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Summary Of The Proceedings Of The Amateur Radio Forum Held On 7 December 2000 In Edinburgh |
1. Introduction
1.1 Martin Cain opened the meeting, welcomed the delegates and introduced himself as the Head of the Specialist Sectors Unit of the Radiocommunications Agency (RA) which had responsibility, amongst other things, for the licensing of Amateur and Citizen's Band Radio in the United Kingdom.
1.2 He went on to introduce the rest of the panel:-
Karen Scott, RA
Paul Fonseka, RA
Alan Betts, RA
Neil Marr, RA
Alan Fletcher, RA ops Manager Falkirk
Don Beattie, President RSGB
Les Mountford, The Radio Licensing Centre
Linda Lee, The Radio Licensing Centre
1.3 Mr Cain said that there was no formal agenda, but that there were some topics that he felt were of interest for debate by the forum.
1.4 The hobby radio sector was sadly in decline and RA is pursuing a number of initiatives to try to encourage more people into the hobby. For example, the Stelar Programme, which is intended to give teachers training in amateur radio. This is being supplemented by the RSGB who have a program of visits to schools around the country to promote interest in the hobby. To further this project, RA has provided the RSGB with a vehicle, which they will fit out with radio equipment for demonstration to schoolchildren.
1.5 Amateur radio is seen by the Agency as a valuable source of radio engineers which will benefit UK industry, as well as the economy. It is also an enjoyable hobby for those who wish to make contact with others.
1.6 A new initiative that RA is pursuing is the introduction of a new licence structure, on the assumption that the Morse Test requirement will be removed at WRC 2003. The proposed new licence structure will form three tiers;
Foundation, Intermediary and Advanced.
1.7 The foundation licence will lie beneath the current Novice licence level and will require minimal skills. It is hoped that by making entry into the hobby easier for people, it will encourage more into the hobby and as they grow more familiar with the challenges involved, they will seek to progress to the higher licences.
1.8 Mr Cain went on to say that the RSGB have established a programme of external examination centres and work was ongoing to speed up the introduction of examinations on-demand.
1.9 RA will be seeking to introduce e-licensing to enable customers to apply for or renew their licences electronically.
2. The Foundation Licence
2.1 A broad debate followed on specifics of the proposed Foundation Licence. Specific points and replies were as follows;
Q1. The qualifications required seemed reasonable for young people, but limited novices to VHF bands, which is no use in Scotland as there is no activity in these bands. They should be introduced to HF.
Q2. HF bands should be opened up to foundation licensees. Intermediary licence should be as is, but there are problems with power levels. Commercial equipment can produce 100 watts or more. The power limitations in the licence should be 150 - 200 Watts.
A1. RA responded that, following a meeting with RSGB, a way may been found to possibly allow use of the HF bands by foundation licensees. Work is still in hand, but broadly speaking, a Morse test is still required for access to the HF bands. However, the International Radio Regulations do not specify the speed of the tests, but rather require that "a knowledge of Morse" is sufficient.
A2. The power level has not yet been determined. However, if it is set too high, inexperienced Foundation licensees may inadvertently cause interference.
Q. Why is the current two-tier system not sufficient?
A. The Novice licence was introduced in 1992 and there are currently only 3,000 licensees, although some will have progressed. People are put off by a 12-week course then exams. RA are trying to introduce a simple way to get newcomers into the hobby ,where people will progress naturally. The RAE can appear to be too difficult to some and puts them off. Once they have gained confidence, it id hoped that Foundation licensees will begin to progress to the more advance licence classes.
Q. The Foundation licence is the same as CB. People should be encouraged to build kit, learn how to prevent interference and develop some technical skills. Currently, full amateurs ignore novices and will not communicate with them, so the Foundation will be even worse.
A. The new licence structure will lead by progression to a full licence as people become more used to the hobby. It is for existing full licensees to encourage novices and new Foundation licensees.
