SMCARA Become a Ham

Would you like to be a ham radio operator?

First, you need to learn a little about the hobby and find out how to get a license!

Click [ HERE ] to link to a special section of the ARRL (The National Association for AMATEUR RADIO) called "Hello"... Celebrating 100 years of Voice over Radio Worldwide. There, you will find everything you will need to understand what this hobby is all about and where to get information about licensing.

Of course, when you are done, come back here to our site and we will help you with everything you will need to participate in ham radio activities here in Southern Maryland.

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So, What are you waiting for! GET CONNECTED with Amateur Radio today!

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Welcome to one of the most enjoyable hobbies in the world... Amateur Radio.

We want to help you become a licensed 'ham' radio operator.

Here are three easy steps in that process:

1) Contact us so that we can provide you with all the study information you will need to get your ham radio ticket

2) Attend one of our ham radio classes or read the ARRL license guide (self-study)

3) Attend one of our monthly ham radio testing sessions at the Naval Air Museum in Lexington Park

If you can't make one of our monthly meetings (4th Thursday of each month at 7:30 PM at the Naval Air Museum), then call Pete Butt (WA3UMY) at 301-862-214.

We can provide you with a copy of the applicable license guide if you can't locate one yourself.

For testing information, contact our volunteer examination coordinator (VEC):

Eric Heard (N3UH)

The pictures shown below represent just a small sample of the hundreds
of new amateur radio operators that we have licensed over the last few years:

8 August 2011

Saturday exam session nets 1 new Technician Class amateur, 2 upgrades to General, and one upgrade to Extra!

The monthly amateur radio test session held at the Patuxent River Naval Air Museum on Saturday, 8 August resulted in one new ham and several upgrades, including one to the coveted rank of Extra Class. Here are the photos of our newest ham operator and the other successful exam takers:

Lizzie Landmann is our newest amateur radio operator. Congratulations!

Allen Landmann (Lizzie's brother) upgraded to General Class. Congratulations!

Mike Marise (KK4BZT) upgraded to General Class. Congratulations!

Thomas Dulaney (KB3UBE) upgraded to Extra Class. Congratulations!

The examining team ponders whether to give Tom (KB3UBE) his CSCE

5 June 2011

Field Day exam session nets 6 new Technician Class hams, 2 upgrades to General, and one upgrade to Extra!

The amateur radio test session held at the Hollywood (Maryland) Fire Station Field Day site on Saturday, 25 June 2011 resulted in another wave of new hams. Several of the examinees were recent graduates of the just-concluded Technician Class ham radio course taught by Tom Shelton (AB3IC) at the Naval Air Museum. Each new ham also receives a free one-year membership in the St. Mary's County Amateur Radio Association. Here are the photos and new call signs (where available) of our newest ham operators:

Larry Thomas took and passed the Technician Class exam at this session. Congratulations!

Bruce Lorraine took and passed the Technician Class exam at this session. Congratulations!

Todd Watkins (KB3SHH) upgraded from Technician to General Class at this session.
Congratulations!

Robert Brookins took and passed the Technician Class exam at this session. Congratulations!

Thomas Dulaney (KB3UBE) upgraded from Technician to General Class at this session.
Congratulations!

Field Day Chairman Dan Metcalf (KB3UUN) upgraded from General to Extra Class
at this session. Congratulations!

Michael Landmann, Jr. took and passed the Technician Class exam at this session. Congratulations!

Kaylee Metcalf, a graduate of the just-completed Technician Class amateur radio course
at the Naval Air Museum, took and passed the Technician Class exam at this session.
As a course graduate, she was presented with a brand new Wouxun 2-meter hand held
radio free-of-charge courtesy of LDG Electronics. Congratulations!

Morgan Metcalf, a graduate of the just-completed Technician Class amateur radio course
at the Naval Air Museum, took and passed the Technician Class exam at this session.
As a course graduate, she was presented with a brand new Wouxun 2-meter hand held
radio free-of-charge courtesy of LDG Electronics. Congratulations!

The happy Metcalf clan - proud father Dan (who just upgraded to Extra at this test session)
stands next to his daughters Kaylee (left) and Morgan (right) who both just passed their
Technician Class exams.

11 June 2011

Latest amateur radio Technician Class graduates new crop of ham operators!

