an ARRL Affiliate Club Since December 10, 1994
Upcoming Events
May 15, 2012
May Monthly Meeting
The May 2012 monthly meeting of the Newton ARC will be held May 15 at 7:00PM. The Club meets at the Newton Public Library in the Board Room in the basement. There is an elevator for those unable to use the stairs to reach the basement. All are welcome! Visitors and non-members are especially encouraged to join us. Emergency communications preparedness training is always a focus of the group.
Posted on: 03/19/2012
ARRL Contest Calendar
You may get more details on ARRL and non-ARRL sanctioned contests by going to the Contesting link . The dates are listed here as a way to show a simple events calendar.
Posted on: 07/07/2010
June 19, 2012
June Monthly Meeting
The June 2012 monthly meeting of the Newton ARC will be held June 19 at 7:00PM. The Club meets at the Newton Public Library in the Board Room in the basement. There is an elevator for those unable to use the stairs to reach the basement. All are welcome! Visitors and non-members are especially encouraged to join us. Emergency communications preparedness training is always a focus of the group.
Posted on: 03/19/2012
August 25-26, 2012
Kansas 4th Annual QSO Party
The 4th Kansas QSO party will be held on August 25-26, 2012 from 1900-0200UTC on the 25th and 1400-1800UTC on the 26. Please check the link for the event as the event gets closer!
Posted on: 03/25/2012
May Monthly Meeting
The May 2012 monthly meeting of the Newton ARC will be held May 15 at 7:00PM. The Club meets at the Newton Public Library in the Board Room in the basement. There is an elevator for those unable to use the stairs to reach the basement. All are welcome! Visitors and non-members are especially encouraged to join us. Emergency communications preparedness training is always a focus of the group.
Posted on: 03/19/2012
ARRL Contest Calendar
You may get more details on ARRL and non-ARRL sanctioned contests by going to the Contesting link . The dates are listed here as a way to show a simple events calendar.
Posted on: 07/07/2010
June 19, 2012
June Monthly Meeting
The June 2012 monthly meeting of the Newton ARC will be held June 19 at 7:00PM. The Club meets at the Newton Public Library in the Board Room in the basement. There is an elevator for those unable to use the stairs to reach the basement. All are welcome! Visitors and non-members are especially encouraged to join us. Emergency communications preparedness training is always a focus of the group.
Posted on: 03/19/2012
August 25-26, 2012
Kansas 4th Annual QSO Party
The 4th Kansas QSO party will be held on August 25-26, 2012 from 1900-0200UTC on the 25th and 1400-1800UTC on the 26. Please check the link for the event as the event gets closer!
Posted on: 03/25/2012
Newton, KS
Toned Repeater
Amateur Radio Newsline
SKYWARN Repeater
K-Link Repeater
144.390 WØBZN
APRS Node
Reflective Radar
- Coffeyville Amateur Radio Club
- Reno Co Amateur Radio Assoc
- Trojan Amateur Radio Club
- Wichita Amateur Radio Club
- ARRL Repeater Powerpoint
For more information on ARES, please visit the ARES web site. Also, visit the Wichita, KS SKYWARN site to learn more on becoming active in severe weather.
Begins May 24
Bob Heil brings
"Ham Nation" on
twit.tv/hn
Meetings the 3rd Tuesday each month @ 7:00pm
The Newton Amateur Radio Club meets at 7:00pm in the Newton Public Library the third
Tuesday evening
of each month. The Library is located at 720 N. Oak.
All are welcome to join us.
Amateur Radio Newsline - 7:00pm Sunday 146.610
Weekly Club Net follow Newsline at 7:30pm
Make sure you check the links New Ham Starter Page and Becoming a new
Ham. Please support your local Clubs, services, and general interest on-air nets.
It is only through the participation of all hams that our hobby can be the best
it can be. It is up to us!
Ham. Please support your local Clubs, services, and general interest on-air nets.
