On this page, you’ll find answers to some frequently asked questions about Amateur Radio, about your Membership, and about OARC Activities.
Amateur Radio FAQs
Amateur Radio (also known as ham radio) is an increasingly popular radio-communication service that uses the radio-frequency spectrum for non-commercial, person-to-person voice and other communication. Amateur Radio offers an invaluable way to stay connected without reliance on the Internet, cell network or satellites during emergencies and natural disasters. Amateur Radio operators also provide radio-communications support as a public service at community events such as ski and bicycle marathons.
To become an Amateur Radio operator in Canada, you must pass the examination for Amateur Radio Operator Certificate with Basic Qualification with a mark of 70% or greater. This exam is governed by the federal department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED).
The OARC Basic course prepares you to write the exam. The course covers all 100 Basic exam topics over 12 weeks. All course materials are provided. Learn more about OARC courses, workshops, and exam administration on our Education page and watch the online OARC calendar to register for specific educational offerings.
Membership FAQs
Visit the OARC Membership page for information about joining and the link to pay for your membership using our online payment system, Zeffy.
The OARC uses Zeffy to manage membership and other payments. Zeffy is a secure, zero-fee, Canadian online payment system for non-profit organizations. It provides maximum security for you as none of your membership or payment details are kept on the OARC website. You will be asked for a donation to Zeffy, but this is optional. Whether you donate or not, OARC is not charged a fee.
The easiest and best way to renew your OARC membership is to wait for our membership-renewal reminder email, which you will receive 30 days before your membership expires. Then, just follow the instructions in that email.
There are three ways to know the expiry date of your OARC membership:
1. A reminder email will be sent to you
Thirty (30) days before your membership expires, Zeffy (our online payment system) will send you a reminder email that includes your expiry date. This email will go to the email address you used when you paid for your membership previously. You will receive this reminder even if you have enabled an automatic membership-renewal payment (auto renewal).
2. Find the confirmation email you received when you paid previously
You can also see your membership expiry date anytime using the email you received when you paid for your membership previously. The email has the subject line “OARC Membership” and it contains a button labeled “Download Membership Card”. Click the button to see your membership card, which has an “Issued on” date. Your membership is valid for one year after the “Issued on” date.
3. Activate your Zeffy account
If you can’t find that email, you can click this link to activate your Zeffy account, using the same email address you used to pay for your membership previously. Once inside your Zeffy account, you’ll see your OARC membership payment on the transaction list. Under “download e-ticket”, you’ll find your membership card, which has an “Issued on” date. Your membership is valid for one year after the “Issued on” date.
There are three ways to see if you have set up an auto renewal or to make changes to it:
1. Reminder email will be sent to you
If you set up an auto renewal, then thirty (30) days before your membership expires, Zeffy (our online payment system) will send you a reminder email confirming your auto renewal and providing a link to make changes to it. This email will go to the email address you used when you paid for your membership previously. This email contains a link to activate your Zeffy account, using the same email address you used to pay for your membership previously. Once inside your Zeffy account, you’ll see your OARC membership payment on the transaction list with the word “Yearly”, indicating that you have an auto renewal set. Here, you can update the amount, update the payment method (e.g., change credit card number or update expiry date), or stop the auto renewal.
2. Find the confirmation email you received when you paid previously
You can see if you signed up for an auto renewal anytime using the email you received when you paid for your membership previously. The email has the subject line “OARC Membership” and inside it will say “This is an annual recurring payment….”, if you signed up for that. This email contains a link to activate your Zeffy account, using the same email address you used to pay for your membership previously. Once inside your Zeffy account, you’ll see your OARC membership payment on the transaction list with the word “Yearly”, indicating that you have an auto renewal set. Here, you can update the amount, update the payment method (e.g., change credit card number or update expiry date), or stop the auto renewal.
3. Activate your Zeffy account
If you can’t find that email, you can click this link to activate your Zeffy account, using the same email address you used to pay for your membership previously. Once inside your Zeffy account, you’ll see your OARC membership payment on the transaction list with the word “Yearly”, indicating that you have an auto renewal set. Click on the transaction and you can update the amount, update the payment method (e.g., change credit card number or update expiry date), or stop the auto renewal. Here is a link to instructions on the Zeffy support page, including a short video: https://support.zeffy.com/cancel-automatic-membership-renewal
Yes, if you added a donation to Zeffy to your previous membership purchase, and you also set up an auto renewal, the donation will be included in the recurring payment.
If you prefer not to make this additional donation to Zeffy, you have two options to change it:
1. A reminder email will be sent to you
If you set up an auto renewal that included a donation to Zeffy, then thirty (30) days before your membership expires, Zeffy (our online payment system) will send you a reminder email. This email will include a link to make changes to your auto renewal.
2. Activate your Zeffy account
You can click this link to activate your Zeffy account, using the same email address you used to pay for your membership previously. Once inside your Zeffy account, you’ll see your OARC membership payment on the transaction list. To remove the donation to Zeffy from your auto renewal, you will need to cancel your current auto renewal and create a new one for the membership amount ($25) only.
- All current OARC members should have their name tag already.
- If your name tag was lost or damaged, you can order a replacement for $20 by clicking: Order an OARC name tag. This link takes you to Zeffy, our online payment system.
- If you just joined (i.e., you are a brand-new member), our Membership Coordinator will be in touch to confirm that you want a name tag.
New hams and name tags:
New hams (having passed the ISED exam within the past 24 months) are eligible for a one-year OARC membership (value: $25) and name tag (value: $20) for just $1.00. Contact membership@oarc.net for the new-hams discount code, then follow these two steps:
- Click Join the OARC and use the discount code to get your one-year OARC membership for $1.
- Then, click Order an OARC name tag and use the same discount code to get your free name tag.
OARC Activities FAQs
The OARC online calendar and the OARC newsletter are the two best ways to keep up to date on OARC activities, courses and workshops.
The online calendar is visible on every page of the OARC website. You can also click OARC Calendar to view the calendar as a list.
You can also subscribe to the calendar to have all items appear directly in your calendar (click the “Subscribe to Calendar” at the bottom right of the page). And you can add individual events to your calendar by clicking the “Add to calendar” button inside each event.
Subscribe to the OARC Newsletter to receive news and views of the OARC twice a month. You can also explore past newsletters on that same page.
If you still have questions, click this link to Contact Us
Last Updated on 2025-09-25 by Joannadanna