A free, weekly, live, Amateur Radio General Class Licensing course on Zoom will begin on Tuesday, November 10, and will run through Tuesday, January 5 (7 sessions). . The three-hour sessions will start at 6:30 PM Eastern Time. These are the classes that we have been holding for years sponsored by the Amateur Radio Club of the National Electronics Museum.
Participants in the course should have or be studying for the Amateur Radio Technician license. Please publicize this with anyone you know that you think would be interested. Those wishing to sign up should email me at roland.anders@comcast.net.
Ready to take your amateur radio journey to the next level? The ARCNEM General Class License Course is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, November 10, 2026 and run thru January 5, 2027 (9 sessions). Classes are sponsored by the National Electronics Museum.
Upgrading from Technician to General is the single biggest leap you can make in amateur radio, granting you access to the High Frequency (HF) bands.
Why Upgrade? —- The Power of HF Privileges
While Technician privileges keep you mostly local on VHF/UHF, a General Class license unlocks over 80% of the amateur radio spectrum. With HF privileges, you can:
- Communicate Worldwide: Bounce signals off the ionosphere to talk across continents and oceans without relying on internet-linked repeaters or infrastructure.
- Master the Solar Cycle: Experience the thrill of peak solar activity on the 10, 15, and 20-meter bands, where even low-power (QRP) stations can achieve global reach.
- Activate Parks on the Air (POTA): Take your station into the great outdoors! General HF privileges allow you to easily hunt or activate state and national parks, a massive and highly active global community.
- Chase DX & Awards: Participate in international contesting, hunt rare DX stations, and work toward prestigious milestones like DXCC (DX Century Club) and Worked All States (WAS).
- Explore Diverse Modes: Dive deep into long-distance single sideband (SSB) voice, traditional CW (Morse code), and advanced digital weak-signal modes like FT8.
- Enhance Emergency Capabilities: Provide resilient, long-range emergency communications that can bridge gaps across states and countries when local infrastructure fails.
Course Schedule & Details
* Start Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2026
* Format: Weekly 3-hour sessions held on Tuesday evenings at 6:30 PM Eastern Time
* Platform: Online via Zoom (links will be sent to registered participants)
* All sessions will be recorded and available on YouTube