Amateur Radio Communication via Zoom

Posted by on 10 May 2019

Led by the Hamilton Wireless Association

Free and open to all licensed amateur radio operators.

In the Communication Class we discuss what to look for in obtaining a radio, general radio range, radio interference, communications protocol and many other basic concepts. This is a great class to attend if you are just getting started and are unsure what benefits our Team Radio program has to offer.

The classes offer a first introduction to radio, and we hope a fun introduction to radio communications.

Want to join in? This class will be happening online using Zoom.
Please email the instructor at wbs@hbco2.com. He will provide a link to register and participate via Zoom.

5/14 Class session 1 – General Radio Information. This class is intended as an orientation class to newly licensed amateurs who are unfamiliar with radio and need the “next step”. The class is focused on neighborhood communications. We describe what a radio is, how to get one, what to expect, and go through basic communication exercises. The class information distributed includes ideas of what to look for in radio equipment and specific recommendations on what equipment to purchase.

5/21 Class session 2 – Radio Configuration. VHF/UHF (Very High Frequency, and Ultra High Frequency) hand-held radios in the amateur spectrum are a bit complicated to set up. The concepts of simplex and radio repeaters are explained and training is provided for programming class member radio equipment. While computer programs are available to configure radio transceivers, our training is focused on programming radios in the field. This is probably the most popular session of the series.

5/28 Class session 3 – Communications in a Group. Communications in Amateur Radio is usually based on a one-to-one exchange. We introduce a protocol and a “net” operation in order to accommodate numerous incidents and manage a high communications capacity with limited communications resources.

6/4 Class session 4 – Communications as a Service. A simple but effective protocol is introduced and exercised that emphasizes accurate messaging. Accuracy is crucial if important information is transferred over radio.

ZOOM Instructions

Our online programs use the Zoom software program. If you have not already used Zoom, you can either create a free account (zoom.com) or not, but you will need to complete an approximately minute long software download for your computer, phone or tablet. We recommend having this done well before the class start so that you can focus on the fun!

To login to our event, follow the provided link and then;

1.  ‘Join Audio Conference by Computer’ –(Green button)
2. Once in the event, you can choose to turn on your video (recommended!) and audio (recommended!) in order to participate. As moderators, we will selectively mute your audio in order to maintain focus on the presenter.
3. There is a button in the top right to toggle between ‘Speaker View’, which gives the focus to the presenter and ‘Gallery View’, which shows the gallery of the audience (including you!)

For online programs, I have read and agree to the City of San Rafael’s online legal and privacy information.