I’m pleased to welcome Chris, VA7CTH, as the first student to successfully complete the QSL Basic Course in 2026 and receive his Basic with Honours certification.

As such, Chris is the recipient of the KT-8900 Draw Prize, won by John, VA7BAT. In the true spirit of amateur radio, John generously chose to pay the prize forward to a newly licensed operator. Honouring that request, the prize is awarded to VA7CTH, the first new ham in 2026 to complete the QSL Basic Course and receive their amateur radio call sign.

Chris’ experience below reflects both the intent and the practical value of the QSL Basic Course….

“I have been considering getting my Ham license for years.  Recently, I retired and joined our local emergency program as a neighbourhood leader. During our introductory training, the coordinator mentioned there wasn’t a Ham operator in our area.  I thought I could fill that gap and started researching how to complete the process.

I enrolled in the hamshack.ca Basic course after trying a few other online options. One course was YouTube-based, and I found it hard to follow along with the material. I preferred this course because it presented the material and then included a short quiz. If I got an answer wrong, I could simply scroll up and re-read the text to better understand it.  At the end of each unit, there was a unit quiz that tested on various randomly selected questions, allowing me to review incorrect answers again. The entire learning model built on the knowledge I gained as I progressed.

An additional barrier I found when researching the Ham certification was  figuring out how to take the test once I was ready.  Having Gary available and easily integrated into the process made the entire experience seamless and hassle-free. I would 100% recommend this course to anyone looking to get their Amateur Radio certification.”

Regards,

Chris VA7CTH