It is only through the participation of all hams that our hobby can be the best
it can be. It is up to us!
| March 2012 - The Club repeater is now part of the K-Link system on full-time basis. This goal has been reached and made possible by Justin Reed, NØUJQ. The repeater will remain open to all users. Soon this tone will be required to join the K-Link system. An announcement will be broadcast so people will know the repeater is toned. Until then, read the rules and respect the K-Link system! The repeater is not toned as of this posting
April 20, 2012 8:14
(-0600UTC)
Repeater Distance Approximation  Repeater location coverage map This is representation, not actual coverage. Newton City/County Airport Aviation Weather - EWK Central Kansas Live Weather - Upper Mississippi Valley With thanks to the Parsons Amateur Radio Club, I have created an in-depth list of ham radio only related links. Please check it out. If you find any broken links, please contact me on the Contact Page. Please specify the broken link on the ksarrl.org web site in the contact form and |
How to Become an Amateur Radio Operator
Simple Steps to Prepare for Your First Amateur Radio License
Introduction
Becoming an Amateur Radio Operator is easy - lots of people are doing it, with little or no prior background in radio or electronics. Under the current rules (May 2011), the entry-level license is called "Technician." Applied to Amateur Radio, the term "Technician" is a misnomer - it does not mean you'll have to learn how to repair or service electronics. A licensed 2-way radio "technician" and a licensed "Amateur Radio Technician" are two different things.
As an Amateur Radio Operator, Technician class, you will be licensed to use VHF and UHF radio equipment and repeaters comparable to that used by local public agencies like Police and Fire departments. This will give you communications capability to participate in local roundtables, stay in contact with licensed family and friends, citizen patrols, volunteer programs like Citizen Corps, severe weather spotting, and emergency response teams providing backup and interoperability services to various public service and emergency response organizations. It allows you to become an active and effective volunteer communicator, assisting your community in times of need, and you'll make lots of new friends, too!
Amateur Radio is not like CB radio. Communications are polite and "family friendly," unlike CB, where conversations are often rude and vulgar. Amateur Technicians usually operate on VHF and UHF FM, using repeaters, just like police and other public service agencies. The communications are clear and reliable, unlike CB, and are not bothered by a roar of interference. FM radios use "squelch" that silences the radio between transmissions, again unlike CB, but like police radios. Using 2-meter FM radios is a purposeful and rewarding experience, not annoying nor frustrating like CB. Amateur Radio operators are trained, tested, and licensed, once again unlike CB.
Amateur Radio is strictly a non-commercial service. It may not be used for business or advertising. Businesses must use radios licensed and approved for the Business Radio Services, not the Amateur Radio Service.
The Technician class license gives you the ability to use any and all Amateur radio modes, like FM, single-sideband (SSB), digital, and even satellites and 2-way television, on VHF and UHF frequencies. This includes all the Amateur bands above 50 MHz. Technicians typically begin by purchasing a small hand-held radio and using 2-meter repeaters. Repeaters are devices located around the area that "repeat" or re-transmit your signal, so that you can reliably cover a large area using handheld, mobile, and base radios. The "repeater" is controlled by your radio and instantly repeats whatever you say, with greater power and range. Amateur repeaters typically use the same type of commercial repeater equipment used by police and other such agencies.
Exam Preparation
"Is it for me? Can I do this?" Once again, we stress that licensed Amateur Radio operators do not have to learn complex radio engineering theory nor radio electronics repair! There are licensed Amateurs from 6 to over 100 years old. You can do this, if you commit to a period of study and pass the exam. It's just like any other course of study: You immerse yourself in it for a little while, pass your exam, then enjoy all the benefits for the rest of your life.
There are many resources online for studying ham radio. There are also many books and software programs for preparing for the exams. There are even web sites that give practice exams. I have located and compiled herein what I consider the best resources. If you follow these steps, you will be ready for the Tech exam in less time that you think. Two weeks to two months is typical, depending on how much time you can devote to study.
Becoming an Amateur Radio Operator is easy - lots of people are doing it, with little or no prior background in radio or electronics. Under the current rules (May 2011), the entry-level license is called "Technician." Applied to Amateur Radio, the term "Technician" is a misnomer - it does not mean you'll have to learn how to repair or service electronics. A licensed 2-way radio "technician" and a licensed "Amateur Radio Technician" are two different things.
As an Amateur Radio Operator, Technician class, you will be licensed to use VHF and UHF radio equipment and repeaters comparable to that used by local public agencies like Police and Fire departments. This will give you communications capability to participate in local roundtables, stay in contact with licensed family and friends, citizen patrols, volunteer programs like Citizen Corps, severe weather spotting, and emergency response teams providing backup and interoperability services to various public service and emergency response organizations. It allows you to become an active and effective volunteer communicator, assisting your community in times of need, and you'll make lots of new friends, too!
