Foundation Licence
1 INTRODUCTION
Fast Track access to an Amateur Radio operating licence.
Holders are able to operate on all bands except 10 meters using commercial equipment up to a power output level of 10 watts.
Foundation Licence syllabus has been set by the Radiocommunication Agency in conjunction with an advisory group consisting of members of the IEE, The Association of Science Educators & the RSGB.
2 WHEN AND WHERE
The Foundation Course is intended to be ‘on demand'. Courses to be primarily Radio Club based where Registered Instructors are available.
Courses are usually run over 2 days. Either a weekend or subsequent Saturdays.
3 THE COURSE
Approximately 12 hours in duration with a 30-minute examination at the end. The course contains a Morse assessment that is not a component part of the exam.
Successful candidates will leave with the documentation they require to immediately apply for a licence.
Cost of the course is £20. £5 going to the RSGB, £5 being retained by the club, £4 for the Foundation Licence NOW course pack & £6 towards to venue costs.
Candidates will be offered free membership of SRS for the remaining period of the current year.
4 DETAIL
This is a new licence that was introduced in January 2002. The Foundation licence is designed to get you involved in amateur radio as quickly as possible. But before you are allowed to transmit 'live' it is important that you know a little bit about how your radio works, the dangers of interfering with other radio users, how not to upset your neighbours or your parents (if you are a young person) and the rules and regulations of holding a radio transmitting licence.
How do you learn these new skills, by taking the Foundation licence training course, which is an integral part of of obtaining a Foundation licence. Most of the training is practical. There is a small amount of radio and electronics theory but only enough for your to appreciate things like using the correct fuses in your equipment and how to build an antenna to get the most out of your radio station.
Don't be afraid of the thought of having to undertake a training course. The course are run in a friendly informal atmosphere by experienced radio amateurs. The course will take about 10-12 hours to complete at the end of which you will sit a twenty five multiple-choice examination. Your exam paper will be marked on the spot and in the unlikely event of failing the exam you are able to sit it again after a short break and some reassuring words from your tutors. Courses are normally conducted at your local amateur radio club or if you're a younger entrant you may be able to take it at your school. Some clubs run the course over a weekend and some over a number of weeks. Once you have passed the exam you get your 'Pass' certificate and you are on your way! When you have been issued with your own individual M3 series callsign you will be able to operate on all bands with the exception of the 28MHz band without supervision but with a power restriction of 10 Watts. This is a fairly low level of power but with the experience you will quickly gain this will enable you to communicate around the world.
Intermediate Licence
1 INTRODUCTION
The Amateur Radio (Intermediate) formerly known as (Novice) Licence was introduced with the aim of encouraging people of all ages, but particularly young people, to take up amateur radio.
2 WHEN AND WHERE
To obtain the Intermediate licence it is again necessary to take a training course. This course is longer than the Foundation course and aims to teach many of the fundamentals of radio in a stimulating way by actually undertaking practical tasks such as soldering, building a small project and a variety of other exercises building on the experience you have gained as a Foundation licence holder. E-mail [email protected] for information on courses in your area.
3 THE COURSE
The training course is run by the RSGB and is available at many locations throughout the UK. The aim of the course is to train intermediate licensees in the basic skills of amateur radio and make sure they are well prepared to "go on the air". The course covers the correct operation of an amateur radio station, basic radio theory, and practice in constructing your own equipment. It also covers the conditions of the intermediate licence, an introduction to Morse code and many practical aspects of amateur radio. Each course is likely to last for about 30 hours spread over 12 weeks, although some trainees are likely to need longer than this. Throughout the course, trainees will be continuously assessed and will have to complete specific construction projects. Assessment will be of a general nature and a weakness in one or two areas will not adversely affect the overall assessment. There will be no final assessment at the end of the course.
4 DETAIL
Amateur Radio has been allocated a large number of frequency bands enabling amateurs to communicate with each other, both locally and worldwide using a variety of techniques. Intermediate licensees have been given small segments of the major bands, allowing them to experience almost all aspects of amateur radio at first hand - though as beginners they will work with fairly low output powers. Intermediates are likely to use mostly voice or Morse code, but the licence also allows them to send computer-to-computer messages, an increasingly popular aspect of amateur radio. Intermediates will gain an all round experience of amateur radio in practice.
Both Intermediate Licences allow the intermediate to use a wide variety of frequency bands. Those permitted under the Intermediate Licence (B), where most intermediates will probably begin, will enable regular contacts in your local area and occasionally at longer range, possibly several hundred miles.
The Intermediate Licence (A) gives access to additional frequency bands used particularly for long range communications. Intermediates using these bands will be able to make contacts with other countries, and perhaps other continents, very often using Morse code.
Full Licence
This is the highest level of licence that you can obtain.
To gain a Full licence it is necessary to pass the City & Guilds Radio Amateurs Examination (RAE). This examination is more advanced than the Intermediate, it again covers radio theory and licence conditions but because holding a full licence enables you to use 400 Watts power output to your transmitter such subjects as Electro Magnetic Compatability (EMC), antenna design and safety issues are covered in some depth. The licence allows access to all the amateur allocations with full power.
When studying for the RAE there is currently no requirement to take a formal training course, this is because the RAE is currently theory based, with no practical training element in the syllabus. It is possible to study at home on your own if you so wish. However, many local amateur radio clubs and societies and technical colleges run courses specifically for the RAE. Alternatively there are some correspondence and Internet courses available.
List of Courses Details of licence conditions, including frequencies and power levels
After the last C & G Radio Amateurs Examination on 1st December 2003, the entry point for all newcomers into the hobby will be via the Foundation licence , progressing on to Intermediate , culminating in the new Full licence .