NOTE: BVARS Course not being held in 2022, following is for information
Basic Licensing Class - Free - All are Welcome
Sunday: 5:00 PM
Tuesday: 6 PM
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8862471284?pwd=NE9ZVEpRUjdYN1NxRGpkYUczZm96QT09
Radio Amateurs of Canada is facilitating on-line courses for both the Basic and Advanced licenses on a regular basis.
The medium of radio rose to prominence in the early twentieth century as efforts to transcend the limits of communications over wires gave rise to wireless methods of sending signals through empty space. Point-to-point and broadcast radio communications facilitated the building of nation-states, the coordination of sophisticated military operations, and the development of popular culture. From the very beginning, amateur operators -- people motivated by a love of the art and without commercial interest -- explored and experimented with this new medium and in so doing, helped to shape the technology throughout the decades to come. In the twenty-first century, wireless communication is more important than ever with the proliferation of mobile computing devices and the internet. While the modern state of the art is very complicated, amateur radio is an approachable way of learning the fundamental principles, and provides a means for taking back control of the technology that surrounds us.
Also, it's lots of fun! There are so many aspects to the hobby that it is easy to find a niche. When you become an amateur radio operator, you open up the opportunity to communicate with others across the globe. You can use different methods of communications such as voice, Morse code, or dozens of digital modes. You can build high-powered Wi-Fi data networks, send email without the internet, and talk to folks through satellites. Amateur radio operators perform radio astronomy, bounce signals off the moon, and pick out signals below the noise floor. With Amateur Radio you can work other stations from nearly anywhere: from home, in a vehicle, or on a mountain top!
The Bulkley Valley Amateur Radio Society periodically offers a course on Basics of Amateur Radio . The course is intended to introduce students to the theory and application of radio technology, including amateur communications and emergency preparedness. Additionally, the course will prepare students to write the Basic Amateur Radio Certificate exam if they choose to pursue it.
The course will include:
Fees: The course fee will be $60, including all necessary parts for various workshops. For those wishing to get into the hobby of Amateur Radio, the fee also includes the government Basic Certificate exam and loan of a licensing study text book (also available for purchase). All reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate all people from a diverse range of education, ability, and affluence.
When & Where: There will be two registration/introductory sessions:
Registration and classes will be held at the headquarters of BV Search & Rescue, located in the basement of the Ranger Park building in Smithers. The course will run weekly for a total of about 20 hours throughout March and April, in a combination of Tuesday evenings and two or three Saturday afternoon sessions. We will determine the detailed schedule in consultation with registrants.
Please let us know your interest! Email [email protected] to indicate which registration session you wish to attend. It would also be useful to indicate which March/April Saturdays afternoons are preferable for you, to help with scheduling.
Course handout: basic_course_handouts3.pdf
To use Amateur Radio you need to be licenced by the federal government through Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (formerly Industry Canada). You can take the exam either at an ISED Canada office, or through a local volunteer certified examiner. The BVARS has an accredited examiner, and supports a self-study approach to help folks prepare for the exam. This includes mentoring and tutoring sessions. We recommend study tools such as Hamstudy, and the ISED Canada website provides an on-line question generator, or you can print-off practices exams. The Cold Lake Amateur Radio Society has a series of training videos based on the exam question bank. Radio Amateurs of Canada provides the very useful ExHaminer exam study tool. If you can pass these test exams at 70% or higher, you can qualify for Basic privileges and have access to VHF/UHF frequencies. If you can score over 80%, you will receive a Basic With Honours certification (we recommend you go for honours). This will allow you to work on High Frequency (HF) bands frequencies, so that you can directly communicate with others world-wide. An Advanced certification allows you to 'home-brew' or build your own radio transceiver, operate at higher power levels, and run repeater stations and the like. The ISED Canada site has important study documents, such as the standards for operating of an amateur station, a listing of accredited examiners. and tools such as a call-sign search data-base, etc. You should take some time to look at the materials posted there.
If you want help with your studies, contact the BVARS at [email protected]. We would love to have you on the air!
Basic Licensing Class - Free - All are Welcome
Sunday: 5:00 PM
Tuesday: 6 PM
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/8862471284?pwd=NE9ZVEpRUjdYN1NxRGpkYUczZm96QT09
Radio Amateurs of Canada is facilitating on-line courses for both the Basic and Advanced licenses on a regular basis.