Amateur Radio is not like CB radio. Communications are polite and "family friendly," unlike CB, where conversations are often rude and vulgar. Amateur Technicians usually operate on VHF and UHF FM, using repeaters, just like police and other public service agencies. The communications are clear and reliable, unlike CB, and are not bothered by a roar of interference. FM radios use "squelch" that silences the radio between transmissions, again unlike CB, but like police radios. Using 2-meter FM radios is a purposeful and rewarding experience, not annoying nor frustrating like CB. Amateur Radio operators are trained, tested, and licensed, once again unlike CB.
Amateur Radio is strictly a non-commercial service. It may not be used for business or advertising. Businesses must use radios licensed and approved for the Business Radio Services, not the Amateur Radio Service.
The Technician class license gives you the ability to use any and all Amateur radio modes, like FM, single-sideband (SSB), digital, and even satellites and 2-way television, on VHF and UHF frequencies. This includes all the Amateur bands above 50 MHz. Technicians typically begin by purchasing a small hand-held radio and using 2-meter repeaters. Repeaters are devices located around the area that "repeat" or re-transmit your signal, so that you can reliably cover a large area using handheld, mobile, and base radios. The "repeater" is controlled by your radio and instantly repeats whatever you say, with greater power and range. Amateur repeaters typically use the same type of commercial repeater equipment used by police and other such agencies.
Exam Preparation
"Is it for me? Can I do this?" Once again, we stress that licensed Amateur Radio operators do not have to learn complex radio engineering theory nor radio electronics repair! There are licensed Amateurs from 6 to over 100 years old. You can do this, if you commit to a period of study and pass the exam. It's just like any other course of study: You immerse yourself in it for a little while, pass your exam, then enjoy all the benefits for the rest of your life.
There are many resources online for studying ham radio. There are also many books and software programs for preparing for the exams. There are even web sites that give practice exams. I have located and compiled herein what I consider the best resources. If you follow these steps, you will be ready for the Tech exam in less time that you think. Two weeks to two months is typical, depending on how much time you can devote to study.
- First, familiarize yourself with the Amateur Radio "world." Please read the ARRL article at http://www.arrl.org/hamradio.html. When complete, use your "Back" button to return here and continue.
- It's important and very useful to learn the terminology. This will make study much more beneficial. Subscribe to ham radio magazines and learn the terminology from the context.
- Order and read the book "Now You're Talking!" from ARRL. This $19.95 book is the standard entry-level Amateur Radio text, and is essential to prepare you both for the exam, and a firm foundation in Amateur Radio, since it explains the correct answers. It is very user-friendly, and highly recommended reading. It goes well beyond the exam, giving you a wide-angle view into the Amateur Radio hobby. Magazine subscriptions are also very helpful, just as in any other hobby.
- Another gentleman's school of learning all you need to pass your written from Technician to Extra tests are Gordon West, WB6NOA, or "Gordo" as he calls himself with his series of books for $20.95 from the W5YI Group.
- Study the Technician exam question pool. See http://www.ncvec.org/page.php?id=338. These are the official question pool from which 30 or 50 questions (depending on the exam being taken) will be drawn at random to compose your exam. Most people recommend that you never read the distracters (wrong answers). Simply read the questions and the correct answers. This will teach you a lot, and prepare you for the exam. Many people like to read and record the questions and answers on cassette tape or into the computer, and play them in the background while driving around or working. This is very effective!
- Take practice exams at http://www.qrz.com/p/testing.pl . The practice exams are drawn from the actual question pool that real exams are drawn from, and each one is different. While your scores are low, keep listening to and reading the exam pool. Soon you will be consistently passing your practice exams at 90% or above. When you can do so, you are ready for the exam. There is no Morse code test for the Technician license.
-
Contact your local club. See when there is an exam session you can take the multiple-choice exam.
If you are interested, please contact us through the contact page.
Amateur - Just What Does It Mean?
The National Registry Of Certified EmComm Volunteers
State/National emergency frequencies can be found on the Kansas A.R.E.S. page.
Corral as well as the CQ Contest Calendar4-5
November
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Newton Amateur Radio Club, Inc. 1997-2012
Updated:
Friday April 20, 2012 8:14