|
New to Ham Radio?
My Profile
Community
Articles
Forums
News
Reviews
Friends Remembered
Speak Out
Strays
Survey Question
Operating
Contesting
DX Cluster Spots
Propagation
Resources
Calendar
Classifieds
Ham Exams
Ham Links
List Archives
News Articles
Product Reviews
QSL Managers
Site Info
eHam Help (FAQ)
Support the site
The eHam Team
Advertising Info
Vision Statement
About eHam.net
|
|
You can
write your own review of the Extra Class.
|
AA4OQ
|
Rating: 4/5
|
Aug 15, 2008 08:24
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Very Usefull
|
Time owned: 3 to 6 months
|
|
This book helped me a tremendous amout! I was able to read through it a few times and thanks to his little critques of each question I was able to learn the questions and answers pretty effecently... The reason my review is only a 4 is the fact that on some of the more technical issues coverd in the book he gives you an answer but does not fully explain how that answer was reached, granted some questions may require extensive background info but I would have liked to have that info available. I will be buying ARRL's Extra manuel in a short time just so I can now go back and acctually learn how I got the answers I did on my test.
|
|
N1FFF
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Mar 7, 2008 17:27
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Great tutorial - helped me pass the test
|
Time owned: 3 to 6 months
|
Gordo helped me pass both element 3 and element 4 - I credit him with helping me get both my General and Amateur Extra classs license.
I listened to the CDs for several months while traveling to and from work for several months, and worked through many of the questions in the accompanying book.
With that effort, combined with many hours of drilling through the practice exams on QRZ.COM, I passed the tests.
Another trick - when working on the QRZ.COM tests, any time I would run into a question I could not answer I would look it up in the book. I'd finish the test, and then do it again till I would get 100%. Then I'd do another version of the practice test the same way.
|
|
AD7DB
|
Rating: 4/5
|
May 13, 2004 17:31
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
The book helped me make Extra
|
Time owned: 3 to 6 months
|
I used just the Gordon West Extra Class book for my study. After 2 months or so of study, I passed my exam with only 3 wrong answers. Be careful, the book has some wrong answers. On one question (at least) he gave the wrong answer letter with an explanation that was totally unrelated; it must have been meant for another question.
|
|
KB0VVK
|
Rating: 5/5
|
May 1, 2004 23:40
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
book&tapes
|
Time owned: 6 to 12 months
|
I used the book and tapes too pass the Extra test also used the ARRL book
His Light and easy way of talking on the tapes makes a dull subject interesting.
|
|
WB6SAT
|
Rating: 4/5
|
May 17, 2002 00:00
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Pretty good book, but..
|
Time owned: 3 to 6 months
|
Both I and my wife have used the book for study up through Extra class. She is just about done with her's. She found at least one incorrect answer, (E2C08), in her book, ... the one which expires on July 2002.
Never-the-less, we like the layout and presentation.
|
|
KG4PWC
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Feb 28, 2002 18:28
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Very Helpful
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
|
I passed all the exams from Technician to Extra in less than 5 months. The Gordon West texts were easy to use especially since I only had 15-30 minutes of study time per day. The ARRL books did help in filling in the details left out by Gordon West Books. The Jerry Ziliak code tapes I found to be more useful to listen to while driving than the Gordon West tapes for the 5 wpm exam.
|
|
W7TDC
|
Rating: 2/5
|
Feb 9, 2002 22:43
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
ARRL
|
Time owned: 6 to 12 months
|
|
Ive read the Gordon West books and didnt like them. I just like the way the ARRL books are formatted. They are much better. I passed with a 48 out of 50 so id say the ARRL book works pretty well.
|
|
KG4PAI
|
Rating: 1/5
|
Feb 9, 2002 22:35
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
wrong answers!
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
I bought the Extra Class exam study book by Gordon West, sold by Radio Shack, New 3rd Ed/. and it has at least two wrong answers. Beware! Tom Kg4pai
|
|
AC7LP
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Jul 9, 2001 01:31
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
I passed with a 48/50
|
Time owned: 3 to 6 months
|
The Gordon West W5YI/NRE learning materials are great. I've used the books,software and code tapes over the last 7 months and have passed all of the Amateur and Commercial exams except for the GMDSS which I'm taking next week. I passed he 50 question Extra test 48/50 after using this book and software. I put together a $100 Small Wonder Labs PSK31 20 Meter SSB transciever over Xmas so that and that 5 WPM code test is my only explanation as to why it took me so long to pass the general test. The GROL/RADAR 150 question test were tough and these General/Extra tests were a great help in passing it.
-December 16,2000 Amateur Technician
-February 7,2001 Amateur General
-February 28 2001. Amateur Extra
-May 1,2001 Commercial GROL with Radar
- Next week GMDSS operator & Maintainer
|
|
WD4FGH
|
Rating: 5/5
|
Jun 11, 2001 18:08
|
Send this review to a friend
|
|
Good material for those with some experience.
|
Time owned: 0 to 3 months
|
Years ago I had an F.C.C. First Class ("first phone") license. It took lots of study and work to get it. Stupidly, I let it expire back in the 80's. Recently I decided to upgrade to Extra and I used Gordon West's book as the primary tool. A lot of the theory "came back" from my prior license training, but I needed help. So, at Dayton I bought this book and the ARRL's Extra Class manual as well.
The method used in the book is to take each of the questions in the pool (665 of them), list the four possible answers (one correct and three "distractors"), then explain the correct answer. The explanations are generally short and many assume some prior knowledge of amateur radio operations, regulation, and electronic theory.
For any ham thinking about upgrading I'd recommend this book with only one caveat: There may be some questions where you'd like more depth. Still, for experienced hams, it is easy for me to give it a 5.
If it leaves you scratching your head, use the ARRL's Extra Class Study Guide for the questions you need more depth on. That's what I did. The League's book is bulky and a bit hard to warm up to but makes a great reference.
Hint: In West's book, use two different color highlighter pens. Mark the correct answer in one color and highlight key words in the question and correct answer in the other color. This makes them jump into memory faster.
West has optional practice exam software (which comes bundled into a preparation "package") with the book for about $35. He also offers theory tapes, but I did not try them.
The combination of the book (with some background trips to the ARRL book) and the practice exam program works well. You can test section by section or (as I did) just bang away until you start passing practice exams. After you've been through all the sub-elements, try taking practice exams on e.Ham or QRZ.com for variety. This is a good confidence builder.
Net, I passed (just missed one question) thanks primarily to Gordon West's book and lots of practice exams. Its a good system for those of us with some experience. If you're starting from scratch (very little ham or electronics experience) the ARRL book may be better for you.
Good luck!
|
|
If you have any questions, problems, or suggestions about Reviews,
please email your Reviews Manager.
|
|
|
|
|
