so ive been a Tech for about 8 months now and mostly been doing 2m and 70cm stuff, some APRS, the usual. my elmer keeps telling me to just go take the General exam already but honestly the HF material is kind of intimidating me. like i understand the basic electronics stuff from the Tech exam but all the propagation stuff and the band privileges and operating modes feels like a lot to absorb.

im using the HamStudy app right now and just grinding flashcards but im not sure if thats actually enough or if i should get the ARRL General book too. does anyone remember what parts of the exam actually tripped them up? the electrical stuff i feel okay about but some of the regulations questions are weird like i cant always tell what theyre actually asking.

also once you get General what HF bands should i even start on, i dont have an HF rig yet so im kind of planning ahead i guess

the exam honestly isnt that bad if youve already got Tech under your belt, a lot of the foundation stuff carries over. propagation tripped me up a little at first but once it clicks that different bands behave differently depending on time of day and solar conditions it starts to make sense. like 10m and 15m are great when the solar cycle is cooperating but right now 20m is kind of the workhorse band for most people getting started on HF.

for studying i did the ARRL book plus HamStudy and that combo worked well for me. the book gives you context for WHY something is the way it is which makes the flashcards actually stick instead of just memorizing random answers. the regulations questions are annoying i agree, just keep grinding those specifically because some of them are weirdly worded and you just kinda have to know the exact phrasing.

as for starting out on HF after you upgrade, 40m is probably where id point you first. lots of activity, good for regional contacts during the day and longer stuff at night, and a basic dipole works fine to get started. dont overthink the antenna situation early on.

i just upgraded like two months ago so this is still pretty fresh for me. honestly the thing that got me was the question pool is just big and some of the questions feel almost identical until you read them carefully. i probably spent like 3 weeks doing practice exams on HamStudy every day before i felt confident and ended up passing with only two wrong so it works.

the HF privileges thing is exciting but also kind of overwhelming when you actually get there lol. i picked up a used Icom 718 and just kind of jumped in on 40m SSB and it took a few weeks before i wasnt completely lost. the bands feel alive in a way 2m repeaters dont if that makes sense