Ham radio organization offering licensing class
By From staff reports
Published in News on January 11, 2015 1:50 AM
The Wayne County Amateur Radio Association is offering a technician licensing class at Wayne Community College, beginning on Jan. 13 and continuing through March 17.
The class will meet weekly from 6 to 9 p.m. in room 223 in the Holly Building.
The class is free, but students will need to purchase a study guide. The guide may be purchased online at Amazon.com using ISBN: 978-1-62595-013-0.
Additionally, a FCC sanctioned testing session for the technician license is scheduled for March 21, where students apply what you've learned and hopefully earn their license, said Peter M. Wene, Wayne County Amateur Radio Association president.
Amateur radio is a service licensed by the FCC to enhance and support emergency services, he said.
Each year tornadoes, fires, storms, and other events leave communities "in the dark," Wene said.
Amateur radio operators, called "hams," are often the first to provide rescuers with critical information during emergencies, he said.
However, a license is required to operate.
The technician license is the first of three licenses and the introduction into the world of ham radio, Wene said.
Hams come from all walks of life with an interest in what's happening in the world, and radio is how they reach out, Wene said.
For more information, contact Wene at president@k4cyp.com or by phone at 919-581-5766.