Schaumburg Amateur Radio Club offers free classes on ham radio starting Jan. 11

Schaumburg Amateur Radio Club’s operating station during an emergency field operation exercise.
Courtesy of Dennis Calvey

Amateur radio is a popular hobby and service that brings people, electronics and communication together. People use ham radio to talk across town, around the world, or even into space, all without the internet or cellphones. It’s fun, social, educational, and can be a lifeline during times of need.

There are more than 750,000 licensed amateur radio operators in the U.S., and the number is growing every day.

If you are new to ham radio, or just thinking about getting your first license, the Schaumburg Amateur Radio Club can help you get started and expose you to the widest variety of operating modes, giving you a chance to see for yourself what your personal favorites are.

The club is offering an Entry Level Amateur Radio course to prepare you for the Federal Communications Commission Amateur Radio Technician Class license test.

In 10, two-hour classes, participants will learn everything you need to successfully pass the technician license test. This course is offered at no charge.

The class will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturdays starting Jan. 11, at the Hoffman Estates Branch of Schaumburg Township District Library, 1550 Hassell Road. To register, visit www.schaumburglibrary.org or contact the Schaumburg Amateur Radio Club at www.n9rjv.org.

The class will be using the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) Ham Radio License Manual (Fifth Edition) as a study guide. Some libraries may have copies available for check out, but students are encouraged to purchase their own copy from the ARRL or online suppliers.

The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual 5th Edition is available from the ARRL at arrl.org.

The Schaumburg Amateur Radio Club also offers FCC License testing on the first Saturday of each month at the Schaumburg Park District Community Recreation Center, 505 N. Springinsguth Road.

While club does not charge for taking the test, there is a small fee for processing the test results and the Federal Communications Commission imposes a fee for the license.

Information about registering to take the FCC License test can be found at www.n9rjv.org/activities/license-tests/.

The club maintains two radio repeaters that allow low power transceivers to communicate up to 50 miles or more. One repeater operates on the Amateur Radio 2-meter band. The other repeater operates on the 70 cm band and supports the use of the Yaesu System Fusion with WiresX connectivity, opening communications to licensed operators all over the world.

In addition to running repeaters on the 2 m and 70 cm bands, the club schedules activities that get members doing something.

Members prefer to be on the air, building equipment, participating in public service events, searching for hidden transmitters, working contests or holding licensing classes.

Club members can help you to get more active in whatever facet of ham radio you enjoy most, and you do not have to learn Morse code.

The club meetings are the third Thursday of each month at the Schaumburg Park District Community Recreation Center. You don’t have to be a club member to attend the in-person meeting. For those that cannot attend in person, they also provide “Zoom” access to the meeting for club members.

During the fall and winter, they gather on two Saturday mornings per month to build (or repair existing) amateur radio-related equipment at the Schaumburg Park District Tennis Plus Club on Payne Road. They begin around 8 a.m., and spend a few hours working on, or asking questions and getting help with projects, in between shooting the breeze and drinking coffee. We meet in the basement. The staff at the front desk will be glad to direct you to the elevator.

If it’s summertime consider join them for “SARC in the Park,” outside the Schaumburg Park District Community Recreation Center, where licensed operators set up temporary antennas and stations.

Specific dates are available on the club calendar.

Find out what you can do with ham radio!

The term “ham” dates to when radio and telegraph communication was by Morse code. Since then, many techniques have evolved that eliminated the need for Morse code, but some ham radio operators still use it because it’s efficient and challenging.

Technologies used today include simple, inexpensive handheld two-way radios, digital based systems using microcontrollers, small simple to large complex antennas and even antique radios using vacuum tubes. Some participate in radio contests where operators try to contact other ham radio operators with a variety of rules and restrictions to keep it fun. Others experiment with cutting edge technology or experimental antenna design.

The most rapidly growing segment is referred to as digital mode. Originally, digital modes were mechanical systems used to send telegraph type signals. With the introduction of inexpensive microprocessors, digital modes allow sending and receiving radio signals by bouncing them off the moon or even meteor trails. Some operate at very low power — it’s not unusual to see confirmed reports of signals being received at distances over 4,000 miles using 5 watts of power — about the same power as most nightlights.

Some ham radio operators support local events like marathons, bicycle tours or fundraising events for nonprofit groups. Using handheld transceivers and rapid deploy control stations, they provide extra eyes and ears for first responders during an event.

Though cellphones and the internet are widespread and easily available, amateur radio operators around the world can provide emergency communications when those services are not available.

The cost of an amateur radio station can range in cost from less than $50 to several thousand dollars. The club maintains a small inventory of used and refurbished equipment provided by donations from the estates of deceased operators or surplus equipment no longer needed. While supplies last, a newly licensed operator that joins the Schaumburg Amateur Radio Club can apply to receive equipment from this inventory at no charge. Club members will help you select the equipment, assist you in programming it, and train you to operate it.

Amateur radio operators come from all walks of life — doctors, students, kids, politicians, truck drivers, movie stars, missionaries and even your average neighbor next door. They are of all ages, sexes, income levels and nationalities. Whether through Morse Code on an old brass telegraph key, voice communication on a hand-held radio or computerized messages transmitted via satellite, all hams use radio to reach out to the world.