Ham in a day class free!!!!

.pdf LINK HERE

 

Location change. the .PDF link is good here is the new .jpg flyer.

 

All I get with jpg link is "Invalid Attachment specified. If you followed a valid link, please notify the administrator"

 

All you get from a "ham in a day" class is a license. No real knowledge and no incentive to maintain or improve skills.

 

Maybe, but how much knowledge and skill does it take to key a mic or press a key (cw). Not everyone is into electronic building. This a hobby where there is something for all.

 

The last few years I have met several new hams who are unable to program their rig. I tried to help them out for a while but in all but 1 case, all I did was plant myself firmly in their minds as the guy who programs my rig. I continue to try to teach the guy who shows a little interest in the hopes that one day he'll figure it out and I am beginning to lose patience.

Part of what we must know is what the frequency range is and what our privileges are on the bands we want to operate. There are new hams out there who don't know if 146MHZ is in the 2M or 6M portion of the amateur radio band. They learned it long enough to pass the test and then that knowledge flew away, like a little bird.

I've found that I have stopped promoting ham radio to the masses and have become much more picky about who I "sell" the hobby to. Most of the folks coming into the hobby in my area are getting their tickets solely for the sake of emmcomm, and that is the wrong reason to get into amateur radio.

This hobby is not at all about keying a mic, or closing a key. It goes far beyond that.

 

A good working .pdf link can be found at http://www.wanrs.com sorry the link here is not working...
This is a hobby and any productive reason is a good reason to get into this hobby. I know the folks teaching this ham in a day session and I am sure there will be a lot learned and in our group we do a lot of teaching each other and supporting others that ask for help. Some of the negative comments may be true but in the many people I have met during my short time in this hobby I have seen so much more good come from it than the few negative comments. In one case they helped a group of over 100 boy scouts earn a related merit badge and the cost to the scouts for the 2 1/2 day event was FREE. This large event was planned by KB3REA and with the help of many hams and non hams a lot of scouts learned a lot of ham radio hobby related information. You should have seen the ham's (new and old) teaching sessions and holding hands on radio operation sessions. It was called Merit Badge in a day and a Ham to stay. This type of stuff is going on all around the world but as with any news it seems only the negative makes the headlines. This is a great hobby and well worth promoting and teaching others while learning even more as we go. Ok I will get off my soap box now. Hope each and everyone of you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!! 73 K3WS PS: The US Military showed up and gave a communications demo with the STRYKER present for all of the scouts to tour.

 

PS: You may have to log in to be fully functional...

 

I have only had my ticket for a month or so and not only can I program my own radio, I also know where the 2 meter band is.

Seeing as I've done such an amazing job defying the odds without help other than from this forum and from my local club, I will have to just disagree with you that new hams have no incentive to learn more or whether my rationale for getting a license was good enough.

I think this hobby really does offer something for everybody. I have had a LOT of fun so far, and I haven't even done much other than meet a few people, join a club, and talk on the 2 meter and 440 bands in 3 different states.

 

Here in VE4 land, we have developed and run a "short" course ourselves. This course has been modified over a few years where in the beginning it ran two nights a week, for 8 weeks, to where it is now one full day (Saturday) for 4 weeks. It's not a one day course, and we have tried to make one that can be done in one day, but there is just too much information that needs to be covered to make it a one day course. The 4 full day course is about the shortest we can successfully run, and graduate the students at the minimum level of knowledge that makes them compitent and confident.</SPAN>

We have managed a two day weekend course, but the restriction is that the participant must have a firm grounding in electronics, as this course is focusing primarily on the rules, regulations, and operating parts of the exam, with a small amount of antenna and radio theory.</SPAN>

To date we have been successful in graduating 75 to 100 percent of the participants in all the variations of the "short" course with classes restricted to 18 participants due to facility size restriction. Those who didn't graduate usually get tripped up on the electronics portion, and after working with a volunteer Elmer, they end up passing on a re-write. We currently run 4 classes a year, and have been pleased that the last 2 years has seen every class filled to capacity. Our experience has shown that over 75 percent go on to become active. The morning 2M net in VE4 land is one obvious way of measuring that success. The Manitoba Repeater Society (MRS) is a non-profit organization that installs and maintains a repeater network here, that allows for the 2M and 70cm coverage for over 80 percent of the populated areas of this province, using 17 repeaters that are linked or added to the link during nets, emergencies, or by any ham who wishes to make a long distance call on VHF or UHF. On these morning nets, the average check in 5 years ago was around 15, with some days of the month seeing check ins peak at around 25. Now the average is 32, with peaks reaching 45. The ARES (amateur radio emergency service) group has seen volunteer membership grow to a point that during call outs, the number of people in standby exceed the number of active hams out in the field, which greatly reduces burnout.
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Although a "short" course may seem like a big compromise, and in some ways it is, the fact remains that active interest in an activity that by all measures should be fading away, is in fact growing. The licensing levels here in VE land allows for someone to become licensed after a 70 percent pass grade to operate above 30 Mhz. If the participant scores over 80 percent, they can operate on all bands below 30 Mhz running low power (under 190 watts or 560 watts pep on SSB - high power is defined in VE land as 750 watts or 2250 watts pep on SSB, RBR-4 sections 10.1 and 10.2). We strive to make sure everyone scores over 80 percent, we aren't always successful, but over 90 percent of the participants make it.</SPAN>

So in closing, even though it may not create a ham with the same radio building and servicing capabilities as it once was. It does, if done correctly, introduce new people to the hobby with a skill set that makes them good and valuable operators, breathing life into what is regarded by many in the public as an old and fading activity.</SPAN>

 

thank you so much for this great reply. I hope others share their own stories both good or bad so we all can learn form them and do even better to help this great hobby.... Thank you and 73 tom k3ww

 

thank you for your honest reply... 73 tom k3ws

 

Some nice PRESS on the subject http://www.timesobserver.com/page/c...-Radio-class-offered-next-month.html?nav=5006

I hope this link works!

 

Yes it works!! Erin

 

Thank you again to everyone spreading the news on this event. Turnout is looking very good!!!! Scott N3XCC VE Team Leader may just need some more VE's...