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Ready to upgrade to General?

Ready to take your amateur radio journey to the next level? The ARCNEM General Class License Course is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, November 10, 2026 and run thru January 5, 2027 (9 sessions). 

To register, contact Tom K3YH at tom<dot>christovich<at>gmail<dot>com.

Classes are sponsored by the National Electronics Museum.

Upgrading from Technician to General is the single biggest leap you can make in amateur radio, granting you access to the High Frequency (HF) bands. 

Why Upgrade? —- The Power of HF Privileges

While Technician privileges keep you mostly local on VHF/UHF, a General Class license unlocks over 80% of the amateur radio spectrum. With HF privileges, you can:

• Communicate Worldwide: Bounce signals off the ionosphere to talk across continents and oceans without relying on internet-linked repeaters or infrastructure.
• Master the Solar Cycle: Experience the thrill of peak solar activity on the 10, 15, and 20-meter bands, where even low-power (QRP) stations can achieve global reach.
• Activate Parks on the Air (POTA): Take your station into the great outdoors! General HF privileges allow you to easily hunt or activate state and national parks, a massive and highly active global community.
• Chase DX & Awards: Participate in international contesting, hunt rare DX stations, and work toward prestigious milestones like DXCC (DX Century Club) and Worked All States (WAS).
• Explore Diverse Modes: Dive deep into long-distance single sideband (SSB) voice, traditional CW (Morse code), and advanced digital weak-signal modes like FT8.
• Enhance Emergency Capabilities: Provide resilient, long-range emergency communications that can bridge gaps across states and countries when local infrastructure fails.

Course Schedule & Details

• Start Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2026
• Format: Weekly 3-hour sessions held on Tuesday evenings at 6:30 PM Eastern Time
• Platform: Online via Zoom (links will be sent to registered participants)
• All sessions will be recorded and available on YouTube

How to Register

Contact Tom K3YH at tom<dot>christovich<at>gmail<dot>com.

Don’t let your amateur radio journey stop at the local repeater. Join us starting November 10 and unlock the true, global potential of your station.

A free, weekly, live, Amateur Radio Technician Class Licensing course on Zoom will begin on Thursday, Sept 3, and will run through Thursday, October  15  (7 sessions).    The three-hour sessions will start at 6:30 PM Eastern Time.  These are the classes that we have been holding for years sponsored by the National Electronics Museum.  Those wishing to sign up should email the instructor at roland<dot>anders<at>comcast<dot>net.

A free, weekly, 3-hour Amateur Radio Operating Class on Zoom will begin on Thursday April 3 and run through June 19 at 6:30 PM Eastern time.  The presenters will be various experienced folks in the various subjects.

A detailed syllabus will be published before the classes begin.  Attend them all, or any that you like, but you must register for the classes.  To receive registration information, contact Rol Anders, K3RA, at roland.anders@comcast.net. 

Subjects will include:

• All About Operating–A general Introduction
• Amateur Radio Organizations—Local to International
• Ham Radio Awards 
• DXing-History and Tips from the Experts
• QSLing-How to get that needed card for DXCC or WAS
• VHF/UHF Weak Signal Work and “Roving”
• Image Operating—Slow Scan and Fast Scan TV
• Remote Station control over internet
• Learning CW in the no-code era
• Digital Modes—From RTTY to FT8 and beyond
• Contesting—How to get started, tips for the beginner and intermediated contester 
• Logging Software—What’s available, how to use
• Propagation—A general intro to HF Propagation
• Amateur Satellites—How to get started 
• Portable (backpacking) operation—Tips from an expert
• Setting Up a Modern (or not so modern) HF Station
• Lightning Protection and Grounding
• Traffic Handling
• Public Service, Emergency Communications      

Some 26 members of the Baltimore Amateur Radio Club (BARC) and ARCNEM met in a meet-and greet on December 7, 2024 as part of several days of operating on the air in remembrance. Pizza, dessert, and beverages were provided by BARC. Over four hundred contacts were made, including some by CW, and 38 by FT8. QSL confirmations by bureau and direct are accepted. For Direct, please send SASE or SAE and postage.

We’re looking at operating Saturday, 2 Nov, from 9:00AM until 9:00PM, and on Sunday, 3 Nov, from 9:00AM until 5:00PM.
Everyone is welcome.  This will be a great opportunity to get some operating time, socialize with other members, and get a peek at the new museum layout. We will make sure that experienced operators are around to coach and assist so don’t worry if you are new at this kind of thing.
Also I suggest everyone try to bring another ham or aspiring ham along too. Please let me know if you will be able to come and approximate day/time this weekend.  Write to ‘webmaster <at> k3nem <dot> org’. We’ll start looking at next week’s operations in a day or two.