POUGHKEEPSIE – The Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response in partnership with the Mt. Beacon and QSY Society Amateur Radio Clubs, will facilitate a two-day Technician Level amateur radio licensing class on Saturday, May 14th from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm and on Sunday, May 15th from 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
FCC license exams will be administered at 1:00 pm on Sunday, May 15th and are open to all wishing to obtain a license or upgrade their existing license.
A $15 FCC exam fee will be applied for all participants taking the exam. Amateur radio or ham radio operators are equipped with the ability to communicate across towns, around the world, or even into space without the use of the internet or a cell phone, proving to be an essential resource during emergencies.
For example, amateur radio services kept New York City agencies in touch with each other after their command center was destroyed during the 9/11 tragedy. Additionally, ham radio operators provide essential support during significant natural disasters including Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the 2013 flooding in Colorado.
The training and exam will be held at the Dutchess County Department of Emergence Response, located at 392 Creek Road in the Town of Hyde Park. The two-day licensing class is open to the public and free to attend; however, pre-registration is required.
It is recommended participants obtain the ARRL Ham Radio License Manual 3rd Edition prior to the first session.
To pre-register and to learn more, call William Baker at (845) 235-2048 or visit: http://www.arrl.org/courses/poughkeepsie-ny-12603-1
Dutchess County amateur radio clubs and operators will come together on Saturday and Sunday, June 25-26 to participate in the international ARRL Field Day, an on-the-air event held annually the fourth weekend in June in the U.S. and Canada where more than 35,000 radio amateurs gather with their clubs, groups or friends to operate from remote locations.
The objective of the event is to work as many stations as possible on any and all amateur bands (excluding the 60, 30, 17, and 12-meter bands) and to learn to operate in abnormal situations in less than optimal conditions. Dutchess County’s Bowdoin Park, located at 85 Sheafe Road in the Town of Poughkeepsie, will be a host site for the 2016 ARRL Field Day.
Amateur Radio Licensing Class flyer http://www.co.dutchess.ny.us/CountyGov/Departments/EmergencyResponse/2016_Ham_Radio_Class.pdf
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