The final stop on my Amateur Radio speed run was getting my Extra. I did.
I read through the ARRL Extra Class License Manual, and kept using the excellent Android apps by Roy Watson. Extra is a lot harder, and I feel like I bit off more analog circut design than I was comfortable with just reading a book. I would have learned a lot more if I had gone through the book with an oscilliscope on a bench handy.
I also took the time to get my VE badge, which I recommend everyone should do. It’s easy, and it helps.
All that being said and done, I still haven’t made an HF contact, and still don’t have any HF gear. The gear is more expensive, and requires more planning… So what I’m doing is saving money and planning with what time I have.