Rating: 
Summary: This Is The Book You Need!
Review:
Future Amateur Operator:
I purchased both this (Now You're Talking) and "Amateur Radio for Dummies." I only had time to read "Now You're Talking" before the next ham test. I read, studied and passed the first time through. Believe me, if I can do it, you can. In this book, you will find all the questions that make up the test.
Make sure you get the 5th edition. It features the latest pool of questions.
Sure, you can go online and take practice exams, but nothing beats actually understanding the answers. Get this book!
Good luck on the exam!
Joe, KE5CLJ
Rating:
Summary: Easy to read
Review: "Now You're Talking!" is an excellent self-prep guide for the tecnician exam. It breaks up the theoretical elements into digestible chunks and provides a wealth of background material. The result is you'll pass the exam AND have a practical base of understanding. (In comparison, some of the aviation written exam books I've worked with are only good enough to get you past the written exam.)The electronics theory is clear and to the point - college textbooks would benefit from this approach. Also highly useful is some explanation on why certain regulations are in place. (This is another area where the aviation guides have lacked.)
One area of improvement would be inclusion of some mnemonics for the frequencies each class of license is privileged to use. Overall, this is well-done!
Rating: 
Summary: You will get your license, and you will know how to use it.
Review: For those not in the mood to hear my life story, I will summarize this review:
*** Overall I recommend this book because it got the job done, but I cannot offer a comparison as I have never read any other book on the subject. ***
I am a man of fairly high intelligence which suffers from Attention Deficit Disorder (no, A.D.D. is not always a sham to line the pockets of pharmaceutical companies).
While reading this book I encountered the expected level of boredom considering the subject matter (I am easily bored if the subject is not being applied at the time of its reading) however, I was still able to adequately absorb the necessary knowledge. As you go along, the book refers you to sets of questions from the Question Pool. This is a good way to memorize the correct answers. It is a bit of a pain flipping to the back of the book every 20 minutes but you get used to it.
The Question Pool consists of the same exact questions you will be asked on your exam. After reading the book I set about to complete the entire Question Pool, I did so with about an 80% average which is more than necessary to pass. Along the way I noted answers of question I got wrong for later study. After completion of the Question Pool, I studied the answers I got wrong, and proceeded to go about taking my real exam.
I got 1 out of 30 of the exam questions incorrect; it seemed my study of the Question Pool had paid off. I recommend studying the Question Pool shortly before your exam date. I definitely over studied, the one question I got wrong was a fluke.
Afterward I knew exactly which one I got wrong and what the right answer was supposed to be, without looking at the test. I was also by far the first person to finish the exam. I was confident enough that I took no time to look over my answers.
I read the book within 7 days, and I studied the Question Pool within 2 days prior to my exam. I am a slow reader and I spent a considerable amount of time on it. Any avid reader will run through the book in a similar amount of days, and probably spend half the time I did on each day.
Sorry if this review was too long or contained information irrelevant to the subject.
Rating:
Summary: a Wonderful intro to ham Radio
Review: I approached getting a Ham Technician license with trepidation. Surely they would be asking me all kinds of overly technical, jargon filled questions. Reading this book put my mind at ease and guided me through everything I needed to know. Within a few weeks, I was scoring high on practice tests and a week later I got my license. No sweat, no worries. Unlike some of the other books to help you pass a test, this book actually teaches you the subject. It is well layed out and easy to understand. I'll be ordering the rest of this series for General and Extra soon! (no, I'm not actually 1 year old - I just refuse to generate a login to leave a review)
Rating:
Summary: This is the Best Book To Get You On The Airwaves!!!
