[Spud6]

That’s awesome Hoot. I randomly got a Baofeng UV/5RA for Christmas and have watched YouTube videos extensively since Christmas on ham radio. Pretty interesting thing to get into and I started studying for my test for my tech license also. But with Covid no where around me doing any types of testing right now so I don’t know when I’ll be able to take it

That's a tough break getting interested in the hobby at a time that you can't take the license exam. There are many branches of the hobby and there are a lot of activities that you could choose to participate in to learn while you wait to become licensed. Depending on where you live, there may be an active ham radio club in your area that is using Zoom, Skype, etc, for meetings. I belong to the Virginia Wireless Society, which is a pretty large club in northern Virginia. There is a Lake Cumberland club (LCARA) that posts about club activities on Youtube pretty frequently. My guess is that most clubs would welcome you before you get your license because of the COVID situation. There are small local clubs spread throughout the country.

In fact, if you become active in a club, the members may be able to administer the test for you. Testing is done by volunteer organizations that are approved by the FCC. Many clubs include members who are Volunteer Examiners. Most clubs are affiliated with the ARRL, so that would be the first place to check for clubs in your area.

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is a great source of information (ARRL) for the hobby.

I will post additional details about the hobby in this thread.

I’m in Pikeville, KY. Have asked just about everyone I know about a club in my area but haven’t been able to find one in Pikeville or around Pikeville. I’ve currently programmed my Baofeng to monitor a repeater that is near by me but only hear a couple things here and there throughout the day. Doesn’t seem to be too active. But I can’t wait till I get my license so that I can transmit on the airwaves and try building up the community around me.