VE6SUM — I first took a ham radio class back in 1985, but we relocated to another city, before the course was finished.
I signed up for classes again in 1989, but then the company that I worked for closed its doors, and we had to move elsewhere.
At last, in 1992, I took the test, which required Morse code at 5 wpm back then, and passed. I received a Basic license which gave privileges for 80 metres and below.
I was grandfathered to full license privileges a few years later, when the Morse code requirement was no longer required.
VA6SUM — I took a 12 week course in 2006 and passed with a mark of 98%. A mark of 80% is required to receive a Basic license – full licensing privileges – while a mark of 70% to 80% gives one access to 2 metres.
There is also an Advanced Certificate available, but Basic is all the average person needs.
I am over 50 and I found that it took a lot of work to get the old brain in gear to actually start learning again…it probably took six weeks before I began to really learn the material.
But, should you be *thinking* about taking a course, whether ham radio or something else, and if you are not sure that you can do it, because you are older, or have been out of school for a long time – try it! You can succeed!
Many thanks to the instructor, VE6HDB,
and to VE6MX and VE6MK, for the demos of repeaters and APRS.
