The Bromley and District Amateur Radio Society

About Amateur Radio Licences...
by Editor

What are the types of Licence and What is involved in getting one ?
In the UK there are three types of licences that can be obtained. Each one gives a different level of privileges and requires tests at a different level to be passed.

Foundation Licence
 The entry Level is the Foundation licence. 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 BDARS 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 BDARS 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 question examination. Your exam paper will be marked on the spot so you will have your pass certificate that day if all goes well.
Courses are normally conducted on two Saturdays.
Once you have passed the exam you get your 'Pass' certificate and you are on your way!, Just send it off and in a little while you will be issued your own unique call sign.
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 (CB is only 4 watts so your already winning!). While this is a fairly low level of power compaired to a Full Licencee with the experience you will quickly gain this will enable you to communicate around the world.
For further information On the Foundation Course Please contact Alan G0TLK

Intermediate Licence
Once you have gained experience at the Foundation level we are sure you will want to take the next step up.

This is the Intermediate licence.

The Intermediate licence gives access to the Intermediate frequency allocations within the amateur bands . The Permitted power levels are increased to 50 watts.

To obtain the Intermediate licence it is advisable 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.
BDARS intend to offer at least one Intermediate Course each year so for further information on the Intermediate course please contact Alan G0TLK .

After completing the course candidates sit the Intermediate Licence Examination. Again this examination is a multiple-choice test based on what was learnt on the course, covering the basic concepts of radio operating on the amateur bands and the licence conditions. With both of these successfully completed an Intermediate licence can be obtained. You must have passed the Foundation in order to take the Intermediate exam.

Advanced Licence
This is the highest level of licence that you can obtain.

To gain an Advanced licence it is necessary to pass the Advanced Radio Communications Examination. You must have passed both the Foundation and Intermediate exams. 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 Advanced Radio Communications Examination there is currently no requirement to take a formal training course, this is because the examination 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 Advanced Radio Communications Examination. Alternatively there are some correspondence and Internet courses available.

But What does amateur radio offer me?
Amateur radio is a unique hobby in that it allows you to develop and experiment with radio equipment; for some amateurs, building equipment is the most satisfying part of the hobby. It also enables you to communicate with other radio amateurs throughout the world. Most countries allow amateur radio operation, so regardless of your language, circumstances, age or cultural background, there will always be the excitement of a possible chance contact (which may lead to a life-long friendship) with someone hundreds or even thousands of miles away.

The hobby also enables you to help others. Many amateurs offer their services to the first aid organisations, and even the police, at public events and during disaster relief operations at home and abroad.

For more than a hundred years radio amateurs have been at the forefront of developments in telecommunications. Today you can even use your PC, if you wish, as an additional component of your amateur radio equipment, thereby combining IT and radio technology. You can also experiment with antennas, television, RTTY (radio teletype), data (including computer controlled communications such as packet radio and the internet), satellite communications and, of course, short range voice or Morse code transmissions (Although Morse is no longer a requirment for a licence).

What is the difference between a radio amateur and a person who operates Citizens' Band (CB) radio?
A CB licensee does not have to pass any examinations or obtain any qualifications before being allowed to operate.
The CB service is short range, with a limited coverage area and may be used for some business purposes. Amateur radio, especially in the HF bands, can enable an amateur to make contact with people in other countries, but business use is not allowed.

How do radio amateurs communicate?
Speech: Most amateur operators communicate using speech. This works rather like a telephone conversation, except that only one person may speak at any one time. Operators must identify themselves by the use of a call sign during each transmission

Morse code: Morse is still an effective means of communication, which works with the very simplest equipment.
As well as its effectiveness, the narrow bandwidth uses the radio spectrum most efficiently, allowing parallel contacts to take place within a small spectrum space.
This is of great benefit in crowded band conditions.

Television: Many amateurs can transmit TV pictures to each other, often in colour. Normally the range of these transmissions is tens of miles. However, amateurs have pioneered a system called "slow scan" television (SSTV) which enables amateurs to transmit pictures around the world, albeit at a slow rate.

Packet radio: Radio amateurs can communicate with each other using computers, via radio links.

Data: Packet radio is only one way of sending text or data. Many other modulation techniques and protocols exist and amateurs are in the forefront of developing new methods such as PSK31.

But why do I need a licence?
It is a legal requirement under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949. You must first obtain a licence from OFCOM before you may legally send and receive messages by radio, unless you are operating under the direct supervision of a Full licensee.
The licence terms, provisions and limitation documents BR68, BR68/I and BR68/F set out the conditions that apply.

Why must I pass an exam before I have a licence?
The amateur typically transmits from a domestic environment using comparativly high radio power. The terms of the licence oblige all radio amateurs to avoid causing interference to other wireless telegraphy services (which include television). A major reason for an examination is to ensure that a potential licensee is fully aware of the interference potential of radio equipment and knows how to remedy any problems that arise. In some circumstances the amateur may need to modify the way he or she transmits, to minimise any problem to neighbours.

Preparation for the examinations has benefits – it helps people acquire technical knowledge and skills that, for some, assist the development of their future careers and livelihood.
The Licence is accepted in many parts of the world as evidence of achieving a recognised standard in technical skills in radio and Electronics.

The Foundation exam is available "on demand" usually at the end of the Training Course. It consists of 20 multiple-choice questions and lasts half an hour.

Licence fees
The fee for all amateur radio licences is £15 (Training Costs to get the Licence are Extra). The licence is renewed annually and the fee must be paid before the anniversary of the issue date of the licence. On renewal a new Validation Document will be issued indicating validity of the licence.

