Sophomore seminars are small interactive courses offered by faculty members in departments all across the campus. Sophomore seminars offer opportunity for close, regular intellectual contact between faculty members and students in the crucial second year. The topics vary from department to department and semester to semester. Enrollment limited to 15 sophomores.

Amateur Radio (Ham Radio) is a popular hobby and service in which licensed Amateur Radio operators (hams) operate communications equipment. Although Amateur Radio operators get involved for many reasons, they all have in common a basic knowledge of radio technology and operating principles, and pass an examination for the FCC license to operate on radio frequencies known as the “Amateur Bands." These bands are radio frequencies reserved by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for use by ham radio operators. The role of amateur radio has obviously changed with the presence of the internet. Remarkably, amateur radio today offers unique opportunities and capabilities due to its independence on commercial infrastructure. For example, it is a legal ground for hands-on experimenting with wireless communication technology and it allows communication in emergencies and from remote areas. What can you do as a ham? *Talk to people (near and far) *Build stuff (amps, sdr’s, antennas, receivers) *Emergency communications (emcom) *First person view (FPV) vehicles (drones) at much higher power *Hit satellites, moon, meteors, airplanes (with radio waves! … not something else) *Digital communication with Automatic Positioning and Reporting System, packet radio *Use Repeaters covering Bay-Area, California and the United States' mesh networks In the seminar we will learn about ham radio and experience it. The idea is that students will be able to take the ham licensing exam and become licensed radio operators at the end. Each student will also get to keep a VHF/UHF handheld amateur radio at the end of the course.

Requisites

• Sophomore Students

Repeat Rules