Radio Resources

This page lists resources for people interested in the radio side of rocketry (and the radio side outside of rocketry!)

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SA Cup and Launch Canada require someone on the team to have a Amateur Radio Operator Certificate with the Basic Qualification. This can be done by studying the material and taking the exam on your own. It can also be done by taking a course, either online or in person.

The Advanced Qualification will be necessary for anyone who plans to modify or build their own transmitters (not antennas - antennas fit under basic).

See: Radio Resources

Many of these suggestions come straight from the Radio Amateurs of Canada website, which organizes all the local groups in Canada. Some of these recommendations have also come from people in the community who have been nice enough to talk to us, including Norm Rashleigh (VE3LC) at the Ottawa Valley Mobile Radio Club.

Courses

  • RAQI Asynchronous Online Radio Course - $100 for course slides, course content including quizzes and suggested reading, and walkthroughs on how to use the official test bank. Does not include textbooks or the exam. This is a really well-organized course. Available in English / Disponible en français.
  • Georgian Bay Amateur Radio Club Course - Free course materials for self-study, very comprehensive. This website looks like someone's cherished labour of love, as it combines sources from many different places, and includes extra information that may not be on the exam. English only.

Books and Course Materials

  • Coax Publications - An independent Canadian amateur radio textbook publisher that provides two texts: one for the basic qualification and one for the advanced qualification. You do not need these to write the exam or take the courses, but these are good options if you like having a physical copy of the material (Mags bought one and enjoyed being able to make notes in it). English only.
  • Android Canadian Amateur Radio Quiz App - Free - Takes questions from the test bank and lets you practice on your phone. English only.

Finding your Examiner

When you are ready to write your exam and you have been studying on your own, you must reach out to a government-accredited examiner that is in your area. You can find someone in Canada using this this tool from ISED.

Local Groups in Ottawa

  • Ottawa Valley Mobile Radio Club - These folks set up radios in their cars. Meetings every month include seminars by guest speakers. They offer synchronous in-person courses (or at least they did before covid). Membership is between $25-35 a year. [Note: These folks are very nice. -M]

Misc. Cool Radio Resources

  • Pi-Star - This software project is an SD-card image for your Raspberry Pi that essentially lets you connect your amateur radio equipment to the internet and join globally-accessible party lines that have themes like locations, subjects, or target demographics (ex: blind HAMs). All the software and documentation is totally free. This is basically amateur radio meets early internet chat forums. Super cool!!
  • Ham Radio Scanner Stations - Listen to repeaters across the world to get a feel for what transmissions might look like in a local net!
  • Ottawa International Airport ATC - Listen to the Ottawa ATC to get a feel for airspace radio transmissions!
  • Logbook of the World - A website to help amateurs confirm their contacts and create networks of local Hams.
  • Amateur Radio Software Award - Prize of $300 awarded to amateur radio operators who develop free, open-source software to promote radio.

See Also:

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