EARN YOUR RADIO LICENSE IN ONE DAY!

Sunday, May 12, 2013

8:45AM SHARP! - 3:00PM

Jewish Community Center of San Francisco

3200 California Street at Presidio Avenue

See hamcrams.com for parking info. Lunch available in lobby.

   WARNING: SF parking meters operate on Sunday afternoons.

Bring 2 IDs (one with picture), a couple of blue ink pens and

   $20 cash for Technician study materials, tips, and test    OR

   $14 cash for testing only (General and Extra exams also available)

        If you are now licensed bring the original license and a copy.

8:45AM SHARP Check-in for study. RSVP pls. Drop-ins OK.

If you want test only (no preparation onsite) come at 2PM.

8:50 Beginners’ tips   9:00 Self-study starts

2:00 Exams begin        3:00 Last tests start

No advance preparation needed for beginners, we do it all in 6 hours.

Questions? hamcrams.com Subsequent test date is in August.

Passing this test will get you a ham radio license from the FCC good for 10 years. You will be able to use:

        O local repeaters for Bay Area communication

        O Echolink for Internet-based radio

        O satellite and moon-bounce

        O international shortwave frequencies for global communication!

                                                                    Come and join the great world-wide community of ham radio.

Current sponsors/supporters: W5YI VEC

Auxiliary Emergency Radio Organization (AERO)

Salvation Army                                       PLEASE POST

How our cramming system works:  John Portune, W6NBC, discovered and Ross Peterson developed and improved a technique based on the fact that short term memory was a fantastic aid for retaining answers to test questions for an hour or two. From this Ross devised the famous “ham cram” (rapid scanning of questions and answers for just a few hours, then sitting down and taking the test). His method has consistently achieved pass rates of 75-95% and higher.

This method does NOT teach you how to be a radio operator, or even the material which underlies the test questions. This method focuses on your PASSING the test. This is Step 1 in becoming a ham radio operator.

Step 2 is to learn how to use a radio. We sell an inexpensive book to help with Step 2 right after the exam. Step 3 is to buy a radio, and Step 4 is to get on the air, and get experience checking into nets that are used for preparedness and drill. As you progress in Step 4, you may wish to serve as net control for a net some evening.

But first things first--get your license. And that is what this day’s activities are all about. Because the test focuses on SHORT TERM memory, there is little purpose in getting the technician test materials in advance.  

Study tips: If you want to do some advance preparation, get hold of a high-school physics book and read the part about the relationship between wavelength and frequency and the relationship between current, voltage, resistance and power.

 Or: Wavelength x Frequency = Velocity

Or read the first four pages of http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_1/chpt_2/1.html

For radio waves, we use the velocity of light, 300 million meters per second. If we measure frequency in Megahertz (1 million cycles per second), then the formula becomes meters x megahertz= 300. So if I ask you what is the wave-length of a 150 Megahertz signal, the answer is 2m. If you need to convert meters to feet, multiply by 3 and add 10%. A half-wave antenna has one-half wavelength elements. A conventional dipole has two 1/4 wavelength elements.

Current (rate of flow) = amperes (amps) =     I

Voltage (pressure) = volts = EMF =                E (for electromotive force)

Resistance = ohms =                                       R       I=E/R

Power = watts                                                P        P=I x E

Important info on Upgrading to GENERAL: If you now hold a Technician license and you would like GENERAL privileges you need only pass the General Element of the test. There is no longer a Morse code requirement for any amateur license. If you now hold a Technician license but haven’t passed General yet, come to any session with a copy and the original of your license and take our GENERAL exam ($14, includes testing). It’s essential you first refresh your high school physics material on waves and the relationship between wave-length, frequency and voltage, plus current, resistance, capacitance and inductance, and power (the electricity chapter, DC and AC).

Or read the first four pages of http://www.allaboutcircuits.com/vol_1/chpt_2/1.html