ad: Radclub22-1

CANADA - On-line Advanced Certificate Course Open for Registration

Discussion in 'Amateur Radio News' started by VE3KG, Jun 23, 2020.

ad: L-HROutlet
ad: l-rl
ad: Left-3
ad: L-MFJ
ad: abrind-2
ad: Left-2
ad: Radclub22-2
  1. VE3KG

    VE3KG Ham Member QRZ Page

    Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) just sent out this bulletin today. I am the instructor for this course.

    73,

    Dave VE9CB
    --------
    Registration now available for RAC Advanced Course: Summer 2020

    https://www.rac.ca/summer-2020-advanced-course-now-available/

    For immediate release:

    In response to the global pandemic, Radio Amateurs of Canada is once again offering an online Advanced Qualification Amateur Radio Course so that individuals can upgrade their qualifications while continuing to practise social/physical distancing.
    With your Advanced Certificate, you can run higher power, operate a remotely-controlled station, obtain operating privileges when travelling overseas, set up RAC website.

    RAC Advanced Course for Maple Leaf Operators: Summer 2020
    The RAC Advanced Qualification Amateur Radio course is being offered at no charge to RAC Maple Leaf Operator Members – both current and future.

    Participants in the course will need to meet all of the following requirements:

    1. Participants must already have the Canadian Basic Amateur Radio Qualification and a Canadian call sign.
    2. Participants must already be a RAC Maple Leaf Operator Member or become one by joining RAC at the Maple Leaf Operator level or upgrading to that level.
    3. Participants must have a copy of the Canadian Amateur Radio Advanced Qualification Study Guide provided by Coax Publications. For more information please visit the RAC Study Guides webpage.
    4. Participants must have a computer and Internet connection capable of using the GoToMeeting (GTM) conference platform. You do not need your own account on GTM to take part in this course, but you will have to download an applet from the GTM site to participate.
    5. Participants must have a working email address to receive course materials and links to the sessions.
    The course will be 10 sessions in length and each session will be two hours long.
    In order to offer maximum flexibility, we will be running two Advanced courses so students will be able to choose one of the following two options:

    • Sunday afternoons from 3 pm to 5 pm EDT (12 pm PDT) starting on Sunday, July 5 and ending on Sunday, September 6
    Or

    • Monday evenings from 8:30 pm to 10:30 pm EDT (5:30 PDT) starting on Monday, July 6 and ending on Monday, September 7
    The course instructor is Dave Goodwin, VE9CB. Dave has been an Amateur since 1975, is an active HF Contester and DXer and has many other interests in Amateur Radio. Since 2015, Dave has been teaching Basic and Advanced certification courses with the Fredericton (NB) Amateur Radio Club. He is also RAC’s Atlantic Director.

    For complete details about the RAC Advanced Qualification Amateur Radio Course please visit:

    https://www.rac.ca/amateur-radio-courses/advanced-course-for-maple-leaf-operators/

    Glenn MacDonell, VE3XRA
    RAC President and Chair



    [​IMG]

    Alan Griffin
    RAC MarCom Director
     
  2. VE3EKN

    VE3EKN Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    I've diligently renewed my RAC membership each year since I was first licensed. I've amassed a respectable logbook, worked on the executive of clubs, worked in amateur radio public service, tried many new ham things and studied hard to be the best ham I could be. I still have work to do.
    I know about myself, that I would best benefit from the direction of a course to achieve my Advanced license. That's simply the style of student that I am.
    However, for the RAC to offer an Advanced Qualification course, 'at no charge' to Maple Leaf members only, "In response to the global pandemic," is perfectly exclusionary. In times when the work force is troubled the most, to ask for the premium of a $100 Maple Leaf membership for a program of less intensity than the free Basic Qualification, seems detrimental. Where is this money going to come from?
    The RAC is far too comfortable in serving an older model of Amateur Radio and is effectively driving away an element of the membership that they should be encouraging. They seem to have forgotten that the younger, ambitious, working hams will be charged with preserving what's left of Amateur Radio as time moves on.

    My Full Membership is due on July 9th. I'm considering that my money may be better spent elsewhere in times like these.
     
    VE3JEC likes this.
  3. VE3KG

    VE3KG Ham Member QRZ Page

    Thank you for your support of RAC. It is so essential to protect and promote the interests of Amateur Radio.

    You, as a current regular member of RAC, are looking at a marginal additional cost of about $45 to become a Maple Leaf Operator (MLO) member of RAC. The course we are offering has real value, and we are asking a pittance for it. I am the volunteer who developed and delivers this course, and I came up with the idea of making the course fee a small additional contribution to RAC. I volunteer my time and effort to RAC because Amateur Radio is important to me.

