Training
What is Amateur Radio?
Radio is used everywhere in everyday life yet many people have
little or no appreciation of what it is or how it works.
Television, FM radio, cordless and mobile telephones, wireless
internet, bluetooth headsets and car remote alarm fobs are
just some of the devices that we use so frequently we just
take them for granted. They all need radio in order to work.
Amateur Radio is a technical hobby which focuses on self-training
in the art of radio communications. It is incredibly diverse and
offers a huge number of opportunities to experiment and learn
about how radio works. This can be purely "for fun" or can form
the basis for supporting a technical career.
Communication between two Amateur Radio stations can take place
using plain speech that most people are already familiar with but
using the latest analog and digital technologies provide a vast
number of differing modes to try out. Examples include digital
modes (RTTY, PSK31, AX.25, Olivia), analog voice (FM, SSB, AM),
digital voice (DV, D-Star), television (colour, analog FM, digital
DVB-S), slow-scan television and good old morse code. Choose the
modes that interest you.
You might also want to make use of intermediate relays when
communicating with someone that isn't local. Radio Amateurs build
and operate their own repeaters to relay transmissions further.
Repeaters are often linked together via Internet Gateways so you
can chat to an Amateur on the other side of the world whilst
sitting in your armchair with just a simple hand-held transceiver.
If that sounds too simple, why not chat through a satellite? Radio
Amateurs build their own satellites and there are many in orbit
for you to experiment with. Or for the ultimate in long-distance
communication Moonbounce or EME (Earth-Moon-Earth) involves
bouncing your signal off the moon, a round trip of 800,000 km
(500,000 miles).
You don't need to hold a engineering degree, you don't need to
be an electronics whizz, you don't need any prior knowledge of
radio and you don't have to have a large budget either. Many
people build their own low-cost equipment from kits and use low
power modes to make successful contact throughout the world.
Amateur Radio is a learning hobby and you can get huge enjoyment
for a lifetime since it certainly isn't a static hobby where
you can learn everything. There is always something new just around
the corner and Warrington ARC has members who use all of
these modes and more and who can assist you in getting there.
How to Become a Radio Amateur
To become a Radio Amateur you need to pass one or more exams
to ensure you understand the basics of 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.
In the UK, Amateur Radio has three licence classes which
successively award more operating privileges after passing
each level of exam. You have to start at the Foundation
level before progressing up the ladder but you can stop at
any level you want to and there is no time limit on how
long you can wait at each licence class before deciding
to progress to the next level.
The entry level is the Foundation Licence. To obtain this
licence you undertake a training course, typically three
days. The course is largely practical and must be passed
before you can apply to take the exam. The exam is a 45 minute
multiple choice exam and a score of 18 out of 25 or better
will be a pass. A Foundation Licence will allow you to use
all the Amateur Bands from 136kHz to 440MHz and 10GHz, with
a power level not exceeding 10 Watts (1 Watt on 136kHz and
10GHz).
The Intermediate Licence qualification takes a similar format
with more emphasis on the fundamentals of radio by actually
undertaking practical tasks such as soldering, building a
small project and a variety of other exercises. The exam is
75 minutes long and has 45 questions. The Intermediate
Licence permits use of all Amateur bands and up to 50 Watts
of power (where permitted).
The pinnacle is the Full Licence which requires a pass in the
Advanced Radio Communications exam. It again covers radio
theory and licence conditions but because holding a full
licence enables you to use 400 Watts power output from your
transmitter, such subjects as Electro Magnetic Compatibility
(EMC), antenna design and safety issues are covered in some
depth. The exam is 120 minutes long and has 62 questions.
A full licencee has access to all the Amateur bands,
up to 400 Watts of power (where permitted) and is also granted
a few other privileges: operation outside the UK (CEPT
agreement), maritime mobile operation (/MM), unattended and
remote operation, Notice of Variation (NoV) for experimental
bands (e.g 5MHz and 500kHz), repeaters, beacons, special
research permits, club licences etc.
The RSGB sells books to assist learning and training
in all the above licence classes which are available from the
RSGB Shop and when you've completed the training course and are
ready for the exams, there are some on-line sites that produce
mock exams for you to try before the real one.
Where to Take the Courses
Warrington Amateur Radio Club offers training in all three
licence classes, Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced and
draws on the expertise, knowledge and many years of
experience that its membership holds to get you qualified.
Once your course is complete, you can take the exam in
familiar surroundings since we're also an authorised
examination centre.
For more information about our courses or if you've
completed the course elsewhere and just need to take the
exam at an authorised examination centre, please contact us
via the Contact page.
If you're not in the North West area, the RSGB maintains a list
of places throughout the UK that offer Amateur Radio Licence
training courses alongside a list of examination centres.