Following the recent launch of our intermediate fast track pilot. The OARC training team are pleased to announce the launch of our first intermediate course on 24th August 2020! Courses are limited to 50 places. We hope to run many more courses this year!

Below is an excerpt from our course overview page for more information

Overview

The Online Amateur Radio Community Intermediate Training Course is a fast track online interactive course run over 6-8 weeks

Below is an overview of the program:

Week Summary
0 Course Overview & Foundation Recap Week
1 Licence Conditions, Operating Technique & Good Housekeeping
2 Measurements, Basic Electronics – Part One
3 Basic Electronics – Part Two
4 Semiconductors, RF Oscillators, Transmitters & Receivers
5 Harmonics & Spurious Emissions, Antenna Matching
6 Antenna Concepts & Propagation, Safety
7 Review of Practical elements, Exam Prep & 1-2-1 Coaching

Each week you will be set a number of activities including:

  • Taking part in a weekly Zoom session with fellow candidates, typically 1 – 1.5 hours [streams are available to candidates unable to attend – meeting days/times vary to try and maximise who can attend each week]
  • A number of activities or quizzes on the weeks topics
  • A weekly reading list of pages from your Intermediate Manual
  • Additional support material, often in the form of YouTube videos, from a diverse range of sources

What is the cost?

The course is free for all members of the Online Amateur Radio Community.

Membership of the OARC is also free!

To join, click the ‘Join Us’ link above.

As we have operating costs for delivering courses, e.g. our monthly subscription to Zoom to allow us to hold the longer/larger capacity meetings for training etc. we do ask people to consider making a donation to help us to cover these . All of our costs are fully transparent, as are the total donations received.

All excess funds over & above our operating costs are reinvested into the club & are used to expand the activities that we can all enjoy together!
NB We realise that in today’s climate, money may be a worry, & we don’t want anyone to be put off by this request, so please note this is just an optional donation, there is no pressure, the request is openly made to the group without any expectation of reply.

Setting expectations

Everyone learns differently, some absorb books like a sponge, others really need that 1 on 1 time to get more complex concepts down. This course lands somewhere in the middle.

We have aimed at those who benefit from structured learning and having material presented in fresh and interesting ways,  but also are able to hold themselves to  account to complete tasks by specific dates.

But…. you need to be aware this course is very intense!

As most club courses will run over <> 10-12 weeks, & being that this is presented over 6-7! it carries with it an assumption that you have as a minimum the foundation level of knowledge in recent memory, and that you passed your original exam with a comfortable margin in all sections.

It is also important to note that this course is being delivered by an online club, this in itself may be a barrier for some.

So who is this course for?

This course is aimed at those who have recently obtained their foundation licence and are looking to take the next step. It’s targeted at those who are comfortable with modern communication methods, from Google Classroom, Zoom through to Discord & who are prepared to commit real time and effort to additional self study & revision throughout the week to rise up this learning curve & be ready for the next module.

Who is the course not suited to?

This course is not suited for those who have obtained their foundation licence over 12 months ago [unless you complete some form of study ahead of time]. Whilst one-on-one coaching is available if you struggle on certain concepts, there is not the bandwidth or time to provide one-on-one instruction. If you are not confident using tools such as Zoom, Discord and Google Forms without support then you will be unlikely to keep up with the pace that the course is run at.

How to Apply

Join the OARC using the Join Us link above. Once on the clubs discord server follow the instructions to become a member.

Once you are a member you will have access to the #course-registration channel where you will find the registration form!