Amateur (ham) radio is more than a hobby – many hams play vital roles in community preparedness work, and other volunteer roles such as safety logistics for big community events (the West Seattle Grand Parade, for example). But you need a license – and that requires a test. The West Seattle Amateur Radio Club recently provided a round of testing with unique challenges posed by the pandemic and more. WSARC’s John Walling sent the photo and report:
Five people took the FCC Amateur Radio Service License Exam provided by West Seattle Amateur Radio Club. Three exam levels were provided: Technician (for new hams), General, and Extra (for existing hams). Three new hams passed the Technician exam, one ham moved up from Technician to General, and one ham moved up from General to Extra.
The exam was held with a two-week lead time and under adverse conditions caused by COVID-19 and high levels of smoke from wildfires. The test was planned for outdoors but was moved indoors to avoid the smoke hazard and was held with safe distancing and COVID-19 precautions. As each participant signed in, their temperatures were taken with a forehead infra-red thermometer to verify they had normal temperatures. Masks were worn by everyone. Hand sanitizer and wipes were plentiful. Five Volunteer Examiners (VE) and a VE Coordinator (VEC) supervised the exam according to ARRL guidelines.
Testing facility was provided by Beckwith and Kuffel (1313 S. 96th).
WSARC has more info and photos here
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