Our Dynamic Radio Operator Course is designed to give you the knowledge and skills to deploy an amateur (ham) radio communications station at home (base), in your vehicle (mobile), and also in the field (portable).

WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR: This course is designed for individuals with (at least) a basic understanding of radio communications, who wish to grow their skillset – specifically in the ability to setup and operate radio systems in different environments quickly and effectively.

* This course is in the alpine resort town of Rossland, BC. This location makes for a fantastic weekend getaway, and makes it easier for individuals, couples and families travelling together. 

The DROC is a unique & practical offering, combining indoor and outdoor instruction and exercises.

This course is ideal for those interested in preparedness & self-sufficiency, emergency and disaster first responders, Search and Rescue, Parks on the Air & Summits on the Air, rural living (homesteaders, ranchers).

This course is split into 2 segments:

• Morning Segment (4 hours): This segment is indoors and focuses on the practical fundamentals of radio communications, benefits of radio vs. grid-reliant communications, capabilities and limitations of different radios/modes/frequencies, & equipment selection and setup.
  • Handheld radio selection, use, and capabilities.
  • Home (Base) station selection, setup, and use.
  • Equipment will be available to demonstrate various radios (HF base, HF mobile, VHF/UHF mobile, VHF/UHF handhelds), battery systems, antennas, antenna accessories (analyzers, coax, tuners, maintenance).

• Afternoon Field Segment (~4 hours): For the second segment we will take a short drive into the beautiful local mountains, and we will be setting up and operating a vehicle based station (mobile) and a portable station.
  • The Vertical Preparedness truck will be used to demonstrate VHF/UHF and HF mobile operation, and equipment considerations & capabilities will be discussed.
  • This knowledge will aid the trainee in setting up their own vehicle for mobile communications.
  • Our team will then setup a man-portable station – we will cover radio & battery considerations, antenna selection and setup, weather protection, and we will demonstrate portable communication via VHF/UHF and HF.

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Course outline:

Fundamental radio knowledge, capabilities and limitations

• Benefits of radio vs. grid-reliant communications
• Range and capabilities of different frequencies and modes (close, medium, and long range communications) 
• VHF/UHF
• HF
• Base operations vs. Mobile vs. Portable
• Analog vs. Digital voice
• Digital modes – additional capabilities, range
• Security

Base Station Operations

• Simple and effective antennas for VHF/UHF and HF
• Coax considerations
• Radio selection
• Tuners
• Power management considerations
• Accessories

Mobile Operations

• Overview of installation for VHF/UHF and HF
• Radio types
• Antenna types
• Ground plane considerations
• Power considerations

Portable Operations

• Portable radio selection
• Antenna types & capabilities
• Power management
• Antenna accessories