[ARRL Airwaves] Local HAM Training Classes Sparks National Interest

   Many of the recently licensed (and/or upgraded) Amateur Radio Operators (HAMs) in the greater Seattle area get their first chance to exercise their Push-To-Talk (PTT) thumbs by making their FIRST NET CHECK-IN on the Puget Sound Repeater Group's VHF repeater located on Seattle's Queen Anne Hill.
   A generous number of these "Net Checker-Inners" have earned their HAM "tickets" by attending one of the many HAM classes taught locally at various Amateur Radio Clubs and venues.
   Although many of these classes target just individual Amateur Radio Subelement Classes (2=Technician, 3=General, 4=Extra), Scott Honaker [N7SS] of MicroHAMS (Kirkland, WA) developed the innovative Technician/General Hybrid classes.
   Within the past 2 years, many HAMs attended Scott's classes, as well as, those classes taught by Daniel Stevens [KL7WM] and his Training Team in Edmonds, Ballard, Tukwila, Federal Way, Auburn. The Team has been responsible for constantly incorporating feedback from the students to improve the "training methods" -- so every class is different from the previous one.
(For more insights about this, please see the recent Post [Hybrid Training] Daniel (KL7WM)'s Newsletter for Instructors and Teachers).
   Of course, as important as the classes are, it is equally important to gratefully acknowledge all the help from those who provide facilities for the classes.
   Equally indispensible have been the numerous Volunteer Examiners (VEs) who spent hours testing the prospective HAMs.   Please find the the Winter 2014 issue of ARRL's "Radio Waves" below:

- 30 -