Training/Classes/VE Testing

Training/Classes

Pacific County Amateur Radio Club Training Program

The Pacific County Amateur Radio Club is committed to helping anyone interested in Amateur Radio to enter, or advance within the hobby. Based upon interest, the club holds classes and Volunteer Exam sessions to train and license Amateur Radio operators. If you would like to join one of our classes, or would like help studying on your own, please contact us. We would be happy to help.

Winter Seminar Series

Now that I have my Ham license, what do I do with it? The Seminar Series programs are designed to answer that question. The Seminar Series was a big success in 2008, and we are bringing it back for 2009. Click here for more information on these "After the Tech Class" classes.

License Preparation Classes

Start Date End Date Class Address Start/End Time Cost Contact

October 17, 2009 Oct. 24, 2009 Technician
ShoreBank
203 Howerton, Ilwaco, WA

10:00AM/4:00PM
Free
Frank NM7R

Sept 6, 13, 19 & 27, 2009 Sept 27, 2009 General Upgrade
ShoreBank
203 Howerton, Ilwaco, WA

10:00AM/4:00PM
Free
Frank NM7R

Email NM7R, Frank, nm7r@yahoo.com if you have an interest in a class, an exam, or help studying for a license or upgrade on your own!

Classes for 2009-2010

We are looking forward to another Winter Seminar Series this year. These sessions have been very popular in the past. The old favorites are back, but these Seminars tend to be a bit free-form, and different every time. There is always time for your questions. If you don't see what you want on the list, mention it and we may be able to put something together.

We are looking at the possibility of an Introductory Technician class in Cathlamet in December. If you, or someone you know, has an interest in taking one of our classes, please contact the instructor. Click here to email Frank, NM7R@yahoo.com.

The very successful 2009 General License Upgrade Class concluded September 27, with a 100% pass rate. Our next General class is being planned for Spring of 2010. If you are studying on your own, and would like some help, or are interested in the class, please contact the instructor. Click here to email Frank, NM7R@yahoo.com.

Further classes, both for entry into, and upgrading within Amateur Radio are put together as dictated by demand. If you have a group of six or more who would like to take a class, we are interested in hearing from you! Click h ere to email Frank, NM7R@yahoo.com.

We encourage the newcomer to the hobby and the "old salt" alike, to come and learn. There is no cost for our classes (the recommended text costs about $20 and there is a fee for the exam). Please email if you would like some help earning a license or upgrade! There is more information under "Class Materials" at the bottom of this page.

Volunteer Exam Sessions

Date Time License Classes Address Cost Contact

Sept 27, 2009 3:00 PM All License Classes
ShoreBank
203 Howerton, Ilwaco, WA
$15.00
Frank NM7R

Oct 24, 2009 3:00 PM All License Classes ShoreBank
203 Howerton, Ilwaco, WA $15.00
Frank NM7R

Please Email or Phone the contact person above, or any club officer, if you wish to pre-register to take an exam at one of our sessions. We are generally very limited in our capacity to accept walk-ins. Sessions may be cancelled if there are no candidates registered. Don't be disappointed, pre-register!

License Exam Session Guidelines

PCARC has an ARRL VEC affiliated Volunteer Exam Team. On Exam Day, please bring the following with you:
1) $15.00 cash. Exact change is greatly appreciated. We will also accept a check made out to 'ARRL VEC'.
2) Photo Identification. A drivers license is fine.
3) Two (2) sharpened pencils with erasers.
4) A calculator. For the General exam, it should do square-root. A Scientific calculator is recommended for the Extra test (but then, you already knew that if you are ready).
5) If you do not presently have an Amateur License, then bring your Social Security Number (just the number, not the card).
6) If you do presently hold a current Amateur License, bring the original and a copy we can keep.
7) If you have a valid CSCE that you intend to turn in for credit, bring the original and a copy we can keep.
We will supply scratch paper if you need it. No books, notes, papers or food are allowed in the room during the exam except those materials we will distribute for the test. All exam materials will be collected at the end of the exam.
If there is anything unusual about your examination request, please bring this to our attention when you contact us to register for the exam. This would include access issues or accommodations, examination credit for any circumstance or document other than a valid CSCE, or if you have ever had FCC action taken against your Amateur License. If you wait until exam day and only then make a request that is out of the ordinary, we may have difficulty serving you. We all want you to pass, so please work with us.
Our Team Contact Person and Liaison is Frank Wolfe, NM7R. Click here to email Frank at nm7r@yahoo.com.

Class Materials

As referenced in the 'Technician Class Notes' (below), we recommend the Gordon West series of study manuals in our classes. Gordo has organized the Question Pool into a more logical order, making it easier to study. At about $20, the study guide is a reasonable investment. Although the study guides are intended to support an organized class, they make it easy to study on your own, too.

There is no longer a Morse Code test for any class of license. The only exams are the Technician (Element 2), General (Element 3), and Extra Class (Element 4) written (multiple choice) tests.

You will be studying to pass a 35-question multiple-choice test for the entry-level Technician license. A passing grade is 74%. You must get 26 correct out of the 35. To put it another way, you can miss 9 and still pass. Each question has four possible answers. The questions are drawn from a Question Pool with approximately ten alternates for each one. The questions (and answers) on your test will be exactly as they are in the Question Pool, except the order of the answers may change. If you buy the book, it includes all the questions from the Pool. You can also download the entire Question Pool free on the ARRL website...

