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 Previous: The Amateur Amateur: Dallying on the Digital Modes |  Next: Amateur Radio Direction Finding Championship Event a Hit |
NEWINGTON, CT, Aug 23, 2005--Those who take advantage of early bird registration for ARRL's on-line Radio Frequency Interference course
(EC-006) will save $10
off the regular tuition. Students must sign up by Monday, September 26, to qualify
for the special rate. Registration closes Sunday, October 2, and class begins Friday,
October 14. Course mentor and coordinator Terry Dettmann, WX7S, says RFI is a
problem, and the ARRL RFI course is part of the solution. Most hams, he believes,
don't learn nearly enough about RFI while studying for their tickets.
 RFI can come in many forms, and there are as many kinds of RFI as there are kinds of electronic devices. |
 The ARRL RFI Book by ARRL Laboratory Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI, is the optional text reference for EC-006. |
 Electrical power lines sometimes can become RFI generators. |
"You need to learn more about RFI because it affects you and your operation, and, in fact, all of Amateur Radio," he says, noting that ham radio stations can be RFI victims as well as sources. "It keeps you from hearing that faint signal that's right at the edge of intelligibility," he said. "RFI makes you less effective as a radio operator. You need to understand it and how to control it."
RFI also can affect those living around you, and it has the potential to tarnish Amateur Radio's image, Dettmann points out. "It doesn't take a lot of RFI before people start clamoring for laws to control it," he said, noting that RFI can affect family and neighbors alike.
Those taking EC-006 learn to identify RFI sources and sufferers plus tips on handling those ticklish problems that can crop up between radio amateurs and their neighbors. These include not just situations where a ham's signal might be causing TV, telephone or radio interference but cases where a Part 15 device or an appliance in a neighborhood might be generating RFI that affects amateur frequencies. Sometimes, devices within a radio amateur's own home can be the culprit. Power line noise also is a common RFI problem for hams.
Each student will be assigned a mentor. ARRL RFI/EMC Engineer Mike Gruber, W1MG, will monitor the course conference. EC-006 students will be encouraged to enter the Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium (CTDLC) conference center and submit RFI questions that the course may not cover.
Past RFI course students give it high marks. "This course was very informative and well worth the cost," said one Pennsylvania amateur. "I would highly recommend this course to all Amateur Radio operators." Another radio amateur who completed recently completed EC-006 called it "a great entry-level course" that provides knowledge worth sharing within the amateur community.
The regular tuition is $65 for ARRL members and $95 for
nonmembers. Early bird prices are $55 for members and $85 for nonmembers.
Remember, the cutoff date to take advantage of this offer is Monday, September
26.
| Previous: The Amateur Amateur: Dallying on the Digital Modes | Next: Amateur Radio Direction Finding Championship Event a Hit |
