In order to become a certified Amateur Radio Operator, you need to pass an exam that will make sure that you know the basics about radio, electronics, regulations, propagation, on-air practices etc.
To prepare yourself for the test, you can either take a course or you can study on your own. Courses are often given by certain local clubs, and other organizations.
Resources:
– Radio Amateurs of Canada and their on-line course
– Radio-Amateurs of Quebec (RAQI) offers an on-line course in French and in English
– The Montreal Amateur Radio Club (MARC) conducts and Amateur Radio course, so you can contact them at course@marc.ca.
– Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada has many valuable resources on their website, including practice exams. See: ISEP website
If you choose the self-study route, the best way is to get a study guide. In Canada, the HamStudy Basic guide can be ordered from Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC). Another publisher, Coax Publications, makes available the Canadian Amateur Radio Basic Qualification Study Guide.
Once you feel that you are ready to take the test, WIARC has Accredited Examiners who have been certified to administer exams for the amateur service. All examiners are active hams that hold the Advanced Qualification. Contact Us at info@wiarc.ca to schedule an exam.
WIARC owns and operates VHF and UHF repeaters VE2RWI, located in Montreal and providing wide-area coverage. The VHF frequency is 146.910 MHz with a -600 KHz offset and a CTCSS tone of 88.5 Hz. The UHF frequency is 443.050 MHz with a +5 MHz offset.
