I passed my General. I’m excited because I had a chance to learn a whole lot more about what happens inside an ionosphere where everyone is crowded inside a tiny little hat. That’s pretty cool. I like learning about the constraints and how folks coordinate!
I used the ARRL book to study, practice and pass. I also used the Android apps by Roy Watson to confirm and self-test what I learned. I really recommend Roy’s apps, they are free and useful. They are about as buggy as the Android operating system they run on, so don’t be surprised if you learn how to “Force Quit” in Android while using it. :)
All that being said, I’m taking my time on learning what I’d want to do for HF. There’s a lot to consider when building out HF antenna infrastructure, and while I have the space to build it, I need to consider what my neighbors will be agreeable to and the general safety of the home. In the mean time, I’m exploring HF via WebSDR. Obviously, that’s a copout for having my own infrastructure, but I’ll get there. I don’t like to drill or dig until I have a plan.
Moving on to Extra! I don’t have much need for the spectrum allotments Extra provides at the moment, but I’ll be able to help out the local club by being a voulenteer examiner for wider exam range and relieve others who need their precious Saturday time back. This is also probably the only time I’ll have free to study for the Extra, so I’m making use of it while I can!