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The Beginner's Handbook of Amateur Radio 4th Edition

by Clay Laster (Author)
3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 13 ratings
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Essential A-to-Z Ham Radio Guide

The revised edition of the most trusted guide in ham radio is here just in time to help you pass the new No-Code Technician Class exams! Used by thousands of ham operators to set up their first shortwave transmitters and to get their licenses, Clay Laster's Beginner's Handbook of Amateur Radio, Fourth Edition delivers all the guidance you need -- from radio and electronics fundamentals needed to set up a transmitter to the newest equipment to revisions to the Federal Communications Commission rules and tests. If you want to communicate over the airwaves both locally and globally and listen in on conversations heard by very few, take this book home, and it will take you into the realm of communication, new friends, good times, and technical mastery beyond your dreams.

You get:
Understandable instruction in wave propagation, power supplies, and electronic circuits
Complete study guide for getting your Novice Operator or No-Code Technician Class licenses
Study hints for preparing for FCC exams
Shortwave operator's do's-and-don't's, practices and procedures
Appendix packed with 250 sample examination questions and answers

Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. ISBN-10
    1590386272
  2. ISBN-13
    978-1590386279
  3. Edition
    4th
  4. Publisher
    McGraw-Hill/TAB Electronics
  5. Publication date
    November 28, 2000
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    6.9 x 1.52 x 8.9 inches
  8. Print length
    448 pages
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

This revised edition of the most trusted guide in all of ham radio is here just in time to help you pass the new No-Code Technician Class exams!

Used by thousands of ham operators to understand and set up their first shortwave transmitters, and to get their licenses--Clay Laster's Beginner's Handbook of Amateur Radio is the proven way to start sending from your own set. Complete Get-Hamming and Get-Your-License Kit. You don't need any special training or skills to begin. All you need is this book! Clay Laster explains radio and electronics fundamentals needed to set up a transmitter and become a licensed "ham" operator from the ground up. Reflecting both the newest equipment and revisions to the Federal Communications Commission rules and tests, this guide gives anyone interested in amateur radio:

*An exciting introduction to shortwave--used for round-the-world fun and communications, for emergency and disaster signaling, and, yes, still used by spies
*All the guidance you need to become a ham radio operator
*A mini-course in electronics, focused on radio fundamentals
*Understandable instruction in wave propagation, power supplies, and electronic circuits
*Complete study guide for getting your Novice Operator or No-Code Technician Class licenses*Study hints for preparing for FCC exams
*Recent FCC RF Safety Rules and Guidelines
*384 FCC Technician Class Question Pool with Answers
*Shortwave operator's do's-and-don't's, practices and procedures

If you want to communicate over the airwaves both locally and globally, and listen in on conversations heard by very few--if you want to launch your own ham radio station and earn a coveted FCC license, you've picked the very best place to start. Take this book home, and it will take you into the realm of communication, new friends, good times, and technical mastery beyond your dreams.

About the Author

An electronics engineer and college instructor, Clay Laster, W5ZPV, has been an avid ham radio operator for more that 46 years. He holds the Amateur Extra Class License and the FCC General Radiotelephone Operator's License.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0071361871
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ McGraw-Hill/TAB Electronics; 4th edition (November 28, 2000)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 448 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1590386272
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1590386279
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.27 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.9 x 1.52 x 8.9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.8 3.8 out of 5 stars 13 ratings

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Clay Laster

Clay Laster

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Customer reviews

3.8 out of 5 stars
3.8 out of 5
13 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Roy L. Patterson
5.0 out of 5 stars Amateur Radio
Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2012
Verified Purchase
It you are interested in Ham Radio and getting you first License, this is the book for you.
Even if you don't know anything about Ham Radio and not sure if you want to get involved, this is also the book for you. The only out dated part of the book is where Clay tells you that you need to learn Code to past the exam. The FCC and waved the code requirement, so you forget about that section. Almost everything in the book is useable now.
One person found this helpful
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KS4RT
3.0 out of 5 stars Good book, but a little outdated!
Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2010
Verified Purchase
I really enjoyed this book, but Amateur Radio has changed lots since 2001!

Biggest change? The FCC does not require morse code at all, for any license class, not even Amateur Extra Class! More priviledges have also been granted to lower class licensees, neither of which are covered in the 2001 edition I purchased!

Still a great book if you can get it at a good price!
One person found this helpful
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robert Hazelrigg
1.0 out of 5 stars I would not recommend this book to someone who is new to the ...
Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2014
Verified Purchase
I would not recommend this book to someone who is new to the hobby or without some understanding of electronics.It is definitely not "THE BEGINNER'S HANDBOOK OF AMATEUR RADIO".
The initial few chapters dealing with radio communications theory and principles of electricity and magnetism are easy enough for a beginner but the author soon forgets who he writing for in subsequent chapters. As an example the author describes a zener-follower regulator as follows:
"the output voltage,Vout, is determined by the zener diode reference voltage,Vp less the base-emitter junction voltage Vse.
This junction voltage is approximately 0.3 volts for germanium transistors and 0.7 volt for silicon transistors."
I doubt very much if a beginner is interested in this much information.
This book is OK for one who already knows the basics of the hobby (maybe as a superficial review).
But a true novice should not spend time or money with this book.
4 people found this helpful
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David P. Richards
5.0 out of 5 stars The Beginner's Handbook of Amateur Radio
Reviewed in the United States on November 9, 2010
Verified Purchase
The book arrived in perfect condition and well worth the investment. I have been enjoying learning new stuff, even though I have been a ham for many years. It is well written and understandable. Thanks for a beautiful copy.
KA@YDS
One person found this helpful
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Sylvia
5.0 out of 5 stars Great reference
Reviewed in the United States on July 25, 2013
Verified Purchase
Covers all the material needed to pass the Technician exam, easy to understand, reasonably priced. Good basic text for beginners.
One person found this helpful
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gene kelley
5.0 out of 5 stars nice copy
Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2013
Verified Purchase
interesting reading, always wanted one of theses books, am going to get into this amateur radio hobby, sounds like fun.
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Bruce Appelbaum
2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing
Reviewed in the United States on January 15, 2002
To challenge myself, I decided to study in order to take the Technician amateur radio operating license exam. I picked up this book, which bills itself as a complete source of information. Not so.
Despite the fact that the book is in its 4th edition, it is poorly edited. Information jumps from basic to full jargon in the same paragraph, without any definition of the new terms used. Much of the information on the basics of electric circuits and electronics seems to be pulled from an electronics text.
I'm an engineer, but not an electrical engineer. It's been years since I studied electric circuits and this book did little to refresh my memory. The information on FCC regs is sparse -- the complete Part 97 is not included. The question pool for the multiple choice Tech exam is included, but only the letter answers are provided without any explanation of the answers (leaving the reader to try to find the information in the rest of the book).
I'll look to another source to help prepare for the exam.
27 people found this helpful
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April Brown
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2016
Verified Purchase
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Top reviews from other countries

Capt Duracell
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 24, 2018
Verified Purchase
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J. H. G. Edwards
4.0 out of 5 stars Very good introduction to Amateur Radio bearing in mind that this ...
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 2, 2015
Verified Purchase
Very good introduction to Amateur Radio bearing in mind that this book was written for an American audience which has some implications relating to mains voltage and frequency, and also FCC regulations regarding permissible transmitting frequencies and power.
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