Since 1997, all amateur radio licences have been free for the under 21s and from 1 April 2001, they have been free for those aged 75 years and over. Such licence holders are required to confirm on an annual basis (via their renewal notice) that they wish their licence to remain in force.

What if I just want to listen to amateur radio?
Many people gain a lot of enjoyment simply from listening to amateur radio transmissions. No licence is required for this, provided that the radio equipment you use is designed for reception only. If you do not wish to take the Training Course and exam, or are not sure how to proceed, a period of listening to amateur transmissions can be a very useful introduction to the hobby.

Will good knowledge of the Morse code be necessary?
No, The International Radio Regulations require that, to operate on HF frequencies, the operator must "demonstrate an ability to send correctly by ear, texts in Morse code signals". In practice, this will consist of a simple assessment using crib sheets to encode messages into Morse, for example for the letter "A" you would look at the crib sheet, write the letter "A" as a dot and a dash and then send it. The same would work in reverse when decoding a series of dots and dashes - you write them down and using a crib sheet, translate them into letters - it is not really possible to fail this Morse assesment and it bears no resemblence to the Post Office Morse tests of old ! (Shiver down spine..)

What costs will be involved with attending the Training Course?
See the link "BDARS Foundation Licence Courses" on the left for details of our Training costs.

Does my Foundation licence allow anyone else to operate my radio station?
No one may transmit under your supervision. Other Licensed amateurs may operate your radio station under their own call sign, using the suffix/P and entering the details in their own logbook.

I am an existing amateur. Is not the Foundation Licence lowering the entry standards for amateur radio?
Clause 1(1) of the Amateur Licence makes it clear that amateur radio is a service for self-training. OFCOM and the RSGB believes that a sensible balance needs to be struck between an entry level that is high enough to ensure levels of safety and competence, and yet is not so high as to discourage those who, with the right encouragement, will go on to progress up the licensing structure to Intermediate or Full level. It is this balance that the Foundation Licence seeks to achieve.

Exams, questions and answers

Who sets the question papers and decides on the syllabus?
An advisory group (whose members include representatives from OFCOM, RSGB, electrical engineering and educational bodies) is responsible for each syllabus and compiles the question papers. Any changes in a syllabus will be notified to the colleges well in advance of the examinations.

Is there an age limit?
No! Anybody, regardless of age, can obtain any class of Amateur Radio Licence, as long as they have passed the relevant examination, BDARS have members from 9 to past retirment age who have passed the Foundation Exam.

Call signs
Your call sign will be assigned to you when you get your first amateur radio licence. It is unique to you, and you will use it to identify yourself every time you transmit. Not only radio amateurs use call signs ship radio licensees do too as well as Police and Fire services and most Proper Radio users.
Call signs are necessary under international law Article 25 of the International Radio Regulations (to which the UK is a party) says that the Amateur Service must use a system of licence identification.
Call signs:

Help administrations at home and abroad identify sources of interference to other radio services so that corrective measures can be taken.
Aid administration and issue of licences.
A radio amateur call sign is made up of:

One or two characters + single digit + group of up to three characters.
Appendix 42 of the International Radio Regulations specifies the call sign prefixes available. The UK has G, M and 2.
G format call signs are fully allocated so at present Full licensees are issued with call signs commencing "M0", Intermediate licencees with call signs starting "2E0" and Foundation licensees will be issued an call sign starting with "M3".
A secondary element is added to the "M" prefix to indicate that transmissions are from a region other than England, as follows:

WALES MW
SCOTLAND MM
NORTHERN IRELAND MI
GUERNSEY MU
JERSEY MJ
ISLE OF MAN MD


Therefore, a licensee living in Wales could have the call sign "MW0ZZZ" a licensee in Jersey could have the call sign "MJ1ABC" and a Foundation licensee living in Northern Ireland could have the call sign "MI3DOH" (Eire have their own set of callsigns starting with EI).

If I have just qualified, can I request a particular call sign?
Yes, you will be able to choose any call sign in the current series providing that it has not already been issued or requested. Applicants will need to contact the Radio Licensing Centre to check that the call sign is still available. The call sign will then be allocated once the licence application is received. Call signs will be issued on a "first come, first served" basis.

Can I change my call sign for a different one in the same class?
Very rarely, because of OFCOM's obligations under the International Radio Regulations to maximise the use of call sign series available, very few changes of call signs are agreed to. Changes will ONLY be considered on a case by case basis where the newly issued call sign is found to form an obviously offensive word or acronym or where a medical condition such as a stutter makes the use of the call sign impossible. In most cases where the radio amateur anticipates a facetious reaction to a call sign, the reaction soon disappears as the novelty wears off, and the call sign returns to its proper place as an administrative device.

Can a call sign be passed on to another amateur?
We are aware of some instances of unwelcome approaches to the families of deceased amateurs, seeking their call sign. Whilst it is usually the case that such approaches are due to an over enthusiastic reaction to obtain an attractive call sign the only way to avoid problems of this nature is to restrict the type of requests for transfers that we would consider. Furthermore, transferring call signs puts quite an administrative burden on the RLC and the Agency at the expense of other licensees.

Requests of this kind will only be considered on a discretionary basis e.g. where the request comes from a member of the "immediate family" of the deceased. In addition, OFCOM will consider requests made in a will.

Can old call signs be re-issued?
Except as noted above, only if the call sign was your own originally. Anyone who once held a full UK licence may apply for its re-issue. Application forms and details of the documentation that is required is available from OFCOM

Many Thanks to Alan at OFCOM for the up to date information...

All Copyrights Acknowledged Especially those of OFCOM and the RSGB.