Have you been putting off getting your General License? Do you hear hams talking about HF and want to participate yourself? Don't put it off any longer, get your General Class Ham License!

Four classes are scheduled for you to attend. You may pre-register by letting Greg N9CHA know you are interested in the class. Click HERE to send Greg an email. Or, simply show up at one or as many of the classes you wish to attend. These classes are FREE!

All classes will be held at the Polk County Justice Center. 1005 West Main Street, Balsam Lake, WI. Enter the front doors and look for signs in the main lobby directing you to the Multi-Purpose Room. Classes begin at 8:30am and conclude at 4pm on the following Saturdays:

January 16th - 8:30am to 4pm - Lessons 1 - 4
January 23rd - 8:30am to 4pm - Lessons 5 - 8
February 20th - 8:30am to 4pm - Lessons 9 - 12
February 27th - 8:30am to 4pm - Lessons 13 - 16

Please bring your own lunch, snacks and drinks. Coffee will be provided. You also need to have the current ARRL General Class License Manual, 6th edition. You should also have scratch paper and a note book, pencils, highlighter, and a calculator (with square root). Optionally you may wish to purchase the ARRL's General Q&A Manual, 3rd edition.

Lesson 1 - "Introduction to the General Class License"

• Set the stage for the class that will motivate students to continue to participate through to the conclusion.
• Outline the advantages for obtaining a General Class license.
• Know the requirements and study resources available for General Class license.

• See basic HF operating procedures in action.
• Learn common HF practices and modes.
• Understand net structure and procedures.
• Review emergency communications within the context of General Class privileges.

• Be familiar with international rules that govern Amateur Radio operation.
• Understand how the jurisdiction of the ITU, FCC and FAA impact your Amateur Radio operations, including third-party rules.
• Know where to find detailed rules and regulation information.
• Develop strategies to prevent, mitigate and handle interference issues and situations.

• Review basic electronics concepts.
• Be familiar with the electrical and physical characteristics of resistors, capacitors and inductors.

• Be able to perform calculations to solve problems involving peak-to-peak voltage, RMS voltage and power formulas.

• Understand how transformers work.
• Define impedance.
• Be able to calculate the voltage change within a transformer based on the ratio of primary to secondary windings.
• Be able to calculate the impedance change within a transformer based on the ratio of primary to secondary windings.

• Learn the basic function of diodes, transistors, integrated circuits, vacuum tubes and microprocessors in electronic equipment.

• Be able to choose the appropriate power supply and battery for a particular application.
• Be able to identify and choose the appropriate connector for a particular application.
• Gain some familiarity with basic test equipment.

• Understand that the process of modulation is embedding or impressing the intelligence to be sent by the radio carrier wave.
• Understand that the process of demodulation is separating the desired intelligence from the radio carrier wave once it is received.
• Be able to define bandwidth and relate the required bandwidth to the mode in use.
• Identify the various kinds of digital communications modes.
• Know the basic rules and regulations that govern the digital modes.

• Know the basic building blocks of transmitters and receivers.
• Know how these building blocks are assembled to create a transmitter and receiver.
• Learn how to properly set the operating controls of your station.

• Understand the basics of antennas and be familiar with some of the characteristics of the most common types of antennas.
• Be able to explain how a beam antenna produces gain.
• Be able to choose an appropriate feed line and use an SWR meter to check the antenna/feed line match.

• Understand the structure of the ionosphere and how it is related to radio wave propagation.
• Know how to use solar indices to predict radio wave propagation.

• Review basic electrical safety concerns and techniques.
• Know how to properly ground your station to avoid electrical and RF safety issues.
• Know how to evaluate your station for RF safety.
• Review some physical safety concerns and techniques to use while working with towers and installing antennas.