Mike,
Although I am not into Ham Radio myself, I found a website that sells manuals that may be helpful.
Check it out at:
https://fairradio.com/manuals/
Depending on whether it's a license exam study manual, or a book detailing
a particular mode of the hobby, there can be quite a selection of them. There are several ham radio vendors in the US and overseas, that have a wide choice of publications.
With the license exam study manuals, the question pools and exams (for the
US and its territories) change every 4 years, with technology and rules changes, etc. There are also websites that have the Question Pools online,
so you don't have to buy a study guide. Normally, once you buy a study guide, it's YOURS...no refunds...and it becomes useless after the 4 year cycle ends.
With HamTestOnline (
https://www.hamradiolicenseexam.com), they are always updating the site to be sure that only the current question pools are on
there. With the questions, unless they have been withdrawn by the National Council Of Volunteer Examiner Coordinators (NCVEC), there is a CHANCE that
ANY of them will appear on the particular license exam.
With HamTestOnline, there's a 6 month subscription, with the price based
on which US exam you're going for (Technician, General, or Amateur Extra).
The site is all web browser based, with NOTHING to download or install.
The neat thing is that they not only cover the questions, but they also
cover the concepts (why the answer IS what it is)...so, you're actually learning something, and not just memorizing answers.
When you get to 80% studying, start taking practice tests. When you
start scoring 85% or better consistently, then you are READY to take
the exam, and likely will pass.
However, after adequate study time (I don't recommend more than 2 hours
a day, or you'll get burned out), and practice tests...if you still FAIL
the exam, send them proof of the failure (the examiner team can supply
such documentation), and they will cancel your subscription, and refund
your money.
In short, you either get your ham radio license, or your money back...
you can't lose. As noted, once you buy a study guide, there are no
refunds.
I used them for just over a month from mid-July to mid-August back in 2007...studying 2 hours a day for 2 weeks. After passing the General
exam (it wasn't around when I first got licensed in 1991), they asked
me if I wanted to go for the Amateur Extra, and I said "Yes, but not
today". So, it was back to studying 2 hours a day for 2 weeks. When
I took the Amateur Extra test, I barely passed it, but "a win by 1 is
as good as a win by 10".
In short, it was the best money I ever spent in ham radio.
Daryl, WX4QZ
... I CQ. Therefore, I HAM. -- DE WX4QZ
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