1/8/09
Their will be a Class for the General Class Licence starting January 17th. It will be held for 4 Saturdays including one for testing, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 in room 7 at the EITC, John Sessions building. The class on January 24 may be moved to the Idaho Falls Central Stake building on Jenne Lee because of setting up for the preparedness fair being held later that day. The study book is $20. If you need further info contact Steve Taylor, Rich Rankin, or Bob Farrow.
New Ham Operator Licensing
For the latest information on upcoming training classes, please contact Steve Taylor (KC7IHV) at [email protected]
Amateur radio operators must be licensed because they are given transmitting privileges on a wide variety of frequencies and are allow to use just about any equipment imaginable, even home built radios. Amateurs are allotted not single specific frequencies but usually whole ranges (bands) of different frequencies to operate on. These frequencies and methods of transmission are are specified by FCC rules and so it is therefore necessary to be generally familiar with your operating limitations in order to transmit lawfully.
In order to qualify for an amateur radio license, you must pass certain tests to determine that you have the required knowledge. Fortunately, the tests are not terribly difficult for most people. There are three license levels (known as classes) where each class grants greater privileges to the individual. There is a single written test for each license class. The license classes are:
- Technician Class - this is the entry level license. It gives privileges on all amateur frequencies above 50 Mhz and is the most popular. It requires only a written test.
- General Class - this is the mid-level license. It enables privileges on most amateur frequencies below 50 Mhz and includes global HF (shortwave) communications. It has its own written test.
- Extra Class - this is the highest level license. It grants privileges on all amateur frequencies. It has its own written test and requires that you also have passed all of the Technician and General class written tests.