Getting Started in ARES/RACES

Get Your Amateur Radio License

All ARES/RACES/ACS members need to have a valid FCC amateur radio license to use a radio on frequencies assigned to amateur radio by the FCC. There are many options for learning the necessary rules and taking the license exam. Santa Clara County ARES/RACES/ACS does not recommned any particular method or provider; the options provided below are to help you find a study and testing option that best meets your individual needs.

There are currently three classes of FCC licenses used by Amateur Radio: Technician, General, and Extra. If you are obtaining your license for emergency communication purposes, such as CERT or ARES/RACES/ACS, the Technician class license is all that you will need in most cases.

Self-study options include study manuals and practice tests.

If you want to study on your own and then take the license exam, there is an exam just about every weekend somewhere in the Bay Area.

A popular option is a “ham cram: a full day directed study memorization exercise – not an education session, usually on a Saturday, with the license exam at the end of the day. These are generally offered quarterly.

One-day training with live instructors teaching you the material for each question in the question pool. Having either a basic knowledge of electronics theory or taking some pre-tests before the event is helpful.

If these options don’t work for you, the ARRL website has a search tool for locating amateur radio license classes and exam sessions.

Join Your Local ARES/RACES Organization

Membership in ARES/RACES is handled by the local organizations in individual cities, agencies, and unincorporated areas in Santa Clara County. Contact the Emergency Coordinator for your local organization. They can answer your questions, let you know of local nets and events, etc. And when you feel ready, they can get you signed up.

Sign Up for Classes and Events

We have many classes throughout the year to help you learn about emergency communications, and many drills, exercises, and public service events to give you opportunities to practice. You’ll find them all listed on our Activities Calendar, and you can sign up for them there.

The first two classes you should take are the Introduction to Emergency Communications class and the Fundamentals of Emergency Communications class. The Introduction class will acquaint you with basic net procedures, operating modes, equipment, and local emergency communications organizations. The Fundamentals class builds upon the Introduction class and covered the basics of field operations and message passing. These classes are offered several times each year.

Join Email Discussion Groups

SCCo ARES/RACES maintains a number of different email discussion groups on various topics. At minimum, you should join the “Announce” group, which is used (very rarely) to disseminate important information to all ARES/RACES operators in the county. You can join additional groups as your interests dictate. The “Equipment” and “Training” groups can be particularly useful for new members.

Get on the Air

Most importantly, use your radio! Get on the air for weekly nets, practice sessions, drills, etc. Gain some experience and comfort being on the radio and communicating in a radio net. If you’re uncomfortable to start with, don’t hesitate to ask for help. There are people in every city who would love to work with you. If you don’t know whom to ask, start with your city’s Emergency Coordinator.

Get Your First Credential

Once you’ve got your feet wet and are ready to advance your skills, you can start working towards your Communicator Type IV credential. This certifies you as having the baseline level of knowledge, skill, and equipment to be useful in an emergency. Over time, as you learn and practice, you’ll be able to achieve higher level and more specialized credentials.