On this page, you’ll find answers to some frequently asked questions about Amateur Radio and about the Ottawa Amateur Radio Club (OARC).
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.
The OARC newsletter and the calendar are the two best ways to keep up to date on OARC activities.
Click to explore the OARC Calendar. You can also subscribe to have OARC events 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 personal calendar by clicking “Add to calendar” (there is a button inside each event).
Subscribe to the OARC Newsletter to receive news and views of the OARC twice a month.
The Ham Radio Course Info page outlines the requirements for licensing and provides links to several useful resources.
Visit the OARC Membership page for information about joining and the link to pay for your membership using 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.
Our online payment system (Zeffy) will send you a reminder email 30 days before your membership expires. You will receive this reminder even if you have enabled an automatic renewal.
You can also see your expiry date using the email you received when you used our online payment system to join the OARC or renew your membership. 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 a “Valid Until” date.
If you still have questions, click this link to Contact Us
Last Updated on 2025-05-10 by Joannadanna