The medium of radio rose to prominence in the early twentieth century as efforts to transcend the limits of communications over wires gave rise to wireless methods of sending signals through empty space. Point-to-point and broadcast radio communications facilitated the building of nation-states, the coordination of sophisticated military operations, and the development of popular culture. From the very beginning, amateur operators -- people motivated by a love of the art and without commercial interest -- explored and experimented with this new medium and in so doing, helped to shape the technology throughout the decades to come. In the twenty-first century, wireless communication is more important than ever with the proliferation of mobile computing devices and the internet. While the modern state of the art is very complicated, amateur radio is an approachable way of learning the fundamental principles, and provides a means for taking back control of the technology that surrounds us.
Also, it's lots of fun! There are so many aspects to the hobby that it is easy to find a niche. When you become an amateur radio operator, you open up the opportunity to communicate with others across the globe. You can use different methods of communications such as voice, Morse code, or dozens of digital modes. You can build high-powered Wi-Fi data networks, send email without the internet, and talk to folks through satellites. Amateur radio operators perform radio astronomy, bounce signals off the moon, and pick out signals below the noise floor. With Amateur Radio you can work other stations from nearly anywhere: from home, in a vehicle, or on a mountain top!
The Bulkley Valley Amateur Radio Society periodically offers a course on Basics of Amateur Radio . The course is intended to introduce students to the theory and application of radio technology, including amateur communications and emergency preparedness. Additionally, the course will prepare students to write the Basic Amateur Radio Certificate exam if they choose to pursue it.
The course will include:
- Basic theory of electronics with application to radio communications
- Basic theory of radio waves, propagation, and antennas
- Demonstrations of various applications of amateur radio, including:
- local and worldwide communication
- point-to-point, internet, and satellite links
- voice and data transmission -using analog and digital equipment
- software-defined radio, computer applications, and test equipment
- Safe and responsible operation of an amateur radio station in compliance with government regulations
- Morse code (not required for taking the course, nor for the government license).
- Hand soldering
Fees: The course fee will be $60, including all necessary parts for various workshops. For those wishing to get into the hobby of Amateur Radio, the fee also includes the government Basic Certificate exam and loan of a licensing study text book (also available for purchase). All reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate all people from a diverse range of education, ability, and affluence.
When & Where: There will be two registration/introductory sessions:
- Tuesday February 26th at 7 PM, and
- Saturday March 2nd at noon.
Registration and classes will be held at the headquarters of BV Search & Rescue, located in the basement of the Ranger Park building in Smithers. The course will run weekly for a total of about 20 hours throughout March and April, in a combination of Tuesday evenings and two or three Saturday afternoon sessions. We will determine the detailed schedule in consultation with registrants.
Please let us know your interest! Email [email protected] to indicate which registration session you wish to attend. It would also be useful to indicate which March/April Saturdays afternoons are preferable for you, to help with scheduling.
Course handout: basic_course_handouts3.pdf
To use Amateur Radio you need to be licenced by the federal government through Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (formerly Industry Canada). You can take the exam either at an ISED Canada office, or through a local volunteer certified examiner. The BVARS has an accredited examiner, and supports a self-study approach to help folks prepare for the exam. This includes mentoring and tutoring sessions. We recommend study tools such as Hamstudy, and the ISED Canada website provides an on-line question generator, or you can print-off practices exams. The Cold Lake Amateur Radio Society has a series of training videos based on the exam question bank. Radio Amateurs of Canada provides the very useful ExHaminer exam study tool. If you can pass these test exams at 70% or higher, you can qualify for Basic privileges and have access to VHF/UHF frequencies. If you can score over 80%, you will receive a Basic With Honours certification (we recommend you go for honours). This will allow you to work on High Frequency (HF) bands frequencies, so that you can directly communicate with others world-wide. An Advanced certification allows you to 'home-brew' or build your own radio transceiver, operate at higher power levels, and run repeater stations and the like. The ISED Canada site has important study documents, such as the standards for operating of an amateur station, a listing of accredited examiners. and tools such as a call-sign search data-base, etc. You should take some time to look at the materials posted there.
If you want help with your studies, contact the BVARS at [email protected]. We would love to have you on the air!