[simondanerd]

So a bit of background - generally techy young guy who's done a bit of everything from web development to getting deep into LFS/remixing Arch Linux to rock climbing and shooting. I was trained as a 25U Signal Support Specialist in the US Army and got my first dip into RF communications there, though we focused primarily on using the systems, not necessarily the theory behind them.

Fast forward a couple years, and I was told to study for and take a test to become certified and get into HF as there were a slew of contests coming up I could help out with (Winter field day, state QSO party, etc.) Coincidentally, I was asked to teach a class for my company and spearhead radio maintenance for the unit the same day I got my Technician license, which, after doing a week-long deep dive into the FCC's test, helped a lot.

So yes, I am now certified as a Technician in the US (Callsign KR4AUW, [1]) and am working on upgrading to General class at the end of the month. It's been good to get back into radio stuff after being focused on an IT help desk, and nearly 100% of the material carries over to better job performance. Plus it's a good hobby, and it's shown me what valuable training is out there, primarily RACES, SKYWARN, and the FEMA incident response method.

[1]: https://kr4auw.us