Review: I first started getting into Ham Radio about a year ago. I picked up this book and started reading. You don't need to read all of the text- I skipped a few chapters and just worked on the test questions and answers. It must work- I whipped through the test packet like it was going out of style and didn't miss any questions- I can't wait to get started with Morse Code(CW) and the General Class License!!!!!!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Tech License in Two Weeks
Review: I tried Clay Laster's book and found it to be useless (see my review elsewhere). So I picked up this ARRL book in anticipation of taking an 8 week Tech course through a local ham radio club for Element 2. I spent about an hour a night with this book, worked through all the questions and answers. In conjunction with web-based practice tests (www.wvara.org, www.eham.net or other locations -- these are free and invaluable for practice) after 2 painless weeks I found a local VEC site and took the test last Sunday. Passed with a 100% score! I felt so confident, that I decided to try the General exam (Element 3) the same morning and passed that one too (although not with such a stellar result). I don't have to take the tech course now, and credited the fee toward club membership. Bottom line -- ARRL knows the tests inside and out. They've been publishing license guides for years, they administer the tests, and they write the manuals so that they can be easily understood -- they don't introduce jargon or advanced concepts/information until the basics have been presented. Although I already passed the General theory test, I am working my way through ARRL's General license guide -- to make sure I know what I'm supposed to. And studying Morse for Element 1 so I can get my General license. I've already picked up the ARRL licensing guide for Amateur Extra (Element 4) and hope to get there by the summer.
Rating:
Summary: All you need for a Tech license
Review: My wife and I both used this book to study for the Technician class exam... and we both passed. My wife is not particularly technically oriented, and was able to grasp the topics presented in the book without any trouble. If you are interested in joining the ham radio ranks to communicate with people around the world, to experiment with radio equipment, or just to chat with local hams, this book will get you started. It explains all the questions in the Technician question pool, and contains a list of all the questions you need to know as well as the answers. Everything you need to know to get started is inside.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent way to enter ham radio.
Review: This book is exactly right for someone who wants to become a ham radio operator. This book does two things. It is a self study course that will allow you to pass the Technician level FCC test. It is also a general introduction to all of ham radio, covering the highlights of all that can be done in amateur radio. It has just the right level of sophistication to give a good understanding of all facets of amateur radio but does not get into such extreme detail that it is overwhelming. The technical level is just right as well. I used an earlier version of this text to study for my amateur radio license (KD4TTC). Even though I studied for the Technician license I was able to pass the written portion of the test for the General license class. However, to get to know Morse code, needed for working the frequencies that will get around the whole globe, you will need to find a way to practice receiving Morse code. While this book won't teach you Morse, you will learn from the book how to go about learning it if you want to. (As an aside, I was not interested in international communications back then, so I skipped that aspect of the hobby. I will be learning Morse this year and will upgrade. There is plenty to do with amateur radio without Morse code, so don't let any disinterest or fear of Morse stop you from becomming a Ham. The book explains all this). I have not yet come across any aspect of ham radio that was not described at least in overview in this book. I may not know details of lots of aspects of all that is ham radio, but I have not come across anything in Ham radio that I was not introduced to in this book. You can expect that after reading this book you will be able to pass the Technician license exam, you might even be able to pass the General license written portion, you will have learned how to learn Morse, you will be able to decide what equipment you will need and where to find it, you will be able to set up your station and safely operate it, you will know correct and responsible operating procedures, and you will learn about all the different types of communications you can do so you will pick the most enjoyable aspects of the hobby for yourself. I have given this book to friends so they can become hams. It works well for that purpose. I came here to buy a copy for yet another potential ham and found myself writing this long review. I am not really that avid of an amateur operator, but I am really enthusiastic about this book because it was such a fun and painless way to learn what I needed to know to get into ham radio. Buy the book.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Learning Tool
Review: This book is great for acing your first exam and getting your technician license. I studied out of this book and did great on the test. I would highly recommend this for anyone who plans on taking the test or is just interested in what ham radio is all about. -KD7WNE
Rating:
Summary: Good resource, could use some editing
Review: This is a good learning guide and I think it will be all I need to get my first Ham Radio license. In addition, it has a lot of technical info that is useful in setting up a ham radio station. My only criticism is that the book has too much information (often repeated) on the social and hobby aspects of ham radio. Not that I don't appreciate this trivia and fun info, it's just that it is mixed in with the technical data that you need to pass the FCC test. As a result, I think you need to study and retain a lot more information.
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