With the removal of the requirement for Morse Code for the first (and very
useful) Technician license, amateur radio is easier than ever before to
join.
STUDY
If you'd like to sit in a class to study, here's an October
session forming nearby.
The Hoodview club for Gresham and East Multnomah County has courses; click here
or here for
details.
Salem's Amateur Radio Club is also offering a weekend class, 27-28 October.
You can study
on-line with the Amateur Radio Relay League course which includes
on-line support, or order
the study guides if you prefer self-study.
There's even a free
study guide for Palm PDAs, or you can download plain text or
PDF files of the question pool for your exam.
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE 2006 TECHNICIAN
QUESTION POOL IN ANY BOOK OR
GUIDE YOU USE, as the questions changed in June.
Web practice exams are available free here and here, so you can see if you're
ready to sit for the test after your studies.
TESTING
Oregon has many, many Volunteer Examiners who will administer the
FCC-required tests to get an amateur radio license, and here's a
statewide list, with dates, times and locations (also for Metro
Portland only). PARC, the
Portland Amateur Radio Club, has Friday night testing; contact W7PR
for details.
Here's the data on the Milwaukie First Sundays testing:
Who (To Contact): Tom Popp, KA0TP, who normally
monitors 147.040+ or
146.960- daytimes. Call 360-573-5001, especially if you're a new VE.
What (Time): 7 PM, although Volunteer Examiners
usually arrive at 6:30
PM.
When: First Sunday of the Month through
December.
Where: Round Table Pizza at 82nd
Ave. and King Rd. in Milwaukie
Why: To take the federal amateur radio licensing
tests - Walk-ins
Welcome. Hams who also just wish to schmooze may drop by, too.
How: Those with special needs should contact the VE
(Volunteer
Examiner) in advance so they can make arrangements.
The federally-mandated fee is $14, a much more reasonable cost than
back when I also had to drive two hours to The Big City to take the
exam in an FCC Office.