W4CA

Roanoke Valley Amateur Radio Club (RVARC) is dedicated to the advancement of amateur radio, serving Southwest Virginia, since 1932

Are you interested in fun, service, communication, science, all tied in together?  You are never too old or too young to be a part. 
So what does it take to be a ham?

1. Study for and pass the test(s)

Exam Candidates: You are REQUIRED to register in the FCC CORES system and receive a FCC Registration Number (FRN) before exam day. For FRN registration information, see item #4: Exam Session Requirements
Candidates could go directly to the FCC CORES User Account and Registration page: https://apps.fcc.gov/cores/userLogin.do
Click Here for FCC CORES Tutorial Videos.

General ARRL information on licensing: https://www.arrl.org/getting-licensed

Technician

First, get the ARRL manual from which the test questions are derived:

ARRL website link or Amazon.  Sometimes there is a discount or free shipping with Amazon.

For this test, the manual is good from 2022 to June 30, 2026.  I’m sure we will have a testing session prior to the end of this period.  If you think you will be testing after June 30, 2026, then you need to wait for the 2026-2030 manual to be released, probably in March, 2026.

Practice tests:

    1. ARRL: https://arrlexamreview.appspot.com/
    2. https://hamstudy.org/

General

ARRL manual from which the test questions are derived through to June 30, 2027:  ARRL website link  or Amazon

Practice tests:

    1. ARRL: https://arrlexamreview.appspot.com/
    2. https://hamstudy.org/

Extra

ARRL manual from which the test questions are derived through to June 30, 2028:  ARRL website link or Amazon

Practice Tests:

    1. ARRL: https://arrlexamreview.appspot.com/
    2. https://hamstudy.org/

More information on training and getting your license:

https://www.arrl.org/licensing-education-training

Roanoke Valley Amateur Radio Club has classes–both in person and zoom–and testing sessions .  We will be holding a testing session at the Winter Field Day in January at the American Red Cross in Roanoke.

If you have any questions about classes or testing in our area, reach out to Ben KK4EWT Williams at vaioof@yahoo.com

2. Get on the Air