WA Radio Scanner Users' Group

As people may well be aware, Ham College has been training people in all three grades of licence since 2007. It's the main avenue for people in WA who are new to our hobby get their first qualification.

The college runs six Foundation courses a year, plus a Standard and Advanced course for people wanting to upgrade to the higher classes of licence.

We are seeking the assistance of amateurs who can give a little bit of time in helping to train people in all three levels. We need people who are prepared to share their knowledge with others, and help with sections of the training.

Foundation courses are held on the second last weekend of every second month. The next course is on the weekend of 19/20 March. This is amateur radio at its most fundamental and basic level. Foundation courses are structured to be part theory, delivered by easy to read PowerPoint slides and some hands-on training including helping trainees get on air - some for the very first time holding a radio microphone! People to act as the "remote station" for these on-air contacts are always in demand. If you can get on HF and two metres simplex, your assistance would be invaluable. If you can spare a day or half a day to come down on a course weekend and help out, we'd love to hear from you too!

The Standard and Advanced courses run on a Tuesday evening from 7pm until 10pm. These courses are mostly theory based - the Standard course covers Regulations and Standard theory, while the Advanced course covers Advanced theory. The topics covered are mathematics, safety, Ohm's Law, DC circuits, meters and measurements, sine waves, mains power, capacitors, inductors, reactance, impedance, tuned circuits, decibels, filters, transformers, semiconductors, amplifiers, oscillators, modulation, receivers, transmitters, transmission lines and antennas, propagation and EMC.

As you can see, there's a lot of topics to cover, and at the moment we really need some enthusiastic people to volunteer to take one of the topics for a night or two. Anthony VK6AXB has covered the Standard and Advanced level transmission lines and antennas topic for several years, which is greatly appreciated.

The college has resources, we have all the training material, we have experienced instructors who can provide help and assistance - but what we don't have enough of are volunteers! We have some very talented and knowledgeable amateurs in Perth with a wealth of experience in all aspects of radio and electronics. If one of those topics above sounds like an area you know a bit about, please consider donating one or two nights per year to come down and share that knowledge with people who are studying for their next licence level.

If you'd like to find out more, and see what's involved (and what you'd be getting yourself in for!) then please contact Neil VK6BDO or myself, either directly or via the Ham College website's contact form at www.hamcollege.com.au

I have booked myself to the next Foundation Course. Excited ... !

Good one
Can't wait to hear you on air !

Still need help doug?

Always

HAM COLLEGE AGM

Ham College is holding its Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 20th September, 2011, at Lynwood Scout Hall within Whaleback Golf Course, Whaleback Ave Lynwood starting at 7:00pm.

All current members of the College are invited to attend and any amateurs with an interest in furthering the advancement of amateur radio through training, education and mentoring are encouraged to come along as well and become a member.

In the next twelve months, the College is planning to expand from our current role of providing training for the three levels of licence to becoming an operational amateur radio club as well. To do this, we’re seeking help from members of the VK6 amateur community in helping get such a project off the ground.

We’ve recognised there’s a need for offering further practical experience and training to newly-licenced amateurs. For example, we can help support the new "F-Troop" weekly on-air net, and by having a fully operational club shack, there’s the opportunity for people to operate and learn about equipment they don’t yet have in their own shacks at home.

However, as a small organisation, we're running short on the most important resource of all ... people.

Our first priority is to get an active committee of people who are interested in supporting amateur radio education and training. Being a small club, the duties and time involvement of committee members is quite modest. But at the moment, our active trainers and examiners also have to take on committee positions as well.

Even if you have no desire to become a trainer or examiner yourself, please consider helping the College by taking on a committee position.

If you'd like to know more about Ham College, the plans for the future, or the details and requirements for holding a committee position, please get in contact with myself, Doug VK6DB by PM'ing me through the forum.