askchapo

Looking for some guidance from someone with their amateur radio ticket.

Ive been fooling around with RX SDR stuff for the last two or three years, picking up the local fuzz, weather satellites, ADS-B, my water meter RF, and the electric meter amongst other things. Im getting in to DIY my own RX antennae, ive built a few turnstile, two or three QHF for NOAA, a couple random wire antenna in my attic, colinear coax for 1090 and 978. I have the parts from a WIFI repeater that im converting to a bit higher frequency to pick up GOES images. DIY’ing my own RC filters. Im even figuring out Smith charts and antenna tuning. That shit makes my brain itch.

Im interested in getting my license to transmit, but im not interested in being part of the local radio operators group as they're a bunch of grizzled old fucks with some nasty politics. Make me look like Carl Marks in comparison. So, my question is - can someone recommend some good online self study materials? Free, paid, printable pdf, whatever idgaf. I want to learn more, but i don't know where to start. Yes, i could spend a day looking on my own as opposed to asking here, but i dont know what to weed out. Im hoping someone who already has their ticket can give me some pointers, whats worth looking at, whats worth avoiding.

Im going out on a few emergency service calls so, ill be unable to respond to anything for a few hours or more, likely. I know for certain there is at least one person with their TX license but i cant for the life of me remember whom it is. Id really love your input, and im sorry i cant remember your screenname.

Thanks in advance for any help.