way that most real exams are generated. Pro tip: after you finish the exam, click/tap on the bar on the graph for the section you missed the most on and study the flashcards for just that section!
By PhtmWolf November 20, 2016 - 16:35
I have to say thank you for all your efforts and time you invest on this stuy aid site. I for one am disabled, physically and loosing my sight, your site enlarges clearly to work with my poor vision. I am in the early stages of memory memory issues, I am retaining more, love the flashcards. Keep up the GREAT work. Wish my text to speech would work better, but not you guys issue
JN