Ham Radio For Dummies (For Dummies (Computer/Tech))

After passing the Technician and General exams in a short span of time I still ran across all sorts of terminology that I didn’t understand. This book is written by a ham radio operator and it gives a brief summary of most of the vocabulary, technical terms, communication protocols and the like that are present in the Technician and General exams. I checked a copy out from the library and decided that it was a book that was worth adding to my own collection. It covers everything from just being curious about ham radio to getting licensed to building up your first ham station; your “radio shack.”

I have seen the for dummies books for the past 20 years teaching every thing from Quantum Physics to basic computer theory and if it were not for the name I feel that they would be used in some of the university’s. The books tend to be better written and easier to understand the the text that are in use today. This is one that falls into that type of book Five Stars.

I’m a newbie, so was looking for a ‘dummies’ format book that was very linear and started with basics. Its utility is limited in print form, since much of what you really want to know is to found following provided links. I felt there was not enough initially on basic stuff, jargon and acronyms, and too much listing clubs and organizations and talking about what people DO with HAM radio. I guess I’d sum it all up by saying that this is a great book if you want to know what HAM radio IS, but not so much if you want a clear, linear explanation of how HAM radio WORKS. Everyone’s learning style is different, so this review is even more subjective than most. But I appreciate the breadth of information and effort that the author put into it. Thus the 4***

Good for newbies like me.

Like most Dummie books it does a good job of presenting information in a easy to understand format using everyday language. Most of the reference books assume a basic knowledge of electronics and are written at too high a level for beginners.

I got this for a friend, and looking through it, I think this is likely the best one-stop hard copy resource for the deep rabbit hole of ham radio. It's impressively comprehensive, going beyond the basics for the license exam.

I have to admit that I’m a sucker for these “For Dummies” books when it comes to a subject that I don’t know much about. The books are laid out so well that every page contains multiple important “nuggets” of information. Before you know it, you’ll find yourself halfway through the book and THEN you can claim to be an “EXPERT” (online anyway) in whichever subject you’ve selected!

I bought the book for “dummy’s”. Sadly the book kind of made me feel like a dummy after a few chapters which left me realizing that the author wrote this with the expectation of the reader to certainly have some HAM radio knowledge before having read the book. 😕

Informatif

This book is very informative loads of tips and answers a lot of questions

These " BOOKS FOR DUMMIES" have been written for the most part in language that is better understood to the Average Person. You can buy Instruction Books on Ham Radio that are written using more Technical and Scientific language, suitable more for those people with a Phd Degree.

Written for the American market, but technically relevant to Hams worldwide

The basics are there. The author explains a lot of concepts at a "Dummy" level, which is entirely appropriate in this series of books. However, ALL of the licensing info is completely irrelevant for Canadians. It focuses on U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations and requirements, and American Radio Relay League (ARRL) supports and examinations. We really need a book like this, or at least the licensing portion, for Canadian (and other) users.