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February 2024. Get it here:
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Meetings


10m & 2m Net -
Thursday, 21 March 2024
- (28.390MHz SSB at 1900 MDT)
- (147.345+MHz, 107.2ctcss at 2000 MDT)
Board -
Monday, 8 April 2024
General Membership -
Wednesday, 10 April 2024

See the Meetings page for times and locations.

Solar Forecast

VE Testing

Next VE Sessions:

Saturday, 13 April 2024
Saturday, 11 May 2024
Saturday, 8 June 2024
Saturday, 13 July 2024
Saturday, 10 August 2024
Saturday, 14 September 2024

All the Details:

We sponsor VE testing sessions twelve times a year. The sessions are held on the second Saturday of every month at 10:00 AM. The exception is the Megafest month where testing will be at Megafest at 10:00 AM.

With the Laurel ARC VEC, there is no cost to the candidates for the session. Contact the , for more details. Pre-registration is not required, but a quick note to let us know you’ll likely attend is appreciated.

To ensure your success in taking any/all of the exams, please use one of the links on the left under “Ham Training” and take online sample tests until you are consistently achieving 80% or higher passing grades.

Location:

Our regularly scheduled sessions are held at:
Pikes Peak Regional Office of Emergency Management (PPROEM)
3755 Mark Dabling Blvd
Colorado Springs, CO 80907

This facility is located on the east side of Mark Dabling Blvd, just north of Goose Gossage Park. Parking lot on the south side of the building. Enter through the far eastern door near the fence. Do not use the main entrance.

Our regularly scheduled sessions are held at:
Library 21c – Ent Conference Center
1175 Chapel Hills Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80920

This library is located at the NW corner of Jamboree and Chapel Hills Drives, just across Jamboree from Chapel Hills Mall. Enter the upper level parking lot from Chapel Hills Drive. Upon entering the library, the Ent Conference Center will be to your left and a short walk across the building. The doors open at 10:00 AM, so there is no need to arrive very early.

Other testing sessions may be held during the year in support of other events such as amateur radio classes and the annual PPRAA Swapfest. Please contact the , if you have questions about those sessions.

What You Need at the Test Session:

When you come to our test session, you’ll be greeted by at least three smiling amateurs ready to help you take that step into the world of amateur radio. But before you can take the test, you’ll need a few things:

If you are testing for your first license:

  • A government issued photo identification card. Instead of a picture ID, we can accept two forms of non-picture ID such as a report card, utility bill, or even some sort of business correspondence with the person’s name and address on it.
  • Your FRN (FCC Registration Number). Now required. See note below*
  • A pencil
  • A simple calculator There is some math on these tests, and it is recommended that you bring a calculator to avoid any math errors. Bring a non-programmable calculator, or be prepared to erase the memory.

If you are upgrading your license:

  • A government issued photo identification card. Instead of a picture ID, we can accept two forms of non-picture ID such as a report card, utility bill, or even some sort of business correspondence with the person’s name and address on it.
  • A copy of any current amateur radio license you already have.
  • A copy of any current Certificate of Successful Completion of Examination (CSCE) not already reflected on a valid license, within 365 days of issue date.
  • A pencil
  • A simple calculator There is some math on these tests, and it is recommended that you bring a calculator to avoid any math errors. Bring a non-programmable calculator, or be prepared to erase the memory.

* For the benefit of everyone involved, and so that you don’t need to provide your SSN, this team now requires that you obtain your FRN prior to coming to the test session or first thing at the test session. This can be done at https://apps.fcc.gov/cores/userLogin.do. We plan to have computer access available to obtain an FRN at the session, but obviously this can slow our process.

What’s Your Call?

Have you already tested? Are you just waiting for the good news? Well, you can be checking every day to see if your call has been issued. With Saturday test sessions, we expect the new call signs and upgrades to be posted the following Monday, or Tuesday if Monday is a federal holiday. Remember with the current FCC rules, you’re allowed to operate on the air as soon as the FCC has issued you a callsign and it’s posted in the database. You can look up new callsigns at http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/searchLicense.jsp and select Amateur. Enter your surname, state or ZIP in the Licensee section to search for your new callsign. The FCC also has a toll-free license status phone number: (800) 322-1117. You can call this number between 6 AM and 2:30 PM weekdays MT.

NOTE: The FCC no longer issues and mails out paper licenses upon new or upgraded license grants! You will need to print it out yourself, and/or make a selection to have it printed and mailed. These options are explained here: http://www.arrl.org/obtain-license-copy

Do You Need To Renew/Modify Your License?

For renewals/modifications, you will likely want to do those online through the FCC License Manager, using your FRN (FCC Registration Number) and password. http://wireless.fcc.gov/uls/

Can’t Make it to Our Test Session?

The http://www.qsl.net/cra/exams.html has more information about test sessions in other parts of the state. You can also find out about testing nationwide by visiting the ARRL web site.