TECHNICIAN LICENSE CLASS INFORMATION

Ham Radio Classes

Sponsored by the Tri-State Amateur Radio Society

The first class will be February 10, 2007

License testing on April 28

Open to anyone, any age.

The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual

This will be our textbook and study guide.

This book is available at several locations. List price is $24.95.

The ARRL online catalog at www.arrl.org/catalog

The HAM STATION located at the corner of Fulton and Franklin Avenues in Evansville
(220 N. Fulton Ave.)

They have a web page www.hamstation.com

Online at Barns & Noble

Other books you might find helpful for this class and after you get your license are:

On the Air with HAM RADIO. The how to do it book.

Understanding Basic Electronics. Get a good start on fundamentals.

There are several other study guides, videotape courses and CD’s available at the ARRL Catalog Section at www.arrl.org/catalog

More publications will be discussed in the class that you can obtain once you are licensed.

Class requirements:
Class will meet on Saturday mornings from 9:00am until Noon for each of 7 consecutive weeks starting March 11^th, 2006.
You will be required to have the The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual  prior to class. These are readily available at several locations.
Two or more may use the same book if you desire (husband and wife for example)
You will need a notebook for class notes, a couple of #2 pencils with erasers, an ink pen and possibly a highlighter. A ruler may come in handy for making neat drawings.
A pocket calculator will come in handy for a few of our sessions. We old timers can use a slide rule if you want.
You will be given homework and are expected to do a lot of reading and studying on your own. Class time will be to organize topics and discuss material covered in the book.

It will not be as easy as showing up, taking a few notes and taking the test, however attendance is not mandatory to take the exam. The exam is open to anyone who wants to take it once a month whether they have had a class or not.

If enough interest is given, a help session will be available from Noon until 1pm on class days for individual assistance.

On April 28^th, testing will be offered for those who wish to try for their Technician License. We usually have a high percentage of people to pass on their very first try.

For the test you will need the following with you.

A payment of $14.00

Two forms of identification; one must be a photo ID with a current photo.

What we will study
If you have put off getting your ham license because you thought you would have to learn a lot of complicated radio and electronics theory, pages after pages of rules and regulations, Morse code, or a lot of complicated math, or if you thought you would have to purchase thousands of dollars of radio equipment, RELAX.

The entry level TECHNICIAN license is an entry-level license that does not require all of this.

You will learn enough to get your first license and get on the air to begin enjoying the many facets of amateur radio. You will earn enough privileges to effectively communicate over a wide area with new friends. You can participate in emergency radio nets or weather nets, assist the community in emergencies or disasters, experiment with amateur television, talk to satellites or the international space station, and many other fascinating topics. You will have enough privileges to keep you very interested. You can communicate using voice, data, amateur TV, packet, and many other exciting modes on many frequency bands.

In class we will study basic electronics and radio theory. There is some math, but you won’t find it too hard. We will discuss the rules of operating a ham station legally and safely.

You will learn how to build your own antennas if you wish, with nothing more expensive than some wire. You will learn about propagation and what happens to those radio signals when they leave your antenna. You will learn how to get the most out of every watt. Would you believe you could communicate with another ham across the country or in other parts of the world with less than 5 watts? That you can build a transmitter and receiver to communicate with other hams for less than $100? You will learn about all this in class.

You will learn the proper operating technique and rules of the road. You will learn proper procedures for using our wide area repeater networks, how to make a call, how to identify your station, how to use portable hand held units, mobile units and base stations.

You will always know what topics will be covered at the next class session to give you plenty of time to study and read.

In Ham Radio, we have people known as Elmer’s. Elmer is the name given to a ham that helps people get started in the hobby. He teaches them the ropes and the tricks of the trade. He is available to answer questions and help you with problems. Amateurs love to help each other. We have many Elmers in our community waiting to help you, so you are not alone trying to figure it all out.

To keep costs down, it was decided not to offer donuts or refreshments at these sessions.

