Ham Radio Promotional Posters

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The ARRL has made available for download a series of six posters that promote Amateur Radio to the general public

These were originally designed by ARRL for the 2017 National Scouting Jamboree, but may be used for any outreach effort. Each poster is 11" x 17".

The six posters are based around the theme, "Ham Radio Is..." Those themes are:

  • Adventure (Portable operating of all kinds)
  • Discovery (Making/Building/DIY)
  • Friendship (Community and Mentoring)
  • Out Of This World (Space Communications/Satellites)
  • Ready (Public Service)
  • The Game (Contesting and Awards)

Poster Download - http://www.arrl.org/pr-posters

Differences in Amateur Radio CEPT Class 1 Licence Exam

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A glance at the exams for a CEPT Class 1 equivalent licence in various countries can give the impression the requirements are being interpreted differently

  • UK - 3 papers, 133 questions + many practical assessments
  • Eire - 1 paper, 60 questions
  • France - 1 paper, 40 questions
  • Norway - 1 paper, 28 questions

Some CEPT countries only have a single licence class and a single exam while others, such as the UK, require exams to be passed at different levels before a CEPT Class 1 licence is issued.

Norway has a single class of Amateur Radio license. It is thought the single 28 question exam paper, to get the equivalent of a CEPT Class 1 licence (equal to UK Full), may be the shortest of any CEPT country.

The Norwegian national society the NRRL report that a recent training course in Bergen required 12 evenings of study (total length 24 hours?) and achieved an impressive pass rate of 95%

Examination syllabus for a harmonised amateur radio examination certificate (HAREC) for CEPT Class 1, see Annex 6 - http://www.erodocdb.dk/docs/doc98/official/pdf/TR6102.pdf

Eire amateur radio exam syllabus - http://www.irts.ie/cgi/st.cgi?syllabus

Syllabus for each of the three UK exams - http://rsgb.org/main/clubs-training/tutor-resources-2/syllabus/

Links to question pools containing questions at CEPT Class 1 HAREC standard - http://www.iaru-r1.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=224&Itemid=169

Youngsters Unimpressed with Traditional Ham Radio

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ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, expressed his surprise when he discovered his usual amateur radio talk didn't impress young people

In the 2016 ARRL Annual Report Rick writes:

“I prepared my usual talk about some interesting ham radio stories over my 50 years as a ham, how we can talk all over the world, and I brought some QSL cards from rare places to show the group. I have given that talk many times, and it usually impresses people — but not this time. I was surprised to see flat, uninterested faces.”

”I realized that I had to change my approach to the presentation if I was going to keep the attention of these young people. After all, what could ham radio offer people who grew up in homes that had computers hooked up to the internet? Today’s young people are used to riding down the interstate at 70 MPH as a passenger while watching high-definition videos on their iPhones.”

”What we’re hearing from what I call the “new-generation ham,” is that they don’t view ham radio as being about talking around the world, contesting, or traditional aspects of our hobby.”

”Change generally doesn’t come easy to us. But when I looked out at that group of young faces and saw their disinterest in traditional ham pursuits, I realized that I had to change. We have to change. It won’t come easy, but it’s essential that we get to work on it now.”
— Rick Roderick - K5UR

Download the 2016 ARRL Annual Report - http://www.arrl.org/annual-reports

When radio amateurs speak about the hobby to potential newcomers they frequently talk about things that took place in the last century.

For many young people even events that happened in 2010 will still be half-a-lifetime ago!