Authorized to Transmit

Last updated on 2025-12-17 at 14:02 EST (UTC-05:00)

There is something quietly consequential about being told you are now authorized to transmit. The amateur radio exam is not especially dramatic in its execution—no fanfare, no ceremony—but it represents a formal transition from observer to participant. Preparing for the exam forced me to revisit fundamentals I hadn’t touched in years, confront gaps I didn’t know I had, and relearn how regulation, physics, and operating practice intersect in a real, shared spectrum. Receiving a call sign is not simply a credential; it is an acknowledgment of demonstrated competence and an assumption of responsibility—one that now shifts the focus from study and preparation to practice, participation, and the discipline of operating well on the air.

I wrote my Basic Certificate exam today, and passed with honours, scoring a 90. It was an exciting and somewhat surreal experience, as I’ve been studying for today since September, having signed up for the RAC course in August. I’m a bit breathless about it, to be honest.

I haven’t tried for my first QSO yet, but I will in the next few days, as soon as I have a moment to myself. I’m going to temporarily set up a log in my study notebook until I can get set up on one of the online logging platforms.

I hope to speak with you soon, on 2 m for now. I’m likely monitoring repeater VE3KSR, or VE3RCK.

VE3ZDN 73 OUT