New Technician Class License Study Materials

NEW TECHNICIAN CLASS STUDY MATERIALS AVAILABLE from the American Radio Relay League (ARRL)

From the The ARRL Letter, Vol. 25, No. 27, July 7, 2006

A significantly revised and updated Technician class (Element 2) question pool went into effect July 1 for all Technician class examinations offered on or after that date. ARRL VEC Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM, says ARRL VEC prepared for the changeover.

"ARRL Volunteer Examiner teams were stocked with new test materials based on the Technician class question pool that became effective on July 1," she says. "The new Technician class question pool does not contain any diagrams or symbols."

The League also has updated its Technician study guides to reflect the new Element 2 question pool. A brand-new publication, The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual, includes all the information a prospective ham needs to get licensed. In addition, the fourth edition of ARRL's Tech Q & A now is available. Well-known ham radio author and QST contributing editor Ward Silver, N0AX, wrote both manuals.

ARRL Marketing Manager Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R, says these two publications replace the popular and familiar Now You're Talking! (5th edition) and ARRL's Tech Q & A (3rd edition) for those taking the Technician examination on or after July 1. ARRL-registered instructors may continue to receive discounts on League training materials.

A team of ARRL staffers and volunteers contributed to the organization and layout of The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual, which may be used either for self-study or for classroom use. It features a friendly, easy-to-read two-color format that emphasizes key learning concepts as well as easy-to-understand "bite-sized" sections.

The new ARRL Tech Q & A also includes the Technician Amateur Radio license examination (Element 2) question pool effective July 1 plus an answer key and concise, clear explanations for all questions.

The ARRL Ham Radio License Manual (Order No 9639) is $24.95. The new fourth-edition ARRL Tech Q & A (Order No 9647) is $15.95. Visit the ARRL online catalog http://www.arrl.org/catalog/

Later this summer, the League will introduce a new online class, "The ARRL Ham Radio License Course," replacing the Technician License Course (EC-010) that had been offered through the ARRL Certification and Continuing Education (CCE) program. Once it's available, students taking the new course will be able to complete all of their Technician class license training online. Along with a 100-percent risk-free guarantee, registration will include a copy of the new ARRL Ham Radio License Manual, a one-year ARRL membership and post-graduate support.

ARRL offers online and computer-based training for students interested taking practice test drills. HamTestOnlineT is a Web-based training program for the Amateur Radio written exams, covering all questions and study material. Also available is Ham University on CD-ROM. This software allows
you to browse the questions and quiz yourself on weak areas. Both products are available for the new Technician question pool, as well as for students preparing to upgrade to General or Amateur Extra. HamTestOnline (Order No 9571) is $49.95. The complete edition of Ham University (Order No 8735) retails for $39.95, or purchase the Technician edition (Order No 8956) for
$24.95.

Inderbitzen says the ARRL Technician class video course expired when the new exam question pool took effect on July 1. Making the course current will require extensive changes, but a new Technician class video will not be available right away.