Here is where we will list training classes and test sessions for those wanting to get their amateur radio licensees, or upgrade their current license.
Classes:
Emergency Communicators Offer Free License Classes
Natural disasters highlight the ways that amateur radio operators serve their communities. Amateur radio not only provides a way for citizens to communicate for their own safety but a way for them to assist others when cell phones and other communication systems fail or are overloaded.
For those interested in obtaining an FCC amateur radio license, the Greene County Amateur Radio Emergency Service (GCARES) is offering three Amateur Radio license classes starting Sunday, September 17, 2023. The classes will meet from 7 to 9 p.m. each Sunday through November 12th. A test for all classes of licenses will be given November 19th at 6 p.m. in the Community Room at Beavercreek Township Fire Station 61.
There is no charge for the classes and Morse Code is no longer required to obtain any amateur radio license. The classes are supported by the Bellbrook Amateur Radio Club (BARC), the Upper Valley Amateur Radio Club (UVARC) and the Xenia Weather Amateur Radio Network (XWARN) in addition to GCARES.
The entry level Technician Class course will be held in the Bellbrook Amateur Radio Club Clubhouse, Room 1, Sugarcreek Elementary School, 51 South East Street in Bellbrook. No experience is required and there is no minimum age required to earn a Technician Class license.
The General Class course and the Test Session will be held in the Training Room at Beavercreek Township Fire Station 61 located at 2195 Dayton-Xenia Road just west of Orchard Lane.
The Extra Class course will be held in the Training Room at Fairborn Fire Station 2 located at 2200 Commerce Center Blvd. just south of Dayton-Yellow Springs Road.
To register for a course or for more information, please contact Bob Baker, N8ADO, by email at n8ado@woh.rr.com or Jim Gifford, KD8APT, BARC Secretary at kd8apt@gmail.com. You may also register in person at the first class.
Amateur radio is authorized by the FCC and you must register with the FCC and obtain an FCC Registration Number (FRN) before getting a license. To visit the FCC website and login or register, go to https://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsEntry/licManager/login.jsp
Textbooks may be purchased from the Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL) at https://www.arrl.org/shop/Licensing-and-Education/.
Last updated 8/23/2023
The Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA) offers periodic classes for all levels of licensing. See their Class Schedule here.
You can also try looking at the ARRL Online Class Finder
Test Sessions:
Applicants must furnish the original and one photocopy of their current license (if any), original of any certificates of successful completion of examination (CSCE) they may hold, positive (photo) identification, and Licensee ID number (FRN) .
If you are applying for your first license, please go to https://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/coresWeb/publicHome.do and obtain a FRN. The web site is self explanatory and the FRN registration is free.
The entry level Amateur Radio License is the Technician Class:
The privileges of a Technician Class operator license include operating an amateur station that may transmit on channels in any of 17 frequency bands above 50 MHz with up to 1,500 watts of power. To pass the Technician Class examination, at least 26 questions from a 35 question written examination must be answered correctly. Technician Class licensees also have privileges in four amateur service bands in the HF range (3-30 MHz)
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A test for all classes of licenses will be given November 19th 2023 at 6 p.m. in the Community Room at Beavercreek Township Fire Station 61.
The Dayton Amateur Radio Association (DARA) offers testing several times a year. See their schedule here.
The Dial Radio Club offers testing several times a year. See their schedule here.
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Online test sessions are available through HamStudy.org
Online Resources:
Practice exams:
You have to take your license exam through a Volunteer Examiner (VE) test session, but you can practice using these online systems using the same question pool as VEs use to make up their exams
ARRL E-Ham.net QRZ.Com HamExam.org HamStudy.org
Study Guides:
The Question Pools (lists of questions that are used to make up your exam) for the various license classes are on line at the following websites:
You can also find study guides, both online and in hardcopy at a variety of places such as: