VAOT Technician Ham Radio Class
Tuesday, December 13, 9AM-2PM

Things you need to know.
Please read carefully.
This information will be updated daily.
Update: Dec 12, 2022

The Video Class

1. Please be sure to finish the On-Line Course. Today is Monday, December 12. You have 1 day to complete the course. Please submit quizzes no later than 5PM. After that, you will not get results until just before class starts. You need to go through all 42 lessons, 6 reviews and successfully completed the 3 quizzes to complete this work. If you do not finish, it will be much harder to do well on the exam.
   .... By the way - no dropping out! You have a great opportunity here so be sure to work through it. Failure is not an option!
   
   
2. Be sure you have a proper location to take the video course on December 13. Your room should be free of distractions and set up so you cannot be disturbed. Phone calls and text messages should be disabled. No one else wants to hear your phone ring!
   
   
3. Your computer should be set up to run Zoom. For best results, go to www.zoom.us, set up a free account and download the small helper file onto your computer. Your Zoom performance will be much better this way than just using Zoom through a web browser. After this is all set up, join your personal meeting room and verify that your camera and microphone work. Cameras are required. I need to see you. This is an important piece of classroom training.
   
   
4. The Zoom meeting ID is 532-682-839. Or else, the direct link is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/532682839. Don't bother connecting now - there ain't no one home! Please connect to the meeting at 8:45 next Tuesday. This will allow 15 minutes to clear up any technical issues. The class will start promptly at 9:00.
   
   
5. There will be a break at 11:45 and a shorter break around 10:30. Use these times to replentish food and drink or take bathroom breaks. Have food or snacks available during class so that you can eat or drink as needed. The class will end around 2:00 and can run longer if there are more questions to be covered.

The Exam

1. The exam for the Technician Amateur Radio license will be given on-line at 3-5PM, after the class. We hope to test up to 24 students in this session. The remaining students can opt to take their exam Wednesday morning or later that week.
   
   
2. Remote exams are somewhat more complicated than in-person exams.
   • Applicants must preregister for the exam
   • Applicants will then join a different Zoom meeting at a specific time slot
   • Applicants will show ID, and then take the examiners on a tour of their room to make sure there is nothing which will compromise the exam
   • Applicants will share their screen, so that examiners will see everything their computer displays
   • Applicants will go to the exam.tools site, log in with their credentials and take the exam at their computer while the exam team watches both their screen and watches the applicant on camera
   • Please go to http://www.hamclass.net/examreq.html for specific details on remote exam procedures and how to properly set up your computer.
   
   
3. When do you want to take the exam? I need to know this today - Monday!!
   • If you desire to take your exam on Tuesday afternoon, please go to this site to register: https://ham.study/sessions/638ee77e4fecbb330418a94b/1 Note that you have to be ready to do well on the exam. If you have not completed the On-Line Pre-study material, you are not ready! When you get to this site, click on "Register" at the bottom.
   • If you desire to take your exam AFTER Tuesday, there are some options:
     • I will offer an exam session Wednesday 10-12. I prefer that everyone else who didn't test on Tuesday take this option.
     • You would like to take the exam a few days later. I can only offer 1 make-up session as I have to schedule volunteers.
     In either case, please let me know directly at w1sj@arrl.net. When I know when everyone else wants the exam, I can provide a link for it. Registrations are date-based. If you register for Tuesday, you cannot test on Wednesday!
   
   
4. The exam registration will ask a bunch of questions, all of which must be answered and answered correctly! If you mistype your email address, you will not get any results! You will also be directed to go to the FCC site to register for an FRN (Federal Registry Number). This is required. If you already have such a number (i.e. if you have a different license with the FCC) you simply need to produce that number.
   • What should I use for an address?
     Some registrations have been using the VTrans address in Barre. Please understand the ramifications. At some point, you will either be transferred or change employment and both your mailing address and email address will no longer be valid. You are then obligated to go into the FCC web site, pay another fee and change to the correct address. The FCC gets real annoyed if they send you something and it comes back undeliverable. Also, you will get catalogs and mail from ham radio companies and other hams. You may not want this mail coming to a work address. For these reasons, a residential address and personal email (but one which works) would be best. However, your name and address will be in a public database, and you might not want that. I have never heard of crazy people looking up ham addresses and bothering people, but some do not like their address posted. Ultimately, the decision of what email and address to use is up to you.
   
   
5. Upon successful completion of the registration process, you will receive a 4-digit pin number and I will be alerted. I will then schedule your time block in the session. If you have a preference for a time (i.e. early or late), please let me know directly at w1sj@arrl.net. I will then provide you with the Zoom link for the exam (which is different than the class link).

The License

1. After you PASS the exam, the system generates electronic paperwork, which is forwarded to the FCC the next morning.
   
   
2. The next day the FCC will contact you via email with the results and give you instructions on how to pay the $35 license fee. Sadly, there is no way around this, and no way I know of to get someone else to cover the fee, except for later reinbursement. The license is good for 10 years, so you shouldn't have to deal with it for a long time!

There is a lot of stuff here - almost as challenging as the exam itself. Please read through everything a few times, and be sure to ask questions if you don't understand something. Check back often, as this information changes daily.