Subject: [NEXTEL-1] ARRL LAUNCHES ON-LINE TECHNICIAN CLASS

From: Marcelrf <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 20 Mar 2004 03:20:46 -0500

ARRL LAUNCHES ON-LINE TECHNICIAN CLASS

Thanks to the League's new on-line Technician Class Course for Ham Radio

Licensing (EC-010) <http://www.arrl.org/cce/Tech.html>, prospective hams

can study for their ticket wherever they can connect to the Internet and

on their own schedule. The course is offered through the ARRL
Certification and Continuing Education (C-CE) program. Two new classes
will open each month, and students may sign up anytime via the ARRL Web
site <http://www.arrl.org/cce/courses.html#ec010> or by calling the New
Ham Hotline, 800-326-3942. Class sessions begin April 6 and April 20.
ARRL
On-line Course Development Coordinator Howard Robins, W1HSR, says the
new
on-line Technician course will include everything needed to successfully

pass the examination plus help with getting a foothold in ham radio.

"The on-line approach to learning provides students a way to prepare for

the exam at their own pace over an eight-week period with 24/7 access to

the material," Robins said. The assignment of a very experienced "Elmer"

or mentor to all students is one benefit of the on-line learning method.

Another is a post-graduation on-line support group that's only available

to course graduates. "This group will provide Elmering as the new ham
gets
started, as well as help with equipment and antenna questions or
anything
pertaining to Amateur Radio," Robins explained.

Steve Ford, WB8IMY, Chuck Hutchinson, K8CH, and Larry Wolfgang, WR1B,
developed the class material. The Technician course takes 20 to 25 hours

to complete, and those finishing the class will take their tests at a
volunteer examiner test session
<http://www.arrl.org/arrlvec/examsearch.phtml>.

Believed to be the first on-line Technician licensing class of its kind
in
the US, the course will closely follow the popular ARRL license manual
Now
You're Talking! The course fee--$99 for ARRL members and $139
non-members--includes a copy of the book. (Regular ARRL membership
<http://www.arrl.org/join.html> is $39 per year, which includes QST, the

official journal of ARRL--the national association for Amateur Radio.)

Students taking the class will be introduced to everything from casual
operating to emergency and public service communication and to radio
technology. Students also will learn about the role of radio clubs and
of
the ARRL Field Organization. A course syllabus
<http://www.arrl.org/cce/syllabus.html#ec010> and a list of student
activities <http://www.arrl.org/cce/student-activities.html#ec010> are
on
the C-CE Web site.

The Technician Class Course for Ham Radio Licensing and the virtual ham
radio campus are available through ARRL's partnership with the
Connecticut
Distance Learning Consortium, a nonprofit organization that specializes
in
developing on-line courses for Connecticut colleges and universities.
For
additional details, e-mail [email-masked].