GROL+RADAR book & software Perfect Paperback – October 15, 2009

I purchased this book recently as I am looking to get my GROL+RADAR license. After 30 years in Information Technology and an electronics hobbyist even longer (I have also been an amateur radio operator for 25 years), I am looking at a career change and the GROL is the ticket into the commercial field of electronics. I have used Gordon West's study guides in the past with great success and this book is no different. So far, I have gotten 3/4 of the way through Element 1 and, just for fun, took two different online practice exams which I passed. So I am definitely retaining the material. I will be updating this review as I progress and ultimately pass the exam.I have only one minor complaint that is not a show stopper. I wish the book came spiral bound instead of perfect bound or was at least offered in a spiral bound option. While perfect bound is more durable and not subject to pages coming loose and falling out, the book does not lie flat on the desk and it makes it a bit difficult for me to cover the answers as I study. Otherwise I think the book is great.Update 1: I took the element 1 and 8 exams today (I want to focus exclusively on element 3 next without worrying about the other elements) and passed both with 100%. Using this book in combination with practice sites on the web is a great way to learn the material. I want to not only know the answers but the reason for the answers and that is where this book comes in. Frankly, if you just want to know the answers and not the theory behind the answer then this book is probably not for you. But if you want to know the formulas and the reasons a particular answer is correct then this is the book to get. I expect to post another update once I pass element 3.Update 2: I took element 3 in November 2014 and passed with a 99 out of 100. The one question I missed I actually got right on my scratch paper but I selected the wrong letter answer on the test sheet. The proctor commented to me that I was one of the best prepared testers she had ever had. I highly recommend this book.

This is a must for studying for your GROL. Use it with online studies.

The software is pretty primitive, and there is no Mac OS X edition. The good news is that the software is so primitive that it works pretty well on OS X via Wine. There are a few font-size and dialog-size issues, but you can get through the sample tests pretty well if you overlook the cosmetic issues. It looks like a DOS app that was minimally ported to Windows.The book itself is formatted poorly. You really can't look at the questions without seeing the correct answer. If they had put the correct answer in the margin, you could cover the answers with a piece of paper as you work through the book. Or, if they had put the correct answer down a line or two below the last sample answer, you could have covered it similarly. As it is, the "A" (or B or C or D) is on the same line as the last sample answer and it is jammed right up against the end of the sentence.I didn't really want the software, but since you can't use the book to test your knowledge, I had to go ahead and get it.The ideal package would be the "Plain-English Study Guide for the General Radiotelephone Operator License" plus printed flash cards for the test questions, but that doesn't exist.

***** 5 Stars with no reservations, for this OUTSTANDING FCC Exam Prep-Study Guide for the General Radio Operator License Exam. It includes ALL the Question Pools for Elements 1,3 & 8. (Basic & intermediate level Electronics; Radar Repair & Required knowledge of the FCC Maritime & Aviation Radio regulations) The book not only supplies the answers to every question, it goes a step further and explains the reason for why the answer given is the correct one. Sometimes, these explanations are just a paragraph, other times they can be quite extensive and detailed. The Book also supplies a lot of useful supplementary information for those who are interested in a career as a Marine or Aviation Technician. Included in the package are two CD-ROMS. One CD covers the relevant CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) as they pertain to Radio Repair & Operation in the Marine & Aviation Fields. The second CD-Rom contains FCC GROL practice exams, with special features, such as the software can tell what areas you are weak in and therefore need more study time on. Overall, I have to say that Gordon West & the W5YI Group really produced a great product here, and it was well worth the price, of $79.95. (HINT): You generally "Get what you pay for". Peace ;-)

I had to get this book for college and i already have ham radio license, and the general radio telephone operator, GROL, has 600 questions in the pool, so would be hard to memorize, module one, the laws is easy and basic, for me, the radar part is an interest and in the working world makes you open for alot more jobs. The book covers all 3 of those subjects which are Fcc the general radio (GROL), element 1, element 3, and element 8 (Radar). If you are looking at this book, the new books have one for twenty bucks more and it has the practice exam CD in it. It is a very small program and I passed all my testing so far by just going through the book for explanations i didnt understand and then the practice Cd, which you can take any part of the elements and any subpart, and see which areas you are week. It is just how i learn, repetive, and it was priceless for me, passed everything by just doing what i mentioned. Very much recommend, and especially with the CD, practice tests, it is worth it, to me the CD is worth more than the book. Dont hesitate, CD!!

I am currently using this book and the software to study for my GROL test. My goal is to have the test taken by the end of October/beginning of November. The book is easy to use, has good explanations and is well laid out. I have read some comments that indicate that users would like to have a book with the answers in a column so they can be concealed while studying, I agree, but the way the accompanying explanations, drawings and photos appear on the pages make this a minor complaint. The best way to study is to use the software and grab the book whenever you run across a question you do not know. Would buy again and recommend to others. Thumbs up!