[RAC-Bulletin] RAC is considering offering more online Amateur Radio courses: survey now being conducted

Survey being conducted to determine demand: Ends June 21

https://www.rac.ca/survey-online-advanced-course/

For immediate release:

In response to the current global pandemic, Radio Amateurs of Canada organized an online Advanced Amateur Radio Certification Course in March 2020 so that individuals could upgrade their qualifications while continuing to practise social/physical distancing.

The new course was offered to RAC Maple Leaf Operator Members – both current and future – as described in the course requirements below. The course filled up very quickly and it is now nearing completion. Several students took the exam early and have earned their Advanced certificates. Thanks again for the excellent response!

We have received requests to hold another online Advanced course so we are conducting a survey to see if we have sufficient demand to hold the course and to determine the best schedule for the participants.

RAC will also be organizing another online Basic Amateur Radio Qualification Course tentatively scheduled to start in mid-August and run until early October. We will provide additional information about this course as soon as it becomes available.

Amateur Radio Basic and Advanced Qualification online courses are also being provided by other Canadian Amateur Radio clubs and organizations and we will be posting any information we receive on our Amateur Radio Courses webpage at: https://www.rac.ca/amateur-radio-courses/ . If you know of an online course and would like to include it on our website please send the information to tcamag@yahoo.ca.

Advanced Course Requirements:

Participants in the new RAC Advanced Amateur Radio Course will need to meet all of the following requirements:

1.     Participants must already be a RAC Maple Leaf Operator Member or become one by joining RAC at the Maple Leaf Operator level or upgrading to that level.

2.     Participants must already have the Canadian Basic Amateur Radio Qualification and call sign.

3.     Participants must have a copy of the Canadian Amateur Radio Advanced Qualification Study Guide provided by Coax Publications. For more information please visit the RAC Study Guides webpage.

4.     It is essential that all participants have the necessary equipment and bandwidth capable of taking the course – at least a tablet or PC and a DSL broadband connection.

Course Information:

The course instructor is Dave Goodwin, VE9CB. Dave has been an Amateur since 1975, is an active HF Contester and DXer and has many other interests in Amateur Radio. Since 2015, Dave has been teaching Basic and Advanced certification courses with the Fredericton (NB) Amateur Radio Club. Dave is also RAC’s Atlantic Director.

The course will be 10 sessions in length. Each session will be two hours long as indicated by the following options:

Option 1: One two-hour class per week on Sunday afternoons from 3 pm to 5 pm EDT (12 noon to 2 pm PDT) starting on July 5 and ending on August 30

Option 2: One two-hour class per week on Monday evenings from 8:30 pm to 10:30 pm EDT (5:30 pm to 7:30 pm PDT) starting on July 6 and ending on August 31

Option 3: Two two-hour classes per week on Sunday afternoons from 3 pm to 5 pm EDT (12 noon to 2 pm PDT) and on Thursday evenings from 8:30 pm to 10:30 pm (5:30 pm to 7:30 pm PDT) pm EDT starting July 5 and ending on August 6

Note: Options 1 and 2 involve once-a-week sessions for 10 weeks and Option 3 involves twice-a-week sessions for 5 weeks.

If you are interested in taking the new RAC Advanced Qualification Amateur Radio Course we would appreciate it if you would please complete the online survey as soon as possible by clicking on the box below. The survey will close on Sunday, June 21.

Once we have compiled the survey results we will make a decision about the status and schedule of the new course and then send out a RAC bulletin to inform you.

If you do not currently receive RAC Bulletins by email and you would like to receive them, please sign up to our mailing list by completing the form at the following link:

https://www.rac.ca/rac-notifications/

Glenn MacDonell, VE3XRA
RAC President and Chair