BASIC AMATEUR RADIO LICENSING COURSE
2008 

Fall Session Course Outline

 

September 18
Chapter 1 - INTRODUCTION TO AMATEUR RADIO & REGISTRATION
  
Learning  Objectives for this unit
             - The broad scope of the amateur radio hobby 
             - The radio licensing process
             - Approaches to studying for the license
Unit Instructors:
September 20 Chapter 2, 3 -FFUNDAMENTALS / TERMS / OHMS LAW / POWER
  
Learning  Objectives for this unit
             - Provide an introduction to elementary atomic theory
             - Familiarity with basic concepts such as:
                     Conductors, insulators, resistance, direct and alternating current,
                     electromotive force, magnets, cells and batteries and schematics
             - Define Ohm's law
             - Making simple calculations using Ohm's law
             - The concept of power and the formula for it's calculation
Unit Instructors:
September 25 Chapter 4 - INDUCTORS AND CAPACTIORS
  
Learning  Objectives for this unit
             - Define the terms inductance, capactiance, inductive and
                    capacitive reactance and explain the factors affecting each
             - Do simple calculations involving capacitance and inductance
             - Explain the role of the inductor and capacitor in circuits
Unit Instructors:
October 2 Chapter 5 - WAVES, WAVELENGTHS, FREQUENCY AND BANDS
  
Learning  Objectives for this unit
             - Understand the terms frequency, wavelength and band
             - Be able to do simple calculations involving the relationship
                    between wavelength and frequency
             - Recognize the bands that make up the amateur portion of
                    the radio spectrum
Unit Instructors:
October 9
Chapter 6 - PROPAGATION
  
Learning  Objectives for this unit
             - Classification fo waves as it pertains to propagation
             - Factors which affect propagation of radio waves
             - Propagation characteristics of the differnet amateur bands
Unit Instructors:
October 16
Chapter 16, 17 - SAFETY / REGULATIONS
  
Learning  Objectives for this unit
             - Identify and understand the sources of danger in amateur radio
             - Basic safety precaution both inside the shack and when working with antennas
             - Introduce the materials students need to understand the regulatory structure 
                     of amateur radio in Canada
             - Become conversant with specific rules and regulations
Unit Instructors:
October 18
Chapters 7, 8 - TRANSMISSION LINE / ANTENNAS
  
Learning  Objectives for this unit
             - Characteristics of different types of transmission lines
             - Types of connecters used in amateur radio
             - Troubleshooting RF transmission problems
             - Describe the features of common antennas in amateur radio
             - Calculate dimensions required for various antennas
             - How to use simple antenna formulas
Unit Instructors:
October 23 REVIEW OF CHAPTERS 1 to 8, 16, 17
  
After the review, there is an exam on all material covered to date.
October 30 Chapter 9 - ACTIVE DEVICES: DIODES, TRANSISTORS, TUBES
  
Learning  Objectives for this unit
             - Basic theory of semiconductor devices and tubes
             - Identifying the parts of each active device
             - Comparing tubes and solid state devices
             - Troubleshooting problems with active devices
Unit Instructors:
November 6 Chapter 10 - POWER SUPPLIES
  
Learning  Objectives for this unit
             - Key functions of power supplies
             - Voltage conversion, rectification and filtering
             - Reasons for voltage variations and how to resolve them
             - Design and operation of power supplies for amateur radio
Unit Instructors:
November 8 Chapter 11 - ESTABLISHING & EQUIPPING AN AMATEUR STATION
  
Learning  Objectives for this unit
             - Identifying the equipment for various modes of operation
             - Performing the basic operation of each piece of equipment
             - Determining the accessories needed in a station and their relative 
                    position in the transmission path

             - Operating procedures for different modes
             - Operating with UTC (world time)
             - Q codes, abbreviations, phonetic alphabets and more
Unit Instructors:
November 13 Chapter 13 - MODULATION AND TRANSMITTERS
  
Learning  Objectives for this unit
             - Become familiar with different types of modulation used in amateur radio
             - Be able to identify the various components of various types of transmitters 
                    and their position relative to each other
Unit Instructors:
November 20 Chapter 14 - RECEIVERS
  
Learning  Objectives for this unit
             - Become familiar with the characteristics of receivers and measurements of 
                     their performance
             - Be able to identify the different stages of various types of receivers, their 
                    functions and location
Unit Instructors:
November 29 Chapters 15 - RADIO FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE
  
Learning  Objectives for this unit
             - Understand the sources and types of of radio frequency interference (RFI)
             - Methods of eliminating RFI
Unit Instructors:
December 4 REVIEW OF CHAPTERS 9 to 15
  
After the review, there is an exam on all material covered to date.
December 11 COURSE REVIEW, EXAM STRATEGY AND FULL PRACTICE EXAM
  
The final review session and practice exam will also feature pizza, beverages and dessert
December 13 WRITE EXAM FOR THE BASIC AMATEUR RADIO QUALIFICATION
  
The exam starts at 10:00 AM at the HARC Club Station