The second class in this series will hold its first session Tuesday, April 8th (or May 13th depending on whether we can get the word out fast enough).
The Orinda Public Safety Advisory Commission, Mount Diablo Amateur Radio Club (MDARC) and Orinda Radio Interest Group are holding this series of classes at the new Orinda City Hall for people interested in earning a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Amateur Radio license. This second session will run for six weeks ending on either May 13th or June 17th, followed by a test session the next Friday night prior to the Mount Diablo Amateur Radio Club's monthly meeting. Each session is two hours on Tuesday evenings.
This class uses the Gordon West guide for the Technician Class Amateur Radio License. Copies were available for $18 at the class and can be purchased at Ham Radio Outlet (HRO) in Oakland (for $18.95 plus tax).
There is no additional cost to attend these sessions. Upon completion, testing costs $14, payable when you show up to take the test. If you pass, the fee also covers registration of your new license (good for 10 years).
For more information or to register for the class, send email to Marty Heyman, the instructor for the class. Marty can also be reached at 510-290-6484.
We are all familiar with the Family Radio Service (FRS) radios used in CERT and for personal communications. These excellent little radios have good neighborhood range but in our hilly country, their range is quite limited. Amateur Radio operators (hams) can legally use radio equipment that has many times the range. During an emergency, the FRS radios will do really well inside each CERT team or neighborhood. But it is the hams who will be able to consistently communicate with the City Emergency Operations Center and other key agencies.
Ham radio is actually quite inexpensive. You can buy a very capable hand-held radio for well under $200 that can reach for miles even in our hilly terrain. There are no fees beyond inexpensive registration fees with the FCC. An FCC Amateur Radio License is good for 10 years.. Then, when all else fails, you become part of a network of hams, each with their own gear, who can get the message through. With a little training and a little practise, you can be a hero to your family, your neighbors, and the city.
Come to our graduate CERT courses in radio operations and learn more about your FRS/GMRS radios and about ham radio. We think you'll want to join the Orinda Radio Interest Group and, soon, the ranks of Ham Radio operators.
Copyright © 2007, Orinda Radio Interest Group.
This page inspected by Jordan H. Heyman. No rabbits were harmed in the production of this Web page.