RFI course starts in February
NEWINGTON, CT, Nov 26, 2002--The ARRL Certification and
Continuing Education Program's seventh on-line course, Radio Frequency
Interference, is deep into beta testing and the first class is slated to start
February 3, 2003.
C-CE Program Coordinator Howard Robins, W1HSR, said about
30 people representing a variety of interests and experience levels have
reviewed the course.
"So far the response has been very favorable," Robins
said. "There's something in it for just about everybody and the testers have
found it valuable."
Every ham faces an RFI problem at some time or another,
and the course has material aimed at amateurs that are newcomers to the hobby
as well as seasoned operators. Robins said that while the course has technical
material to deal with a technical subject, one does not have to be an Extra
Class ham to successfully complete the course.
After a basic introduction to the problem of RFI, the
course covers topics such as filters, shielding, intermodulation and RF generators.
From there, the special environments of automobiles, televisions and computer
equipment are explored.
In addition to troubleshooting and FCC regulations, one of
the most important sections--or "learning units"--of the course deals with what
Robins calls the "non-technical aspects" of an RFI problem.
"The unit really stresses how best to deal with your
neighbors," he said. "There are tips and strategies covered, including a lot of
web links and outside information, that can help to clear up a problem."
There are activities and quizzes after each learning unit,
with a 25-question final assessment that needs an 80 percent score to pass the
course. Beta testers have found that the course typically takes approximately
25 hours to complete, although Robins reported that one husband-wife team
motored through the material in a weekend.
The cost for the course is $65 for ARRL members, while the
cost for non-members is $95. Registration for the RFI program starts January 27
and can be made via the CCE page on the ARRLWeb.
Page last modified: 01:20 PM, 26 Nov 2002 ET
Page author: awextra@arrl.org
Copyright © 2002, American Radio Relay League, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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