| Register here for the 2008 Ham Holiday test session! |
|---|
| Register here for a test session |
Please visit the ARRL site that explains hamradio. We'll open this in a new window for you so you'll remember to come back.
SCARS is not offering any classes in the near future. Watch this space for details!
Yes! After almost 4 years of discussion, the FCC decided to eliminate Morse code telegraphy testing for any of the classes of Amateur Radio licenses. This decision was announced on December 15, 2006 and the changes became effective on February 23, 2007.
Read the entire 42 page FCC R&O (PDF) and the official text of the Federal Register announcement.
No! A CSCE issued for passing the General written before the February 23, 2007, rule change is not valid for upgrade. You must attend a VE session and trade that CSCE for a new one that indicates an upgrade. CSCEs are only valid for 365 days, so make certain you attend a session before it expires!
Yes! As of February 23, 2007, all Technician-class radioamateurs gain access to parts of the HF spectrum regardless of whether they ever passed a Morse code test. Technicians can use CW from 3525-3600, 7025-7125, 21025-21200, and 28000-28500 kHz. They can also use Data from 28000-28300 kHz and SSB voice from 28300-28500 kHz. No additional testing or paperwork is necessary!
Yes, please! All paperwork is prepared in advance to speed the session. Registration also allows the SCARS VE Team to manage demand. "Walk-ins" are welcome, but will be handled on a space-available basis and will be processed only after all pre-registered applicants are checked in. Please use our online form to register and thanks!
| Norman Fire Department Fire Station 7 2207 Goddard Ave Norman OK 73069-8412 |
Testing sessions are conducted in the Norman Fire Department Training Center, part of Fire Station 7. Engine 7's quarters are located on the grounds of OU's Max Westheimer Airport near the intersection of Goddard Ave, W Rock Creek Rd, and N Flood Ave (US-77).
The South Canadian Amateur Radio Society VE Team conducts examinations for Amateur Radio licenses on the Thursday preceding the second Saturday in the training room of Norman Fire Department Station 7 in Norman, Oklahoma. The exam session begins at 6:30 pm. Pre-registration is recommended so that we can prepare paperwork in advance and manage demand. "Walk-ins" are welcome, but will be handled on a space-available basis after all pre-registered applicants are checked in. SCARS volunteer examiners are accredited by the ARRL VEC.
| Upcoming Exam Dates and Results | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Elements Passed |
New Hams |
Upgrades | Days to issue license |
| 2008 | ||||
| January 10 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 5 |
| February 7 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
| March 6 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| April 10 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 |
| May 8 | 5 | 3 | 2 | |
| June 12 | ||||
| July 10 First test using new AMATEUR EXTRA Question & Answer Pool |
||||
| July 19 Ham Holiday test session! 0900 - 1030 at the State Fairgrounds! |
August 7 | |||
| September 11 | ||||
| October 9 | ||||
| November 6 | ||||
| December 11 | ||||
| Totals | 24 | 13 | 8 | 5.25 days, average |
| 2006 Results | ||||
| 2007 Results | ||||
Identification: Two forms of identification, one of which must be a picture ID, will be needed. A driver's license is ideal.
If you are already an Amateur Radio Operator and you are upgrading, you'll need to bring your original FCC license and a copy, as well any Certificate of Successful Completion of Examination (CSCE - also original and copy) for upgrades not yet reflected on your license.
Fee: For 2008, the ARRL VEC fee for participating in the test session remains $14. This fee covers ARRL VEC costs associated with preparing the exams and transmitting the data to the FCC. It covers all exam elements that a candidate passes in a given test session. An additional fee will be collected if a candidate wishes to retake a failed exam element.
Pencil or pen: Tests are multiple choice and hand graded, so pencil or pen are permitted. Please note that all forms (Form 605, CSCE) must be in ink. The VE Team has a supply of pens and pencils but candidates are welcome to bring their own.
Calculator: Simple electronic calculators are permitted, although the volunteer examiners may ask you to demonstrate that any memories have been cleared.
Form 605: It's faster if you pre-register for the exam. However, if you choose not to pre-register please be sure to fill out the NCVEC Form 605 (Instructions for Form 605) and bring the completed for with you to the session. This is the form that all VECs, ARRL VEC included, use to collect candidate information in preparation for transmission to the FCC. Complete Section 1 only and leave any confusing boxes blank until the night of the exam.
Note: The FCC requires licensees to register in their Universal Licensing System before a license can be issued. The ARRL VEC will handle this task for candidates, but candidates will need to incude their TIN, or Taxpayer Identification Number, on the Form 605. Since the TIN is a candidate's Social Security Number, candidates who wish to further protect their privacy may wish to pre-register in the ULS and then enter their assigned FRN ("FCC Registration Number") on Form 605. Current licensees may have their FRN printed on their license; if not, FRNs can be determined by visiting an online callsign server.
If you've studied the ARRL license manuals and are comfortable with the questions in the question pool, then you are probably ready to take the test.
If, on the other hand, you have been passing on-line practice exams and doing little else in the way of preparing, then it has been the team's experience that you are likely not sufficiently prepared to pass the written exam.
This is not a blanket indictment of on-line test sites, just our observation that students who fail the written tests, especially the entry-level Technician test, often state that they can't understand why they failed since they "always pass" the on-line test.
The Question and Answer Pools are in the public domain, per FCC regulation, but these provide no background material to help future hams actually understand the answers. There are many study guides available that do provide this background and the team has made some recommendations below.
The exam is a 35-question, multiple-choice exam. Questions are drawn from a pool of over 500 questions. The subject breakdown is covered in the next table.
Rather than try to memorize the pool, the SCARS VE Team recommends the following ARRL study guides for people interested in obtaining a Technician-class license:
For candidates studying for the General- and Amateur Extra-class licenses, the team recommends the following ARRL study guides:
As reference material, particularly for the Technician exam, the team
recommends
ARRL's
FCC Rule Book: Complete Guide to the FCC Regulations
| Technician Exam Breakdown | ||
|---|---|---|
| Sub Element | Subject | Number of Questions on Exam (Total 35) |
| T1 | FCC Rules | 5 |
| T2 | Methods of Communication | 2 |
| T3 | Radio Phenomena | 2 |
| T4 | Station Licensee Duties | 3 |
| T5 | Control Operator Duties | 3 |
| T6 | Good Operating Practices | 3 |
| T7 | Basic Communications Electronics | 3 |
| T8 | Good Engineering Practice | 6 |
| T9 | Special Operations | 2 |
| T0 | Electrical, Antenna Structure and RF Safety Practices | 6 |
Succesful candidates should be familiar (very familiar) with the following:
The ARRL maintains a database of upcoming exams in Oklahoma as well as the rest of the country.
Once a candidate has successfully completed an examination for a new license or upgrade, the SCARS VE team completes the necessary paperwork and sends the results to the ARRL VEC by overnight courier. The ARRL VEC then verifies the paperwork and enters the data into a system that transmits the resulting information to the FCC. The FCC then updates its master database of Amateur licensees. Once a candidate's information and callsign appear in the the FCC database, the license has been legally granted and Amateur Radio operations may begin! A variety of databases are available on the net where candidates may check to see if the FCC has acted on their application.
AD5WJ - Jim Copeland, Team Liason AC5AP - Ken Gastgeb N5AQ - Bill Roberson W5JA - Jud Ahern K5JVS - Jack Springer N5KUK - Ken Brown WG5T - Bill Baker WB5ULK - Gary Skaggs N5UWY - Peter Laws AC5VT - Hank Mork KA6HCB - George Wolken
Last Update: 2008-05-08 @ 20:24:03