amateur radio certification

1. One of our course objectives is to develop your appreciation of government regulation of telecommunications. Another is to acquaint you with issues related to Life Long Learning and Certification and Certification. Still another is to make it possible for you to legally build and operate wireless transmitters capable of transmitting over distances ranging from a few kilometres to thousands of kilometres.

2. The amateur radio service is a radiocommunication service in which radio apparatus are used for the purpose of self-training, intercommunication or technical investigation by individuals who are interested in radio technique solely with a personal aim and without pecuniary interest.

3. Although many radio amateurs are strictly hobbyists who purchase pre-built equipment and participate in socially oriented activities, many others are professional RF engineers or IT specialists. Many students begin their RF engineering careers by earning their amateur radio certificate and pursuing some RF projects. Many hiring managers in the wireless sector hold amateur radio certificates and are appreciative of applicants who do so as well.

4. Accordingly, ELEC 391requires that students earn Basic certificates during the course. We will arrange for an optional opportunity to write the Advanced exam later in the course if there is sufficient interest. The following links provide helpful background information.

INNOVATION, SCIENCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CANADA

Spectrum Management and Telecommunications

Home -> Internet, Radio, and Wireless -> Spectrum Management and Telecommunications -> Radiocom -> Amateur Radio Service

Recommended STEPS

It's best to coordinate your exam preparations with the other members of your lab group.

Step 1:

Survey the overview material at:

Amateur Radio Service
http://www.ic.gc.ca/epic/site/smt-gst.nsf/en/h_sf01709e.html

Canadian Table of Frequency Allocations
http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/smt-gst.nsf/eng/h_sf01678.html

Annotated RIC-7 by Donn Hilton and François Daigneault

During the first pass, separate the material into three categories:

1. things you know well

2. things of which you are aware but need to learn more

3. things that are completely unfamiliar

During successive passes, your goal is to transform items from Category 3 into Category 2 and from Category 2 into Category 1.

Use the Industry Canada documents (Steps 1 and 2), the EMO Lessons (Step 3), Wikipedia or Google to look up unfamiliar terms, or ask one of the Project TAs or Prof. Michelson for help.

Step 2:

Review the following documents from Industry Canada:

RIC-1 - Guide for Examiners Accredited to Conduct Examinations for Amateur Radio Operator Certificates
Issue 6, February 2009

RIC-3 - Information on the Amateur Radio Service
Issue 3, July 2005

RIC-7 - Basic Qualification Question Bank for Amateur Radio Operator Certificate Examinations
Issue 3, April 1, 2007

RIC-8 - Advanced Qualification Question Bank for Amateur Radio Operator Certificate Examinations
Issue 3, April 1, 2007

RIC-9 - Call Sign Policy and Special Event Prefixes
Issue 2 (Provisional), October 2005

RBR-3 - Technical Requirements Respecting Identification of Radio Stations
September 2007

RBR-4 - Standards for the Operation of Radio Stations in the Amateur Radio Service
Issue 2, January 2014

These documents contain factual information. You need to remember the information and, if possible, appreciate the intent and context.

step 3:

The basic certificate exam consists of 100 multiple-choice questions drawn from Industry Canada's RIC-7. The questions focus on eight subject areas: 1) Regulations and Policies, 2) Operating and Procedures, 3) Station, Assembly, practice and Safety, 4) Circuit Components, 5) Basic Electronics and Theory, 6) Feedlines and Antenna Systems, 7) Radio Wave Propagation, 8) Interference and Suppression.

Review (using SQ3R) the following materials produced by the Ontario EMO (Emergency Measures Organization)

Lesson # 1 - Regulations and Policies (based largely on the IC documents)

Lesson # 2 - Operating and Procedures (based largely on the IC documents)

Lesson # 3 - Block Diagrams Definitions & Safety

Lesson # 4 - Circuit Components

Lesson # 5 - Basic Electronics & Theory

Lesson # 6 - Antennas

Lesson # 6 - Feed Lines

Lesson # 7 - Radio Wave Propagation

Lesson # 8 - Interference

During the first pass, separate the material into three categories:

1. things you know well

2. things of which you are aware but need to learn more

3. things that are completely unfamiliar

During successive passes, your goal is to transform items from Category 3 into Category 2 and from Category 2 into Category 1.

Use the Industry Canada documents (Steps 1 and 2) or Wikipedia or Google to look up unfamiliar terms, or ask one of the Project TAs or Prof. Michelson for help. DON'T LEAVE THIS STEP UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE!

We can leave time during the Week 3 lectures to answer your questions. Otherwise, send them by email to Prof. Michelson.

You may wish to obtain a copy of the UBC Amateur Radio Society's Basic Qualification Manual from the IEEE Student Branch.

STEP 4:

Study the following external document in detail:

Annotated RIC-7 by Donn Hilton and François Daigneault

Use the EMO Lessons (Step 2), the Industry Canada documents (Steps 1 and 3), Wikipedia or Google to look up unfamiliar terms, or ask one of the Project TAs or Prof. Michelson for help.

You may wish to obtain a copy of the UBC Amateur Radio Society's Basic Qualification Manual from the IEEE Student Branch.

Step 5:

When you believe that you have a solid grasp of the material, obtain the exam generator software from:

ExHAMiner V2.5 (2014 04)

Please download at least one Question Bank from the above page and deposit in the same folder as the program.

Basic Qualification - English(2014 09)
Advanced Qualification - English (2014 09)

Schematics for Advanced Qualification Exam (2014 04)

Amateur Radio Exam Generator
http://www.ic.gc.ca/epic/site/smt-gst.nsf/en/h_sf05378e.html

Take the practice exam. When you are getting >80% every time you try the simulated test then you are ready for the real test.

Step 6:

Write the Basic exam in class on Tue, 24 May 2016 from 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm.

As noted above, we will arrange for an optional opportunity to write the Advanced exam later in the course if there is sufficient interest.