If you are a UNB or STU student in any degree program and are interested in being a member of the 2023-2024 UNB Amateur Radio Club, please email me, Brent Petersen, email Brent.Petersen@UNB.ca. If I am not available, drop by the office of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Head Hall, room HD36, phone (506) 453-4561, near the Head Rest Cafeteria and speak with one of the administrative assistants, who may sell membership cards and loan keys to the club room; however, a loan of a key requires that you first be briefed on the safety procedures. The 2023-2024 membership cost is $5 for students and $20 for faculty and staff. It is not necessary to have a certificate of proficiency in amateur radio to become a member of the club. One of the goals of the club is to help interested members to try to obtain a certificate, which requires passing an examination.

Whether or not you pay the fee to join the club, you may have an interest in the following infomrmation services:

  • Membership in these services is joint, meaning if you sign up for one, your name and email address are automatically in the membership list for the other and everyone can see your name. Members may email the group. There are many features, such as the daily emails put into a one daily summary email. With Slack, there are apps to read the content. This approach was started in September, 2018 and feedback is welcome on the groups or by emailing Brent.Petersen@UNB.ca.

 

There is also a facebook group at:

These are some benefits of having a UNB Amateur Radio Club membership:

  • You will get assistance in working towards obtaining an amateur radio certificate of proficiency.
  • You will get access to room H305 in that a key will be loaned to you.
  • There are three tables which may be shared among members.
  • You will have access to one shared computer, running Windows, using UNB's usual active directory system, which runs a variety of services and may also be used to log into UNB's web-based student electronic services.
  • Wireless@UNB is accessible from room H305.
  • You will get a membership card.

Unfortunately, there are limitations of a UNB Amateur Radio Club membership:

  • You will not have free printing.
  • There are no available Ethernet hardware ports in room H305.

Regarding amateur radio certificates of proficiency, Industry Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada is the authority, however, in plain language, I have tried to provide information associated with some frequently asked questions related to having an amateur radio certificate of proificiency:

  • A great deal of information associated with obtaining a certificate of proficiency in amateur radio is at a personal web page containing Amateur Radio Files.
  • A certificate of proficiency in amateur radio is generally good for life and it is free for life.
  • A Canadian amateur radio certificate may be held by Canadian citizens, permanent residents and international students.
  • For years, without any fees, the accredited examiners for amateur radio with the Fredericton Amateur Radio Club were generous with their time and completed all requests by UNB to offer examinations. As of November 2014, for three-year terms, three faculty members at UNB became accredited examiners. Amateur radio examinations at UNB would be offered free of charge based on requests by interested candidates. If you want to write an amateur radio exam at UNB, please email Brent Petersen, email Brent.Petersen@UNB.ca. Also, the Fredericton Amateur Radio Club often offers amateur radio courses and examinations. If you want to write the examination directly from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, you would have to travel to Saint John and possibly pay an examination fee. 
  • There is no prescribed limit regarding the number of times you may attempt the examination and the time between the attempts. However, practical issues arise, such as booking rooms and finding mutually acceptable examination times for two examiners.
  • Morse code is no longer a requirement to obtain an amateur radio certificate of proficiency.
  • In emergency situations, amateur radio operators often provide communications when common communication systems fail, such as during and shortly after natural disasters when communication is critical. This was the case with Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Also, I spoke with amateur radio operators in Christchurch, New Zealand and their VHF radio system worked, even though many places were without electricity and common communication methods were unavailable or too overloaded to use for three days following their tragic earthquake on February 22, 2011.
  • Regarding seeking employment in a company which specializes in electromagnetics, transmission lines, antennas, or even other systems, having an amateur radio certifricate may be an asset.
  • A burden associated with having a certificate is that you must notify Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada if you move. The first time you obtain a certificate, your home address might be public knowledge until you notify Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada. With Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada's new online examination process, accredited examiners enter the new amateur radio operator's information directly in the database of radio amateurs at Industry Canada; when the new amateur radio operator claims an available call sign, the new amateur radio operator may select that the address is private.
  • For most people, amateur radio is just a hobby.
  • These two certifications are not for amateur radio, by may be of interest:
  1. The Canadian Power and Sail Squadron offers courses to obtain a Restricted Operators Certificate Maritime (ROC-M) with Digital Selective Calling (DSC) Endorsement.
  2. Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada makes available marine operator and radio operator certificates, which may have been obtained from being in cadets, but the amateur radio certificate is a more technically based.

Comments, corrections and suggestions about this page are welcome.

 

This page was created on October 12, 2012 by Brent Petersen.
This page was updated on October 3, 2023 by Brent Petersen.
© Copyright 2012-2023 University of New Brunswick.