Heh, Reputations are fun. I'm finally getting into amateur radio
through a guy I work with (we both work remote, he's in Maine, I'm in Wisconsin). He just passed his Extra exam. (N1BJX)

I need to set up a remote base deal with a fellow member of the Quarter Century Wireless Association (QCWA). I do their CQ100 Net on Friday, and
their Digital Net on Sunday, on D-Star, DMR, WIRES, Fusion, and D-Rats;
plus checkins via their Facebook Group, and the IM Utility in Netlogger.

To be a member, you have to have been FIRST LICENSED as an amateur radio operator anytime in 1995 or earlier (as of 2020), and are currently
licensed (the license term doesn't have to be continuous. There is the
national organization (www.qcwa.org) and several regional chapters. I was
first licensed in 1991 -- I'm a Life Member of the National Organization,
and a member of Chapter 85 in the Shreveport area. The last time I worked
HF was on the Arkansas And Missouri Railroad Memorial Day Troop Train in 2011...a YouTube video of that is on my profile on QRZ (look for WX4QZ).

for (Bad Boys Ravish Our Young Girls, But Violet Gives Willingly).

I also learned it that way. I think it was in a high school
electronics course, but I'm pretty sure I read it out of a book years before that. It was slightly different, and a whole lot more
offensive. (a different word for "R")

And, I know what it is (hi hi (in ham radio, that's known as "the telegraphers laugh)).

I'm probably going to schedule my exam for next week sometime. I'm spending about an hour a day doing a practice exam, then studying up on whatever I missed. I'm only missing 1 or 2 on any Technician's exam,
so I'm not worried about that. It's the General exam that I'm juuust squeaking by on. I need to put more work into that. :)

To really get on HF, you need the General class license. Much of what
is on the Technician exam is also on the General exam, but in more detail.
When I took the General exam, it was just after the Question Pool for it
had changed in 2007, and I thought it was a piece of cake. But, to do things like D-Star, DMR, Wires, Fusion, D-Rats, Packet, APRS, etc., a Technician license will do the job.

I picked up a RTL-SDR V3 and one of those cheap chinese HT VHF/UHF
radios to start with. Been spending a lot of time listening to local repeaters, and scanning frequencies with the SDR. I'm looking forward
to when I'll be allowed to push the button and say something :)

You can still get on as "third party traffic" right now, as long as
there's a licensed ham radio operator there to "monitor and supervise
what you do". Years ago, it could take 2 to 6 months to get your callsign
after you passed the exam...now, you can get it in as little as 1 to 2
weeks. However, they had damage in the northeast US, from a Tropical Cyclone...that cut power to the FCC, and closed a post office in the
Newington area, which kept ARRL/VEC from getting exam results. I'm not
sure if that problem has been fixed or not. ARRL had power, as they have
a full capacity generator on site.

... It works better if you plug it in.

Except if you plug the power strip into itself. :P

Daryl

... I shoot every 3rd salesperson -- the 2nd one just left.
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