The practical part of the course helps you to understand what to do when you get your licence, and how to get on-air safely. The tutors hand-hold you through the process and assess you as the course progresses. The practical assessments have to be completed in front of a Registered Assessor – Normally, a local amateur radio club can help with practical sessions. Foundation: PracticalĪll Foundation licence holders are required to demonstrate that they can connect and use an amateur radio transmitter and antenna. A good number of amateur radio clubs offer training courses, which include the practical sessions.
You can learn from reading the book or taking online courses, but many prefer to learn with a local amateur radio club. If you are keen to get on and get your licence, it’s a case of studying for the exam. Hopefully, this page has given you a feel for the process and how to get started. Once you have your callsign and your licence, you’re able to start transmitting on HF (long distance) and VHF/UHF (shorter distances), and you can start to see where the hobby takes you. Your Foundation callsign will begin with “M7” followed by three letters, and you can pick those three letters yourself (if the callsign you’re after hasn’t been taken) Your details will be passed on to the UK regulator, Ofcom, and you’ll be able to apply for your licence and callsign.įor details of how to do this, see: How to apply for your amateur radio licence Assuming you pass, you’ll be sent a Pass certificate by post from the RSGB (Radio Society of Great Britain). Your exam paper is normally marked as soon as the exam is finished, so you’ll get an idea of whether you’ve passed “while you wait”. At the time of writing, it’s under £5 at Amazon. It’s a 32-page A4 book that explains all of the basics, contains handy bits of information for the newbie amateur, and tells you what you need to know to pass the exam. The Foundation Licence Now!book is an essential part of the UK Foundation Licence. Getting a Foundation Licence will allow you to transmit on the VHF / UHF and HF bands to a power of up to 10 watts, which with a modest aerial and radio will be enough to get you into much of Europe and beyond.
As a Foundation licence holder, you’ll have access at low power to a range of different frequencies, but you can gain more power and privileges as you progress to the Intermediate and Full licences. The Foundation Licence is an introductory licence to encourage new amateur radio operators to get a taste of the hobby, and to get on-air. Here is a video explaining a little more about the hobby, and how to get started by getting a Foundation licence: All Enquiries to the Exam Secretary Eifion This email address is being protected from spambots.