Getting your Amateur transmitting license with Wythall Radio Club

What's Amateur Radio anyway ?

Amateur radio, often called Ham radio, is a hobby enjoyed by about six million people throughout the world. An amateur radio operator, also known as a ham or radio amateur, uses advanced radio equipment to communicate with other radio amateurs for public service, recreation and self-training.

Amateur radio operators have personal wireless communications with friends, family members, and even complete strangers, and often support their communities with emergency and disaster communications while increasing their personal knowledge of electronics and radio theory.

In the UK there are three types of licences. The Foundation License is the entry-level in to Amateur Radio in the United Kingdom, the Intermediate licence is the next step and the Full licence. This is the highest level and requires a pass in the Radio Communications Examination (RCE). All the licences are regulated by OFCOM the Office of Communications Regulation.

Foundation License

The entry level is the Foundation license and this is designed to get you involved in amateur radio as quickly as possible. But before you are allowed to go on air, 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 and the rules and regulations of holding a radio transmitting license.You can acquire these skills by attending the Foundation License course which is held on a Tuesday or Friday evening, over a period of 6 weeks. You will then take a twenty multiple choice examination also held at the club and if successful you will get your pass certificate and you can apply to OFCOM for your M3 amateur transmitting license which will enable you to operate on all bands with a power level of 10 watts.

Most of the training is practical. There is a small amount of radio and electronics theory but only enough for you 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 worried about the thought of having to undertake a training course. We recognize that it may have been many years since you were in a classroom situation but these courses are run in a friendly informal atmosphere by experienced radio amateurs who are also club members. We can also provide one-to-one tuition if required and can even help those with learning difficulties. After you have been through the course and taken your exam we will mark it 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. Sometimes the club will run the course over a weekend. As an M3 licensee you will be able to experience the world of amateur radio and within a little while you will be talking to other radio amateurs around the world.

Intermediate License

However once you have started to enjoy the experience of your Foundation license we are pretty sure you will want to progress to the next stage which is the Intermediate license. This gives you access to all the amateur radio bands with increased transmitter power.

To obtain the Intermediate license you will need to enroll on the clubs Intermediate training course. This course is also on Tuesday or Friday evenings but over 10 weeks 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 license holder.

After completing the course candidates sit the Intermediate Radio Amateurs Examination. This is an internationally recognized 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 license conditions. With both of these successfully completed and the assessment of the practical work, an Intermediate license can be obtained. In England this is known as a 2E0 callsign.

Full Licences

This is the highest level Radio Amateur license that you can obtain..

To gain this license it is necessary to pass the Advance full license Radio Amateurs Examination. Whilst still a multiple choice paper, this examination is more advanced than the Intermediate. It again covers radio theory and license conditions but because holding a full license enables you to use 400 Watts power output to your transmitter such subjects as Electro Magnetic Compatibility (EMC), antenna design and safety issues are covered in some depth. The license allows access to all the amateur band allocations. Full power (400W) is permitted on most frequencies. There are some exceptions as noted in the licensing conditions. As an Advanced license holder you will become an M0 callsign.

When studying for the Advance license there is currently no requirement to take a formal training course, this is because the examination is 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, Wythall Radio Club run an Advanced training course over 14 weeks on a Tuesday or Friday. The Club is also registering the Wythall Community Association premises in Silver Street Wythall as an RSGB registered examination centre where the Advance Radio Amateur Examinations are scheduled and conducted.