The amateur radio test session held at the Naval Air Museum on Saturday, 11 June 2011 resulted in a number of new hams including seven who completed the class and one who just came to take the test session and departed with a brand new General Class license. We have several others who will be taking the exam during the upcoming Field Day event on 25 June at the Hollywood Fire Station. Each of the successful class graduates who successfully passed their exam were given a free Wouxun 2-meter hand-held amateur radio transceiver donated by Dwayne Kincaid, WD8OYG, owner of LDG Electronics in Calvert County which manufactures and sells a complete line of automatic antenna tuners for the ham radio community. Thanks Dwayne! Each new ham also receives a free one-year membership in the St. Mary's County Amateur Radio Association. Here are the photos and new call signs (where available) of our newest ham operators:

(L-R, ham course graduate Bobby Carlson (new Technician Class license callsign KB3WET)
and his Dad, Dave Carlson (KF4FOL) who upgraded from Technician to General Class).
Bobby is holding his brand new 2-meter FM radio donated by LDG Electronics for successfully
completing the class and obtaining his amateur radio license - Congratulations!)

(Ham course graduate Rich Harris took and passed both the Technician and General
Class exams at this session. Congratulations!)

(Ham course graduate John Mountjoy took and passed the Technician Class exam
at this session and just received his new callsign KB3WDS. Congratulations!)

(Ham course graduate April Majni-Holko proudly holds her new Wouxun 2-meter HT
radio donated by LDG Electronics for passing the Technician Class exam. April just
received her new callsign KB3WDU in the mail. Congratulations!)

(Ham course graduate Len Pilkerton passed the Technician Class exam and just
received his new callsign KB3WDT in the mail. Len is shown here with his new 2-meter
handheld transceiver presented as a gift fro becoming a new ham radio operator -
Congratulations!)

(Ham course graduate Steve Fedasz took and passed both the Technician Class and
General Class license exams and just received his new callsign KB3WDQ in the mail.
Look for KB3WDQ/AG on the bands soon - Congratulations!)

(Skip Evans didn't take the ham course by did stop by on Saturday to take the exam
and left holding the certificate saying he is a brand new General Class license holder.
Congratulations Skip!)

8 May 2010

Two more graduates of Amateur Radio Technician Class pass their Technician Exam!

At the last of three amateur radio licensing sessions held in the past week, two additional technician class graduates passed their Technician Class tests and will be issued new amateur radio call signs in the next few days. The test session was held at the Naval Air Museum in Lexington Park on Saturday morning, 8 May, beginning at 10 AM. Lead examiner Eric Heard (N3UH) was assisted by fellow VE examiners Gene Talley (N3NO), Jim Smith (N3NV), Chris Aberle (KB7IAY), Vernon Gordon (KB3DXT) and Kim Wells (K3OCM).

The new hams are Jim Troan of California, Maryland and Bill Edmondson of Hollywood, Maryland. At the conclusion of the test session, Jim and Bill were presented with gifts from the SMCARA membership including a copy of the new ARRL book "Getting Started with Ham Radio", a course completion certificate a free one-year membership in the SMCARA and their CSCE certificate. The St. Mary's County Amateur Radio Association membership wish them well in their ham radio endeavors.

NOTE: Click on each picture to see high-resolution version

(L-R, ham course graduates and new hams Bill Edmondson and Jim Troan)

(Steve Speer, who passed his Technician license exam on Tuesday and received his new call,
KB3UMJ, took and passed the General exam today... Congratulations Steve!)

(Overall view of the test session given on Saturday morning at the Naval Air Museum)

4 May 2010

Another 6 graduates of Amateur Radio Technician Class pass their Technician Exam!

The list of new hams just keeps growing. As a result of the 2nd test session, held at the Lexington Park library, six more class graduates successfully passed their Technician exams and were issues amateur radio licenses for the first time. Additionally, we had one person in the class, Tom Dulaney (KB3UBD) who had his license before starting the class but wanted to know more about the hobby. Patricia Frank just barely beat the deadline (by about two days!) to renew her license. She took the class to bring herself up to date on what's happening in the hobby. She was upgraded (grandfathered) to General Class. Finally, we had one person, Charles Lumadue (KB3UHQ), who took his test a few weeks before the class was completed and successfully tested up through General. Congratulations to all!

NOTE: Click on each picture to see high-resolution version

(L-R, Instructor Tom Shelton (AB3IC), Steve Speer (KB3UMJ), Pat Frank (KB3CBQ), Gabriel Worden (KB3UMK),
Liza Recto (KB3UMH), Wendell Metcalf (KB3UMG), Harry Marotto (KB3UMF) and Frankie Riffle (KB3UMI)

(L-R, Volunteer Examiner team for this session included (L-R) Chris Aberle (KB7AIY), Jim Smith (N3NV),
Vernon Gordon (KB3DXT) and Tom Clarke (W4OKW). Not Pictured: VE team lead Eric Heard (N3UH).

1 May 2010

First 8 graduates of Amateur Radio Technician Class pass their Technician Exam!

