On Wednesday, April 18, Southwestern Community College will serve as a testing site for the National Association of Radio and Telecommunications Engineers testing program.

The FCC General Radiotelephone Operator License exam will begin at noon in the electronics engineering technology laboratory, 205 Founders Hall on the Jackson Campus. The testing is done under the auspices of NARTE, Inc and there is a $50 testing fee.

For information or applications, contact NARTE at (800) 896-2783 or (508) 533-8333 or on the web at http://www.narte.org.

The GROL has long been considered the base line measure of competence for the avionics and communications industry. Technicians involved with radio, television, telephony, microwave, maritime and international service usually find that this credential is significant in opening doors toward better jobs, according to Ron Poor, SCC electronics engineering technology program director. For more information, contact Poor by email at ronp@southwesterncc.edu.

An FCC license is needed to operate ship radio stations, coast stations which operate on medium or high frequencies or operate with more than 1500 watts of peak envelope power, aircraft radio stations, Civil Air Patrol stations, AM, FM, or TV broadcast stations and international broadcast stations, auxiliary broadcast stations, international fixed public radiotelephone and radiotelegraph stations and coast and ship stations transmitting telegraphy.

A commercial radio operator license is needed to repair and maintain ship radio and radar stations, coast stations, hand- carried units used to communicate with ships and coast stations on marine frequencies, aircraft stations and aeronautical ground stations used to communicate with aircraft, AM, FM, TV and international broadcast stations, auxiliary broadcast stations operated in the following services: experimental broadcast, low power television, television broadcast translator, FM broadcast translator, FM broadcast booster and International fixed public radiotelephone and radiotelegraph stations.

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