Amatuer radio foundation license

Safety is an important part of the training. Some courses will be run over a few weeks, perhaps some evenings and a final day to finish. However it is run, you will be able to sit a short multiple choice written assessment at the end of the course and come away with a pass certificate which will get you your callsign.

Foundation licensees are permitted to use commercially manufactured transmitters and kits constructed in accordance with the supplied instructions. Higher licences such as the Intermediate and Full give the privilege of building equipment to your own designs, from magazine articles, or modifying second hand commercial equipment. Ex-commercial equipment is often sold at radio rallies for a small fraction of its original cost and provides a very cheap way of getting on the air.

The Foundation Licence is intended to be a 'starter' and most licensees will want to upgrade to the higher-grade licence. Extra freedom is an incentive for the Foundation licensee to upgrade, as are the extra transmit power and extra frequencies.

Intermediate licensees may transmit at up to 50 watts of power, use frequencies above MHz. Full licensees may transmit up to Watts, and may, in certain circumstances, apply for special permission to run even higher powers equipment e. I have previously completed the course myself to gain a greater understanding of Amateur Radio. I remember being impressed by the passion and enthusiasm of my tutors who explained radio theory in an easy, fun and straightforward way.

More importantly, it has provided me with a useful insight into Amateur Radio. The clubs and training organisations may or may not charge for their services, the RSGB recommends you check thoroughly before committing to sign up to a course.

The Foundation exam is very straightforward and consists of 26 multiple choice questions which you have 60 minutes to answer. The exam may be taken online or on paper at an RSGB registered venue, or at home online with a remote invigilator. You will be given your result immediately after you complete the online exam, together with detailed feedback regarding your performance.

This takes around six working days from your exam date. If you have passed, you will also receive a certificate and your candidate number. The Examinations Department will upload your pass to the UK communications regulator Ofcom, which is responsible for issuing amateur radio licences.

You may then log on to the Ofcom licensing system to apply for your licence. Please make sure that you have your candidate number to hand because you will need this to complete the process.

If you apply for your Foundation licence on the Ofcom website, your licence is free of charge. Visit the Ofcom amateur radio pages to find out more about applying for an amateur radio licence. Once you have your Foundation licence and have chosen a call sign from those available, you are ready to make your first transmission on the amateur radio bands — an exciting moment! You are then free to operate on the most frequently-used amateur bands, without supervision, up to a power of 10 Watts.

This does not sound like very much power, but once you have acquired experience operating your radio you will find it is enough to communicate almost anywhere in the world. We have created a series of videos that explain a range of skills you may find helpful. Everything from how to set up a station and make your first QSO, to adjusting your antenna length and using modes other than voice.

We have also published the different segments as separate short videos to make it easier to go back to just one or two parts again. You can watch each of these videos on our special web page. To find out who is your nearest representative take a look at our Regional Team information. They will be very happy to answer questions or give you advice on your next steps.