Tech In A Day Class 2026!

It couldn’t have been a better day to be inside. While it was pouring rain out, the members of the MSU Amateur Radio Club convened in EB 1145 on Shaw Lane for the first ever Tech-In-A-Day Class, eager to get some new hams on the air. After securing the room, we started setting out some radios (an FT-891 and a QMX) for demonstration as well as instructor Dan KB6NU’s various props for additional context as he progressed through the question pool.

Dan made the long journey up from the Ann Arbor area to provide his expert instruction. He’s taught countless classes about amateur radio, and is the author of the “No Nonsense” series of study guides. He even gives away the Technician version for free! We knew we were in good hands.

Altogether, a little over 20 people filtered in to take the class, ranging in age from high school all the way up to retirees! There were a couple breaks, including lunch, which the club provided (thanks Cottage Inn Pizza!), and at about the 3:00pm mark, class was done, but our prospective new hams couldn’t settle down yet. It was time to take the exam!

Everyone lined up to grab a copy of their exam, and sat down to concentrate. Just as our first examinee finished, the power went out in the room! This particular location didn’t have any windows or battery powered emergency lights, unfortunately, so we were in total darkness for about 30 seconds as the backup generators spun up outside and took over lighting duty. It was then that we discovered that the building internet does NOT run on emergency power! Minor amounts of VE panic ensued, and they eventually settled on doing everything via the old fashioned method. Everything on paper!

The final tally:
20 Examinees
18 New Technician Licensees
1 New General Licensee

We can’t wait to see which callsigns you’re assigned, and to hear you on your first net: Hopefully the MSU Weekly Information Net on 442.900, +5 offset, PL 77 Hz. If you need any assistance whatsoever, with anything from which first radio you should obtain, to how to program it, please let us know on the Discord. We’re excited to have you aboard the ham radio community.

See Dan’s Website Here. (https://www.kb6nu.com/)

Special thanks to the following folks that made this event possible:

Planning:
Brennan KE8JVZ
Dong AD8QG
Dennis KC8ETW
Ed W8EO
Suzy KF8DPQ
Aryan KF8ESI
Jay NT0Y

VE Team:
Dennis KC8ETW
Russ N8FZ
Kelly K8FK
Bob KD8SUT
Don WB8GUS
Karl KG8LD

Funding:
Joe W8JRK (generous donation to MSU students exam fees)
Dennis KT8X (generous donation to MSU students exam fees)
All our CrowdPower donors!