How are you doing with studying for the exam? The best way to gauge your progress is to take the practice tests available on the QRZ.com website. They do a great job of simulating the test, and let you know exactly how you are coming along. You can take the exam as many times as you want. It will be different every time. When you are consistently scoring at 80% or better, you are probably ready to pass your real exam.

We use a number of handouts in conducting our classes to illustrate various points or summarize information making it easier to grasp. These handouts are made available below to help those studying on their own. These are not presented as a stand-alone course. Please feel free to contact Frank, NM7R, if you are studying for a license or upgrade, or want supporting explanations for any of this material: (if clicking on the titles doesn't work with your browser, then copy the URL under the title and paste it into your browser window), or go to our "Download Center" by Clicking Here.

Click on the following Document Titles to download Technician Class files (in .pdf format):

1. (Technician Class Notes);
    http://www.qsl.net/w7rdr/documents/Notes.pdf

2. (Basis and Purpose of the Amateur Service);
    http://www.qsl.net/w7rdr/documents/Basis_Purpose.pdf

3. (Formulas "PIE Charts");
    http://www.qsl.net/w7rdr/documents/Formulas.pdf

4. (Powers of Ten);
    http://www.qsl.net/w7rdr/documents/Powers_of_ten.pdf

5. (Waveforms) ;
    http://www.qsl.net/w7rdr/documents/Waveforms.pdf

6. (VHF Bandplan);
    http://www.qsl.net/w7rdr/documents/VHF_bandplan.pdf

7. (UHF Bandplan);
    http://www.qsl.net/w7rdr/documents/UHF_bandplan.pdf

8. (Phonetic Alphabet);
    http://www.qsl.net/w7rdr/documents/Phonetics.pdf

9. (Anyone Can Learn CW...);
    http://www.qsl.net/w7rdr/documents/anyone_can_learn_CW.pdf

Click on the following Document Titles to download General Class files (in .pdf format):

1. (General Class Notes);
    http://www.qsl.net/w7rdr/documents/Notes_Gen.pdf

2. (HF Bandplan);
    http://www.qsl.net/w7rdr/documents/HF_bandplan.pdf

3. (General Band Limits);
    http://www.qsl.net/w7rdr/documents/Band_Limits_Gen.pdf

4. (Formulas for General "PIE Charts");
    http://www.qsl.net/w7rdr/documents/Formulas_Gen.pdf

5. (More Formulas for General);
    http://www.qsl.net/w7rdr/documents/Formulas2Gen.pdf

6. (Ionospheric Propagation);
    http://www.qsl.net/w7rdr/documents/skip.pdf

7. (G7-1 Circuit Diagram);
    http://www.qsl.net/w7rdr/documents/G7-1.pdf

8. (Component Chart);
    http://www.qsl.net/w7rdr/documents/Components.pdf

9. (Transmitter/Receiver);
    http://www.qsl.net/w7rdr/documents/Tx-Rx.pdf

10. (Analog vs Digital);
    http://www.qsl.net/w7rdr/documents/Analog_vs_Digital.pdf

11. (DX Windows);
    http://www.qsl.net/w7rdr/documents/DX_Windows.pdf

12. (Antennas);
    http://www.qsl.net/w7rdr/documents/Antennas.pdf

Other documents of interest:

1. (Pacific County ARES Net Preamble);
    http://www.qsl.net/w7rdr/documents/ARES_PC_Net_Preamble_08.pdf

2. (Google Ionosphere);
    http://www.qsl.net/w7rdr/documents/Google_Ionosphere.pdf

3. (Installing a Radio in a Vehicle);
    http://www.qsl.net/w7rdr/documents/Vehicle_Install.pdf

4. (Back Up Battery);
    http://www.qsl.net/w7rdr/documents/Back_up_Battery.pdf

5. (The Best Antenna);
    http://www.qsl.net/w7rdr/documents/Best_Antenna.pdf

6. (VHF/UHF Radio Recommendations);
    http://www.qsl.net/w7rdr/documents/Radio_Recommendations.pdf

7. (HF Radio Recommendations);
    http://www.qsl.net/w7rdr/documents/HF_Radio_Recommendations.pdf

8. (U.S. Frequency Chart);
    http://www.qsl.net/w7rdr/documents/usfrequencychart.pdf

9. (Third Party Traffic List);
    http://www.qsl.net/w7rdr/documents/3rd_party.pdf

10. (IRLP Brochure);
    http://www.qsl.net/w7rdr/documents/IRLP_Brochure.pdf

11. (IRLP Operation);
    http://www.qsl.net/w7rdr/documents/IRLP_explain.pdf

12. (Lighthouse Weekend Brochure);
    http://www.qsl.net/w7rdr/documents/Lighthouse_Brochure.pdf

13. (More than I need to know about coaxial cable);
    http://www.qsl.net/w7rdr/documents/coax.pdf

Appropriate Use Issue

There is a recent and on-going controversy regarding the use of Amateur Radio operators for Emergency Communications, by private businesses (notably hospitals) when those Amateurs are employees of the business. Amateurs are prohibited from operating for the benefit of their employers, except in an actual emergency. This primarily becomes a problem in the case of exercises and drills, where no emergency exists. It is up to each Licensee to educate him or herself on this subject, and interpret the FCC Regulations as they apply in each situation. Self-regulation is a cornerstone of Amateur Radio operation.

Click here to download the ARRL informational document regarding this, in .pdf format.

Click here to download the Policy Statement of the WWa Medical Services Team (MST), in .pdf format.

Click here to download the local opinion of the District 3 DEC, in .pdf format.

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Last Updated 11/15/09