Amatuer Radio Training Programs

As amateur (ham) radio entered its 2nd century of existance in the early 2010’s the wonder of the Internet, YouTube, and online Learning Management Systems (LMS) that were available for training opportunites grew exponentially. Most of us rapidly adopted these new learning technologies and now distance learning has made its way into every facet of education. The need for formal, classroom training given by local club hams has become mostly a thing of the past. In our own club we have discovered that attendance at these formal face-to-face sessions is poor. Over the time required to present the necessary information, attendance also drops off dramatically. As such, Tamiami Amateur Radio Club (TARC) now recommends the use of online or correspondence learning tools for both new hams desiring to obtain their entry level Technician Class FCC license and for current hams desiring to upgrade their license class to General or Amateur Extra.

To facilitate such distance learning objectives, TARC has prepared a list of resources for students to consider when looking for a training program. TARC does not specifically recommend or endorse any of the listed training resources on our lists. Our only goal is to assist students in finding and reviewing possible distance learning resources. Some of this training is offered with no charge and some will have costs associated with the training. Almost all of the charges are well under $100. Most of the resources listed by TARC offer sample lessons for your review and these should allow you to select a particular course with instructors and presentation style that suit your personal needs.

The key to successfully preparing for any FCC license exam is to make use of interactive, online question answering. This repeated exposure to questions and answers quickly prepares one for the examaination. We do not advocate “memorizing answers” per se but taking these practice question and examination tests does work. If you can consitently score well in the practice tests, you will do well on the actual examination!

You will always be asked to pay $15 when taking your license test and the FCC will charge you $35 to issue your Amateur Radio License. Many ham club’s in the area offer license testing opportunities on an as requested basis. The TARC club offers these accredited Volunteer Examiner (VE) testing sessions on a scheduled, monthly basis on the 2nd Saturday of each month in Venice. Visit our VE website page for <details>

The Low Cost Training Option

Use study guides and online testing resources provided by the Amateur Radio Relay Legue (ARRL). The ARRL is American ham radio’s national and international representation to the world.

The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual will guide you as you get started in the hobby–as you select your equipment, set-up your first station, and make your first contact. Use this book to study for the 35-question Technician Class license exam. Includes the entire question pool with answer key, for use July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2026. Cost: $32.95 from ARRL or Amazon. Manuals for self-study for General and Amateur Extra Class licenses are also available for those wanting to upgrade their license class.

The ARRL also offers a no charge, online practice testing service for all three classes of licenses. You simply create the free account and then log in as often as you like to take either entire license practice tests or smaller tests by funtional area. The system keeps track of your performance and will adjust the type are frequency of test questions given to you based on your performance. Combined, the manual and online testing are a great resource! ARRL ExamReview webiste.

Another low cost training option is to search YouTube for course videos. There are numerous such course offerings online for all three classes of license. Just, be alert to the dates these courses were prepared as the FCC and ARRL changes the testing question pool for each class of license every 4 years. This is done to keep the testing current and up to date with regulatory, technical, and operating changes that occur. Amatuer radio is a dynamic and technolopgy driven hobby and is constantly evolving. That’s what makes it so interesting and exciting! Just a small sampling of what’s available:

• ARRL YouTube Site
• Red Wagon Course
• Ham Radio 2.0
• and many, many more!

Paid Training Options

Again, there are a large number of commerical ham radio training programs that have been developed over time and that have stood the test of time too! Each of them has their proponents and all of them offer the instruction necessary to obtain your FCC license. It becomes a question of cost, personal learning style, and how much effort you put into the course. Just because you paid your money and completed all of the training modules doesn’t guarentee you will get a license!!! As with everything in life, you have to put in effort to actually learn the material. And, again, TARC does not endorse or recommend any of these resources. Do your own homework and pick the one you think fits your learing style and needs best:

• Ham Radio Prep $35.00
• Gordon West $29.95
• Ham Radio School $29.95
• Ham Test Online $29.95

Your Feedback

Please help us keep this post up to date with what is available for ham radio license learning. Let us know if you liked the training you selected or if you didn’t like it….and tell us why. We may choose to add or remove resources from our list based on your reports.

Send feedback to w4ac@tamiamiarc.org

Good luck and hope to see you testing with our VE crew in Venice very soon!