The first of three exams sessions in one week were held on Saturday morning, 01 May 2010, at the Naval Air Museum in Lexington Park to begin testing the recent graduates of the latest Amateur Radio Technician Class held at the Lexington Park library. A total of seven Technician Class exams were given at this session (one to a non-class participant) and everyone easily passed and will receive new licenses. One class member, Ellen Bierline, regained a Technician license after her previously earned Technician license expired. Since she originally had a Technician license with code privileges, she will be grandfathered to a General Class license status from this session. Two additional class graduates (Thomas Dulaney - KB3UBD and Charles Lumadue - KB3UHQ) had already taken their license exams at other locations in the past few weeks and already have been issued their new licenses.

Six volunteer examiners assisted in giving these exams which made the overall session move along relatively quickly. At the conclusion of the test session, each newly licensed graduate was presented with gifts from the SMCARA membership including a copy of the new ARRL book "Getting Started with Ham Radio", a course completion certificate (see sample below), a free one-year membership in the SMCARA and their CSCE certificate. The St. Mary's County Amateur Radio Association is proud to have been a sponsor of this class and commends our dedicated instructor, Tom Shelton (AB3IC), for all his hard work teaching the class.

NOTE: Click on each picture to see high-resolution version

(L-R, ham course graduates Lawrence Butts, Nathan Hess, Rutha Gaymon-Hepler,
Jeffrey Lagana, Dwayne Sullivan and Ellen Bierline hold their new ARRL "Getting Started with
Ham Radio" books in front of the SMCARA exhibit and amateur radio station at the Naval Air
Museum in Lexington Park)

(A copy of the course completion certificate awarded to each ham course graduate)

New ham radio operator, Scott Zupancic (KB3ULW)

(L-R, new ham Lawrence Butts (KB3ULR) receives his book from instructor Tom Shelton, AB3IC)

(L-R, new ham Nathan Hess (KB3ULT) receives his book from instructor Tom Shelton, AB3IC)

(L-R, new ham Rutha Gaymon-Hepler (KB3ULS) receives her book from instructor Tom Shelton, AB3IC)

(L-R, new ham Jeffrey Lagana (KB3ULU) receives his book from instructor Tom Shelton, AB3IC)

(L-R, new ham Dwayne Sullivan (KB3ULV) receives his book from instructor Tom Shelton, AB3IC)

(L-R, new ham Ellen Bierlin (KJ4UUI) receives her book from instructor Tom Shelton, AB3IC)

Congratulations to all of our new amateur radio operators!

(Test session participants hard at work filling in the correct answers)

4 March 2010

Amateur Radio Technician Classes kicks off with 23 participants!

The first week of the new seven week class to helps folks earn their Technician Class amateur radio license began. The Instructor is Tom Shelton (AB3IC). Here are some pictures taken at the introductory session, held at the Lexington Park library, on Tuesday evening, 4 March 2010:

Another crowd of folks prepare to learn all about Amateur Radio

Eric (N3UH) tells the class participants how he will conduct the test sessions at the end of the course

Richard (KG3BOZ) introduces the class to the digital modes in Amateur Radio

Class instructor Tom (AB3IC) discusses the lesson plans for the course

Ray (KB3FWW) updates the class on ARES and emergency operations

SMCARA President, Pete (WA3UMY), briefs the class on how the club will help them get their licenses

February 2010

New Amateur Radio Technician Classes being Scheduled

SMCARA is in the process of scheduling a six week class session (one night a week, one and a half hour session). The goal will be to introduce to the community the concepts and requirements needed to test for the Amateur Radio entry level Technician license.

These classes are free and will be open to the public for all ages. At the conclusion on the class sessions, the official test will be provided.

At this time a class location is being identified, once that location has been identified and reserved the information will be posted here. The projected time frame for the classes will be in March, 2010.

Please come back for further information to include contact information.

December 2009

Please welcome our newest members!

Thank you all that assisted with the amateur radio exam session on Saturday, December 5, 2009.

Congratulations to the new hams and those that upgraded. We hope to hear you on the air soon.

In the photo: L-R
Ian Egland -KB3ROH Upgraded to General
Ricky Mullins -- KB3TSH New Technician
Tom Clarke --W4OKW Volunteer Examiner
Vernon Gordon --KB3DXT Volunteer Examiner
Eric Heard -- N3UH Volunteer Examiner
Thomas Reeves -N3JTJ

Not pictured Kevin Heil -- KB3TSF New Technician
Aaron Linville -- KB3TSG New Technician
Richard Bozovich -- KG3BOZ -- Volunteer Examiner

St. Mary's County Amateur Radio Association

Become a "HAM" Radio Operator

Thank you all that assisted with the amateur radio exam session on Saturday, December 5, 2009.

Congratulations to the new hams and those that upgraded. We hope to hear you on the air soon.