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Went to do my ham license upgrade last evening, I was grandfathered from Tech to General since I got Tech back in 1985 (general written test) and never let the license lapse, Took the Extra class test while there and passed it!!!!...

Just got back from taking my tech test. 33 out of 35 right. Now to play the waiting game. Watch the FCC website for your license to be published. " Your operating authority begins when your license grant information appears on the amateur service licensee database of the Universal Licensing System."...

The Baofeng radios are just ok. Not great. Their receivers are like barn doors and will be interfered with by any strong signal nearby. Mine is sensitive to my wifi signals on certain frequencies. To properly program them you need a Baofeng cable to attach the to your computer. Be aware that there are some low quality fake/clones on the market. The radios can be programmed manually but it's an onerous process. The programming disk that came with my cable was totally useless. Would do nothing but flash "Baofeng" intermittently. I downloaded the "chirp" (http://chirp.danplanet.com) program and after I found the proper installer.exe file I was able to complete the programming. Now the radio hears all the repeaters within a reasonable distance but accessing them with the tiny antenna and low power is hit and miss. An optional antenna is recommended...

Need more info: Brand of radio, does it need to be programed, what band/s does it cover. etc. Hopefully it came with a user's manual to help out. Also do you have your ticket/ham license yet? Go to repeaterbook.com and you can find out what frequencies are active in your area. Remember that repeaters work with 2 frequencies, 1 input and 1 output. You transmit on the input and the repeater transmits on the output. The spacing is different depending on which band. Repeaterbook.com will give you needed info to set up with. Make sure you enter the PL/CTCSS code listed for the repeater. You can usually find on-line groups discussing the ins and outs of your type of equipment also I'm learning again too. Just getting back into the hobby after a lengthy absence. My goodness equipment has changed in the interim. My recent purchase of a Baofeng 2 band HT was/is a learning experience. All my other equipment is from the 70s and early 80s and does not require programming. I kind of dropped out when all the repeaters started requiring PL tones for access. My older stuff didn't have the capability. I will remedy that problem soon too...I hope...