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Amateur Radio (Foundation) Licence |
Introduction
The Foundation Licence has been designed and introduced for people of all ages and abilities. To take the associated training course you do not need to have any formal qualifications to be able to benefit from this interesting hobby. The aim of the Foundation Licence is to facilitate a simple entry into amateur radio as a hobby where you will be able to make friends from all walks of life. We hope that as experience and confidence increases, Foundation licensees will progress up the amateur radio ladder to obtain a more advanced Amateur Licence, with all the attendant privileges.
This information sheet aims to answer the most popular questions about how to become a Foundation licensee and how it fits within the amateur radio licensing system. The questions are by no means comprehensive, and if you would like some further information on amateur radio as a hobby, please contact the Radiocommunications Agency at the number below.
| Q1 | Why do I need a licence? |
| A | It is a legal requirement under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949. You must first obtain a licence from the Radiocommunications Agency 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 limitations document BR68/F sets out the conditions that apply. |
| Q2 |
What is the difference between a radio amateur and a person who operates Citizens' Band (CB) Radio? |
| A | A CB licensee does not have to pass any examinations or obtain any qualifications before being allowed to operate. The service is short range, with a limited coverage area and may be used for some business purposes, e.g. taxi companies. Amateur radio, especially in the HF bands, can enable an amateur to make a contact with other countries, but business use is not allowed. |
| Q3 |
What frequencies can a Foundation licensee use? |
| A |
The frequencies are set out in BR68/F, a draft copy of which is enclosed in this information pack. |
| Q4 |
What will the Foundation Licence enable me to do? |
| A | The Foundation Licence will allow you to operate amateur radio within the limitations set out in BR68/F. |
| Q5 |
What qualifications do I need? |
| A | You will need to have completed a training course of approximately 10 hrs in duration followed by an assessment consisting of 20 multiple-choice questions administered by a registered body (such as a local amateur radio club). The qualification will be on "a know what do to" basis. |
| Q6 |
Will knowledge of the Morse code be necessary? |
| A | The International Radio Regulations require that, to operate on the HF frequencies, the operator must "demonstrate an ability to send correctly by hand and to receive 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 . _ is the letter A, so you would look at the crib sheet, write down 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 the crib sheet, translate them into letters. |
| Q7 |
What does the training course consist of? |
| A | The course will be very basic and will focus on safety, avoiding interference and good operating practice, and will last about 10 hours. A copy of the syllabus is enclosed in this information pack. |
| Q8 |
Could a home-designed and built transmitter be used by a Foundation licensee if it is "signed off" by an existing licensee? |
| A | No. The use of home-built transmitters (i.e. equipment constructed by the amateur without using commercially produced kits) will not be allowed under the Foundation Licence. The reason for this is that to properly construct home-built equipment, a greater technical knowledge is required than the Foundation course would provide, and there is a risk that the equipment may cause interference to other radio users. |
| Q9 |
What costs will be involved with attending the training course? |
| A | This will probably be based on recovering the administrative costs of running the course. For example, one club may have to hire a hall, while another might have facilities available that they would not charge for. |
| Q10 |
What is the fee for the Foundation Licence? |
| A | The annual fee will be £15, but the licence will be free to those aged under 21 or 75 years or over. |
| Q11 |
Are there any age restrictions to taking the test? |
| A | No - if you are good enough to pass, we feel that you are entitled to hold a licence. |
| Q12 |
How much will it cost to operate as a Foundation licensee? |
| A | This depends on you. There is a wide range of radio equipment commercially available, at different prices. You will have to decide how much you wish to spend on your hobby. A cheap way to start would be to join a local amateur radio club, where you may be able to use existing equipment, or purchase suitable second-hand amateur radio equipment. |
| Q13 |
What call sign will be available to me? |
| A | A decision on the call sign series has not yet been made. When a call sign prefix has been agreed, you can ask if a particular call sign is available, for example if it matches your name e.g. XX SID. However, combinations that could cause offence will not be permitted. |
| Q14 |
Does my licence allow anyone else to operate my radio station? |
| A |
No-one may transmit under your supervision. Licensed amateurs may operate your radio station under their own call sign, using the suffix /P and entering the details in their own logbook. |
| Q15 |
How much further can I progress in the amateur hobby? |
| A |
There will be two further stages that you can progress to - an Intermediate Licence and a Full Licence. Each licence will require you to obtain more detailed knowledge of different aspects of radio, and take additional examinations. The syllabi for these two licences have not yet been agreed, but they will roughly equate as follows: The Intermediate Licence equates to the current Novice Licence Class. The Full Licence would equate to the Class A Licence. |
| Q16 |
When will these new licence classes be introduced? |
| A |
A pilot scheme for the Foundation Licence started in October, and if this goes well, the Foundation Licence will be introduced in January 2002. The Intermediate Licence will be come into force on 1 October 2001. Although the syllabus will be developed over the next 12 months, taking the existing Novice Licence examination will result in your being granted an Intermediate Licence, until the new Intermediary course has been established. In the same vein, if you pass the RAE and the five words per minute Morse test, you will be granted a Full Licence, which equates to the existing Class A Amateur Licence. |
| Q17 |
Will the Morse requirement remain after WRC 2003? |
| A |
Whilst it is expected that WRC2003 will remove the Morse requirement there is always the possibility that it will not. The UK has an obligation to abide by the International Radio Regulations. If it is abolished is likely that the "A" and "B" class distinction in the current Novice/Intermediate and Full Licences will be removed. |
| Q18 |
Will I still be able to use Morse if the requirement is removed? |
| A | Yes, Morse will still be allowed but will not be compulsory. Many people enjoy using Morse and seek to improve their skills. The RSGB will continue to run the Morse training schools. |
| Q19 |
Can existing Novices and Full Class B radio amateurs gain access to HF? |
| A | Yes, if they take the Morse part of the Foundation course. They will then be allowed to operate as Foundation licensees, accessing HF under the same restrictions as the Foundation Licence terms and conditions. In order to obtain a Foundation Licence, radio amateurs who have held their Class B licence for not less than 12 months need only take the Foundation Licence Morse Assessment. Class B licensees operating in the HF bands must abide by the terms and conditions of their Foundation Licence and must only use their Foundation call sign. |
| Q20 |
If I am an existing Novice or Class B licensee, would I benefit by attending the Foundation training and taking a test in Morse? |
| A | Yes. This will automatically give you Foundation licence privileges and a Foundation call sign and may encourage you to improve your Morse skills to five words per minute, in order to progress to Class A Amateur Radio Licence status. |
| Q21 |
I am an existing amateur. Is not the introduction of the Foundation Licence lowering the entry standards for amateur radio? |
| A | Clause 1(1) of the Amateur Licence makes it clear that amateur radio is a service of self-training. The Agency and the RSGB believes that a sensible balance needs to be struck between an entry hurdle 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. |
For further information, please contact:
Amateur
and Citizens' Band Licensing Section
Tel: 0207 211 0539
E-mail:
Amateurcb@ra.gsi.gov.uk
| RA
400 November 2001 |
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