Report on our "Get on the Air" class [Archive]

MrVideo

09-12-2010, 05:12 PM

A great big thank you to all who participated today in our ham radio "Get on the Air" class. We had 11 members who took part in an interesting and entertaining discussion on how to use your ham radio.

A special thanks to David Haycock (KI6AWR) and Paul Bailey-Gates (KA6GEM) for bringing useful information, actual radios to touch, and most of all making it work for our group. They will be giving a bit more detailed talk at Pacificon on Oct. 15-17 at the San Ramon Marriott.

We couldn't have done this without the most excellent support from Enrique and Carlos for allowing us to hold our class at Mexxi's. The breakfast burritos were so good! Mine was even made to order!!

After a bit of a delay, we were off and running, covering just about every aspect of what a new ham radio operator needs to know. I won't go into much more detail except to share some photos.

Pic. 1 Paul talks about why an HT radio is a smart buy
Pic. 2 They brought 4 HTs and an UHF/VHF/HF radio
Pic. 3 Must be interesting to keep their attention
Pic. 4 Many questions ahead
Pic. 5 Paul & David did a good job breaking up the different parts of the class
Pic. 6 David is the ARRL Pacific Div. Assistant Section Manager of Education & Training
Pic. 7 There was lots of hands on time

ColinB

09-12-2010, 06:58 PM

Thanks for the class. This evening I read the general class exam guide and studied for 1 hour and passed the general exam 3 times. I will probably take the real test in the next few weeks. Can't wait. The info from this class was exactly what i needed to get a handle on HAM.

RON CT110

09-12-2010, 10:12 PM

Great class; practical knowledge about Ham Radio, and really way to go I think w/promoting ham radio to people, appreciating and max usage; thanks Jim and Enrique/Carlos for setting this up and hosting the class.

Instructors were first class and very knowledge-able.

KSuttle

09-12-2010, 10:13 PM

Had a good time and learned a few new things. Looking forward to trying to communicate using a repeater in the near future.

Here's a few shots of the class.

MrVideo

09-13-2010, 08:38 PM

I am hoping we can add at least 3 more hams to our club roster in the next few months. Maybe it's time to talk about a regular net for the group?

KSuttle

09-13-2010, 09:38 PM

What happened to our pictures?

PCRover

09-14-2010, 07:53 AM

Looks like all is good now.

ROVRMAN2

09-14-2010, 02:03 PM

Maybe we can have a relay class @ the annual event? It'd be great to have a net so I can talk LD about LRs.

MrVideo

09-14-2010, 04:40 PM

I sent both David & Paul a thank you note with some of the photos I posted. They both wrote back with a nice reply.

Thanks, for the photos. It will help us to remember the occassion well.
We had fun and look forward to hearing about your adventures with radio from some expedition in the future.
Please send photos of that too!!

73
David, KI6AWR
Hi Jim,
I enjoyed spending an afternoon time with your group. Investigating the California outback in a Land Rover sounds like a lot of fun. Let me know if you ever need a co-pilot!
73,
Paul


Now for a QST

The Benicia Amateur Radio Club will conduct an ARRL VE Ham Radio test session at the downtown Benicia Fire Station at 150 Military West on Saturday September 25th, 2010 between 9 AM and Noon, cutoff to start testing is 11 AM. Enter via the West 2nd Street door - not the front door of the Fire Station. The Benicia Amateur Radio Club is a community-service-oriented non-profit group that works with the Benicia Fire Department and the Benicia Emergency Response Team to provide communications in the event of a disaster.

Finally, Paul sent along more material that may be useful to new hams. I'll post those in the members only section.

GraemeWare

09-25-2010, 01:02 PM

The Benicia Amateur Radio Club will conduct an ARRL VE Ham Radio test session at the downtown Benicia Fire Station at 150 Military West on Saturday September 25th, 2010 between 9 AM and Noon, cutoff to start testing is 11 AM.

Jim,

Thanks for pointing to that. I'd checked the Peninsula and East Bay Area and found nothing I could do (calendar-wise) before December. I shelved the idea of re-activating my U.K. license; just too much trouble (and more expensive).

So, I picked up the Technician's Class, General Class, and Extra Class manuals at the library at the beginning of the week and half-heartedly started to look at them. Spent an evening (maybe 1.5 hours) with the questions and occasionally referenced the text. Then went online and did a few sample tests. Realized that with general knowledge (I am an Engineer, with a degree in Electronics and Computer systems, although not hands-on for many many years now) I'd manage that. Spent another couple of hours reading the questions for the General, but really wasn't ready.

Decided to drive the 55miles to Benicia this a.m. and take the Tech exam. 8 gallons of gas and two $5 bridge tolls meant the travel cost 3 times the exam fee.
Took the exam, passed, and then thought I might as well take the General too. Wasn't expecting to pass, but did. They can't tell you the numbers, but I think it wasn't a scrape! So they asked whether I wanted to take the Extra. My response was "I haven't even opened the book"!!! However, since it didn't cost any extra I thought, why not?

Well, the guys were all willing me to get a "clean sweep" and I realize that one evening with the book and I would have done that, but no, I flunked the Extra. Some questions are "you just know it or you don't" and there is no way to guess. Some I should have known, but that was 25 years ago! 35 out of 50 is the pass rate and I missed that by 10 (which of course they couldn't tell me 'cause they're not allowed to).

So, got the Tech and General and need to keep the library book until the next session.

Now I just have to wait (probably until Wednesday) for the new call-sign. Never again will I utter "G7KZK" ....

Regards,

Graeme

MrVideo

09-25-2010, 04:56 PM

...Took the exam, passed, and then thought I might as well take the General too. Wasn't expecting to pass, but did. They can't tell you the numbers, but I think it wasn't a scrape! So they asked whether I wanted to take the Extra. My response was "I haven't even opened the book"!!! However, since it didn't cost any extra I thought, why not?

Well, the guys were all willing me to get a "clean sweep" and I realize that one evening with the book and I would have done that, but no, I flunked the Extra. Some questions are "you just know it or you don't" and there is no way to guess. Some I should have known, but that was 25 years ago! 35 out of 50 is the pass rate and I missed that by 10 (which of course they couldn't tell me 'cause they're not allowed to).

So, got the Tech and General and need to keep the library book until the next session.

Now I just have to wait (probably until Wednesday) for the new call-sign. Never again will I utter "G7KZK" ....

Regards,

Graeme

Graeme,

Big Congrats on passing 2 exams in 1 sitting. Maybe we should get a little extra's class together? Looking forward to hearing you on the air.