    You are welcome to study on your own. You are welcome to take any course offered by any individual or club that you choose. If you can find a better deal on an instructor-led course, go for it. If not, you are welcome to join this course.

    One hundred people took the first course which ran from April to June, and no one complained about the value. The next courses were only announced a few days ago, and the sixty people from across Canada who have already signed up seem to be satisfied with the apparent value.
     
    VE3PQX and VE3EEI like this.
  4. VE1DC

    VE1DC Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    Hi, I called RAC a few days ago and chatted with a person there about this Advanced Course
    that RAC is putting on. "It is just for Maple Leaf Members of RAC" which I feel is "BIAS"
    it should be open to all RAC members not just a certain few. If any RAC Memeber wishes to
    enter the Advanced Course they have to pay at least $100.00 to become a Bronze Memeber and
    that would put them into the Maple Leaf Category, But hey the Course is "FREE" they say.
    Then you have to purchase the Advanced Study Guide that is $45.00 So not it's costing: $100 + $45 = $145.00
    Not the GoToMeeting!! We had a discussion about this also. I downloaded the GotoMeeting Software but first
    had to "Register" and then when I installed it asked if I wanted "Free Trail" or "Buy" Free Trial is 15 days and
    then you will need to pay a monthly fee for it to work. My question is why is RAC not using Zoom or some
    other Free Program, Answer was because RAC has an an Account with GoToMeeting?? WHY??
    So as I said to the person on the phone this is totally Bias it should be open to all of RAC Members not
    just their Elite Group and it should not cost so must to take the Course. That's my thoughts and feelings on this.
    But hey! The Advance Course is FREE????
    Tom Brazil - VE1DC
     
    VE3EKN likes this.
  5. AC0GT

    AC0GT Ham Member QRZ Page

    I have no idea on their decision making process on this but I can speculate is that they needed some way to limit numbers on what is likely a first time trial of the process. The need for buying this and that for taking the test could just demonstrate that they didn't think this through, or it's another way to limit numbers and prevent an overwhelming of the system.

    In other words, give it time, this should all be resolved at some point. I can imagine that there's a lot of people with similar complaints and there will be someone somewhere that will figure out the details to lower the price of entry.
     
  6. VE3GCX

    VE3GCX Ham Member QRZ Page

    I let my membership in the RAC lapse but for other reasons.
    However seeing that if you timed things properly you could do the basic and advanced within the same year on the same membership plus the cost of the books.
    $45 for a text book, which typically have small production runs is not unreasonable. Ask college students what they pay for their textbooks. the Last one I bought 20+ years ago for a night ContEd course on SQL I was charged 301$.
    for just the book.
    Once you complete the course nothing says you have to re-new your membership at the maple leaf level or any level for that matter.
    Dave's VE9CB, request to join the RAC in return for his time and effort does not seem unreasonable. Actually I feel he should be applauded for it.

    Graham
    VE2NTC/VE3GCX
     
  7. VE1DC

    VE1DC Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    We are not in College than is mostly Government controlled!! You cannot compare Apples & Oranges.
    Amateur's are taking a one time Course they are not using the Book for a full Season. I can see by your comments
    that you fully agree with RAC. I would like to know if this was put to a full vote with RAC Board because it seems that
    this decision was only made by a few. Also in College everyone gets the choise to make the decision weather they are going to
    take the courses and not pay extra to get them. RAC is Systemic Bias by only allowing Maple Leaf Members to take the Advance Course!!!
    It should be open to all Members to make the Choice not just a Certain Click

    Tom - VE1DC
     
  8. VE3GCX

    VE3GCX Ham Member QRZ Page

    Its seems your main objection is the fee structure. RAQI also charges $1oo for the course and a years membership is included free. 6 of one half a dozen of the other. Would you be happier if it was structured that way?
    It amounts to the same thing.

    As putting to the full board well. some times things are better when one person decides. Ask an engineer what the definition of a camel is..... it is a horse designed by committee.
    OK as with everything there is certain to be room for improvement. It takes time to find better ways and when you are just starting out everyone has a tendency to go with what you have and what you know.

    You don't have to take a course to pass the test, I didn't and passed the tests with 80 on the basic and 82 on the advanced. okay I did graduate from Electrical Engineering Technology and was working for a now defunct Canadian telecommunications company. Perhaps with the course I could have done better as my weakness was in the area of regulations. (never did well with rules)

    If you feel you can do better, get certified as an examiner and design your own course. Competition helps everyone improve.

