This weekend the first two Oregon ACES Basic Certification courses were held in Tillamook and Lincoln counties.  Each was structured as a three-day offering with Friday and Saturday as classroom sessions and Sunday as the practical portion.  With 11 and 12 participants respectively, a total of 23 people achieved their Basic Certification certificate.

To see the pictures taken during the two courses, head over to the gallery.

The courses were the first to present the material to a wider audience, including the 241-page student workbook.  All of the participants were provided with a correction form where they could document typographical and visual errors on the slides and workbook.  While many such corrections were reported, all were relatively minor and did not present a hindrance to moving through the material.  We appreciate the patience of and input from this first group of "beta testers" as it will help the delivery of future courses.  We feel that this sort of peer input is a critical factor in the success of this program.

Each student was also provided with an anonymous course feedback form at the end.  We asked for honest input on what went well and what needs improvement.  Here are a few of the (many) positive comments we received:

"The practical was the most useful part of the training.  Numerous personal radios
experienced problems or failure (just like the real thing)."

"It exceeded my expecations!  I feel more confident to use my radio now."

"Great class and instructor.  Well worth my time and money.  I'm looking forward to the
instructor class.  I want to share what I learned with my fellow hams."

"Excellent course, clear, well thought out, focused.  Atmosphere of cooperation and
mutual learning was much appreciated.  I had a terrific time!"

Each of the "suggestions for improvement" that were submitted will be very carefully considered by the development team, and we will make every effort to address them as completely as possible.

The next Basic Certification Course offering is in Hillsboro, starting August 5th.  For more information or to sign up, go to the information page.