I will try to have a coffeepot going and there are drink machines in the break area. We will take breaks during the sessions. Breakfast will be on your own prior to class starting.

A note on equipment:
For the Technician Class license, you can get on the air with as little as a handheld radio.

Several excellent choices are available for about $200. You may opt to buy a mobile rig that has more power and features. Here are some suggestions for your first rig:

If you can afford it, buy a dual band radio. They are not that much more and will give you more flexibility. A two meter single band FM radio is basic to get on the air.

New equipment:
The Yaesu FT 60 hand held is an excellent dual band rugged radio. It will serve you for years to come.. It is about $200 with charger and antenna. Many other brands are available with different features. Handhelds are portable, but limited to 5 watts or less.

There are several Mobile rigs available, too numerous to mention. For your use at this level a two-meter or Dual band unit is desirable. Mobile units are larger than handhelds, but have more features and more power. Many have about 50 watts on 2 meters.

For a base unit, you are getting in to a little more money. Some have 6 meter and higher up bands that you can use with your Technician license. They have many features the smaller units do not. When you upgrade to your General Class, you already have a radio you can operate on many more bands.

Used equipment:
The market is full of used equipment. EBay, Hamfest, tailgate parties, and the used radio section of your local ham radio store to name a few. A word of caution.

Since you are new and just starting out, seek the help of an amateur already licensed before purchasing a used radio from someone you do not know. Have him help you check it out. Many used radios could have problems that would cost you more to fix than buying a new one. Your local ham radio stations often have some form of guarantee and are glad to help you decide on a purchase. They get many models in on trade and check out each and every one before offering it for sale. If you buy on EBay or from a stranger, you are often on your own.

If you purchase a used hand held, mobile or base unit for use on two meters or above, make sure it has something called a PL tone encoder. Many of our local repeaters use a PL tone to get into them. Without the PL tone, you can not access them. You will learn more about PL tones in class.

Many hams start out with a simple used transceiver and work their way up to better equipment as the budget allows. You do not need expensive equipment to start out.

Like any hobby, however, you can spend from a few dollars to many thousands of dollars if you get carried away. After all, the only difference between men and boys is the price of the toys.

Any of our local hams will usually be glad to help you choose a first radio.

If you purchase your radio before you obtain your license, overcome the temptation to use it to transmit. The FCC takes a dim view of unlicensed station operation and may hit you with some pretty stiff fines.

From US Highway 41.

From Henderson: Take US 41 North. Get off at the Lloyd Expressway East Exit.

From the north (Princeton, Vincennes)

Take US Highway 41 South. Get off at the Lloyd Expressway exit east.

From Highway 41, go east on the Lloyd Expressway to Stockwell Road.

This is the next light after Vann Avenue. Roberts Stadium is at Vann and Lloyd as a reference.

Turn right on Stockwell. The Red Cross is the white building on your right.

From I-164

Take the Lloyd Expressway West exit.

Continue West on Lloyd to Stockwell Rd.

Turn left on Stockwell. You will pass Green River Road on the way, Stockwell will be the next light.

From the Chandler-Boonville area.

Take highway 66 West, go past Green River Road to Stockwell and turn left. This will get you away from all that Green River Road mess. When you get to the light at Lloyd, go straight. The Red Cross is on your right.

From the Mt. Vernon Area

Take Hwy 66 east to Evansville where it becomes the Lloyd Expressway. Continue east to Stockwell Road. Turn right.

From the New Harmony area

Take US 62 east into Evansville where it becomes Diamond Avenue. Turn south (right) at St Joseph and continue up the hill past Mesker Zoo. Continue South to the Lloyd Expressway and turn EAST (left). Go East to Stockwell Road and turn south (right)

From 5000 feet, have the pilot fly over Lloyd and Stockwell and jump. Don’t forget to pull the cord. Watch out for the lake by the building.

See you there.

Bob Pointer
Tri-State Amateur Radio Society TARS