09/29/2026
Hello All,
This is to announce that I will be giving a preparation course for those wishing to gain their General Class Amateur license. This class is open to the general public, but seats will be given to LARC members first (only until Sunday, 11 Oct 26). If you are not a LARC member, your name will go onto the "stand-by" list until 11 Oct 26. The room will comfortably hold 6 students, your name will also go onto the stand-by list if we reach capacity - regardless of LARC membership status.
If you wish to take this course, please let me know by sending an e-mail to me (my email address is below). Please use the subject of "General Course Student" so that I may sift through the spam easier. It is helpful and appreciated if you DO NOT include the class announcement in your reply - in other words, DO NOT simply reply to this announcement. ONLY send a message if you are of Technician license-class currently and wish to take the course. If you are already a General-class license holder and want to take this as a "refresher" of the material, I will allow it only if you are not taking a seat away from a Technician-class license holder who wants to upgrade. You will be on the stand-by list until the first class.
** Make sure that your best phone number, call sign and LARC-membership status are listed in your message. **
** My e-mail address is: w2jm _at_ arrl.net {substitute "@" for _at_} **
If you know of a person who may be interested but does not receive our reflected emails (such as a non-LARC-member ham), please let them know about this and have THEM contact me. If an interested party doesn't have e-mail, please have THEM call me at (716) 404-W2JM [that is: (716) 404-9256]. Since the FCC now REQUIRES a valid and current email address on exam materials, and most people have an email address, so this is usually rare. The same first-come first-served procedure also applies to telephone contacts.
I will be contacting each enrollee on the class roster about a week before the first class via e-mail, if you don't hear from me by Wednesday, 21 Oct 26, please let me know (I have had email issues in the past due to various reasons). I will make other arrangements for enrollees with no current e-mail address.
While I don't require that you purchase a copy of the ARRL General-class License Manual (currently the 10th Edition on arrl.org --> search "General License Study"), it would be helpful to have since I will be teaching the course based on that material - it is also a good reference book for your shack! Any General Exam License manual will give the same questions and answers, so if you already have a different manual, that's okay. Manuals will NOT be provided to students, but I will distribute the question pool to each student via e-mail and we will go through and answer questions and I'll explain why the answer is what it is. It will be the student's responsibility to print the E-MAILED question pool and place in a 1/2" (half-inch) 3-ring binder to bring to each class. For students without e-mail, alternate arrangements will be made. (Though, it would be best to sign up for an email address before the materials are to be sent out!)
** There is NO CHARGE for this class other than your own purchase of the License Manual, printing costs, ½-inch binder and writing instrument(s). The exam fee is also not included. **
I have been told by former students that this approach is effective and has helped them. I cannot guarantee anything, but I hope that this prep course will be of help to you, too.
Keep in mind that I am not a professional teacher, I will just present the material in an understandable way (hopefully!) and I should be able give you the background that you need, along with your own studying, to answer the questions on the exam and pass the test for your upgrade. Only you will know if you feel ready to take the exam at the end of the course and I sincerely hope that you will be!
We will meet for two (2) hours per session (7-9pm), two (2) days per week (Mondays and Wednesdays). The dates for the course are as follows:
Session 1: Mon, 26 Oct 2026
Session 2: Wed, 28 Oct 2026
Session 3: Mon, 2 Nov 2026 *** \ I have conflicts on the two Wednesdays, 4th and 11th)
Session 4: Mon, 9 Nov 2026 *** /
Session 5: Mon, 16 Nov 2026
Session 6: Wed, 18 Nov 2026
Session 7: Mon, 23 Nov 2026
Don't worry if you need to miss a class due to other commitments. While you are still responsible to study the missed material, I can work with you to help answer any questions that you may have regarding that material.
If for some reason (e.g. illness, weather-related issues, etc.) I cannot make a class, I will notify students that class is cancelled for that evening. We can make up a missed class on the final class (during the review portion of class time).
The exam is scheduled for Wednesday, 25 Nov 2026 at 19h00 in the LARC clubhouse. Remember, only you will know if you are ready for the exam. The ARRL exam fee is $15.00, payable on the night of the exam. Since you are upgrading your current Technician license, there is NO FCC Application Fee!
Good luck and study, study, study!
73, take care and may God bless,
-John W2JM