    Graham
    VE2NTC/VE3GCX
     
  9. DJ0AJ

    DJ0AJ Ham Member QRZ Page

    VE9CB hi dave my best reagards, vy73 DJOAJ ekrem
     
    VE3KG likes this.
  10. K8AQM

    K8AQM Ham Member QRZ Page

    I took the Advanced course offered by RAC and VE9CB. I passed but more importantly it was a great class taught with thought and talent to those of us who know/knew very little as we came from- point- to-point wiring and tubes! At 72 I wasn't sure I could cut the mustard but with VE9CB's excellent teaching and the many inputs from class members, this old dog score 86%! Yes, for me not being a RAC member the price was steep but the value I put on my amateur license is far beyond the cost of RAC MLO and the textbook.

    I taught for 31 years and recognize both well planned lessons and good teaching. By the way, something is misunderstood, there is nor was any cost ever required to use Go To Meeting, RAC has paid for this program so you can enjoy it freely. It was a great class and the members of the two classes numbering nearly 100 all spoke highly of their experiences. It was an excellent use of "stay in shelter" time during this horrible periods.
    73 to all,
    Ted K8AQM/VE9AQM
     
    VE3PQX, VE3EKN, VE3GCX and 1 other person like this.
  11. VE3WI

    VE3WI Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    As a former club president, and a Basic & Advanced course instructor, my hat is off to RAC and VE9CB for offering this opportunity. We need Advanced licensees (who's going to teach the courses, administer exams & hold our repeater callsigns when the old geezers like me die off?). It's one way RAC is trying to secure the future of ham radio in Canada. Taking advantage of our current grim situation with an online course is a brilliant move.

    But there are always the nay-sayers. It's too expensive! It's exclusive! Well OK, if you balk at this course, but want the qual, beg or borrow someone's book & do it on your own. There may be Advanced course materials on a club website - I know there are Basic courses like that. Find a volunteer examiner and take the test. But don't bad-mouth RAC's effort to make a course available to our less-independent learners at this time when we can't run face-to-face courses.

    (In fairness to the nay-sayers, I think the optics would have been better if RAC had just set a fee, and not linked it to the Maple Leaf Operator program. The two are not really related, and it obviously opened the door for some expressions of outrage.)

    <rant> I used to promote RAC membership at club meetings - past the point of annoyance I'm sure :). We're able to enjoy our hobby in Canada because the officers of RAC, and their predecessors through the years, have worked to influence the government to preserve our little scraps of spectrum in the face of ever more greedy commercial interests. That's just one thing - probably the most important though - that RAC does for all Canadian hams. Yet the vast majority of Canadian hams don't see RAC, or their services, as a benefit worth supporting - or maybe even saving. Just compare US licences vs. ARRL membership, with Canadian licenses vs. RAC membership. If you haven't seen the numbers you may be surprised. If you're a Canadian ham, I hope you're disappointed (in us). </rant>

    Glen & Dave, keep up the good work!

    73
    Dave, VE3WI
     
    VE3EKN, VE3GCX and VE3KG like this.
  12. M1WML

    M1WML Ham Member QRZ Page

  13. VE3EKN

    VE3EKN Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    I have opportunity to speak with a member of the RAC senior executive on a somewhat regular basis and had learned of the development of these course offerings a few months ago, prior to their release. I have also expressed my concerns directly to them.

    As I mentioned originally, my learning style is best suited to a program with an instructor as I am one of those 'less-independent learners'.

    In regards to the Advanced course, 'Taking advantage of our current grim situation with an online course' isn't much of an advantage to those of us who have been financially impacted by said, 'grim situation'.

    While the initiative is a good one and I certainly commend the instructors, I do agree that the optics of linking it to the Maple Leaf Operators membership may not entirely garner the response the RAC was hoping for.
     
  14. KN4UXO

    KN4UXO Ham Member QRZ Page

    Just a krazy question: Can a Canadian citizen with a US General Ham license, take this test? Just asking for a friend.
     
  15. VE3KG

    VE3KG Ham Member QRZ Page

    This posting was about a course, not an examination. Please contact me directly to discuss the examinations.

    Your friend may take the course if he or she meets the pre-requisites:
    1. Participants must already have the Canadian Basic Amateur Radio Qualification and a Canadian call sign.
    2. Participants must already be a RAC Maple Leaf Operator Member or become one by joining RAC at the Maple Leaf Operator level or upgrading to that level.
    3. Participants must have a copy of the Canadian Amateur Radio Advanced Qualification Study Guide provided by Coax Publications. For more information please visit the RAC Study Guides webpage.
    4. Participants must have a computer and Internet connection capable of using the GoToMeeting (GTM) conference platform. You do not need your own account on GTM to take part in this course, but you will have to download an applet from the GTM site to participate.
    5. Participants must have a working email address to receive course materials and links to the sessions.
    The course starts Sunday or Monday, depending on which session you choose. There is still space.
     

Share This Page

ad: ProAudio-1