Q. How will the Foundation licence be administered and who will provide training?
A. The examination would be run over 8-10 hours of tuition, followed by a test administered by a registered body (such as a local amateur club). The draft syllabus has been based in part on elements of the Novice Licence. The qualification will be on " a know what to do" basis. The existing Novice instructors would be an obvious source of instructors.
Q. In Scotland, there is a new police policy for not allowing children out at night. When can classes be held for them?
A. There may be scope for training to be given during lunchtime at schools, or at weekends, if the school is willing to allow this. Alternatively, local Amateur clubs may want to give training at weekends.
Q. The Full licence should have more power up to 1 kilowatt for contests. Full licences should only be granted after three years experience at intermediary level.
A. RA would consider allowing increased power for contests. A proposal should be put up through the RSGB contest committees. Factors that could influence an increased power allocation would include where the contest will be and if it would cause problems.
Q. Will RA reduce the cost of Licences for pensioners?
A. We will be introducing free licences for those aged 75 and over from 1 April 2001.
Q. Should we restrict importation of high power equipment?
A. RA will take enforcement action against use of higher power than that permitted in the licence. It would not be possible to restrict a full importation of high power equipment, as this could contravene international trade agreements.
Q. The only difference between a Novice licence and B licence is 26 DBW the incorporation of HF.
A. The issue of HF on a B licence is the same issue as foundation licence going onto HF, due to the requirements of the Radio Regulations. We cannot do anything until the Morse requirements have been removed. What we are looking at what we can do before then.
Q. If we want to get youth into radio, we should have amateur radio facilities in schools.
A. It would be very difficult to get amateur radio into the national curriculum, as it is already very full. The STELAR program is intended to train teachers in radio and they can then set up clubs at schools, should the staff have sufficient time to devote to the hobby.
Q. Give a number of cheap receivers to schools to encourage competition between youngsters.
A. Good idea, but you do need someone associated with the school who is a radio amateur before any scheme can work. RA is considering relaxing the rules on supervised operation. Supervised HF operation gives more enjoyment than sending greetings messages. RA local staff when working on measuring telephone radio transmitters near schools will bring along promotional information on amateur radio.
Q. Why can't lottery funds be used to promote interest in amateur radio?
A. Lottery grants can only be given to registered charities.
Q. What will happen to the Novice licence after the foundation licence is in place?
A. We have not yet looked at the structure of the Novice licence pre WRC 2003. Power levels and privileges would have to be assessed and adjusted where necessary.
Statement from the floor: The hobby should be more welcoming to newcomers - no sense of elitism should be fostered.
Q. There should be no restriction on antennas for the Foundation Licence. Why restrict to Omni-directional antennas?
A. The Foundation licence parameters were designed to minimise interference. We are looking to see if this restriction can be amended.
Q. If WRC 2003 scrap requirement for Morse, will the UK follow and how long before it is in place?
A. It may take up to a year to implement the decision, if it is agreed at WRC.
Q. As a class B licence holder, what additional qualifications would be required to move on to the new Advanced licence class?
A. The class B licensee would not require additional qualifications, but would probably progress automatically to the new Advanced licence class.
Q. Can money be made available for advancing children's participation in amateur radio?
A. The RSGB must go out to people to stimulate interest. They are approaching commercial organisations to sponsor private funding of amateur radio to stimulate the increase of radio engineers.
Q. What are the potential future change in the privileges for different licence classes. Phone patch, interconnection with the Internet, third party traffic, use in the aeronautical sector etc is permitted in other countries, why not in the UK?
A. RA will consider any proposals that the Amateur community come up with, but would prefer that requests be made via the RSGB. The ability of operating aeronautical amateur radio is currently under consideration, but a response is still awaited from the CAA.
Statement from the floor: There should be more incentives for people to progress to full class licences, and I don't believe the examination is that difficult.
A. RA has heard from many sources that the prospect of sitting an exam is rather intimidating for some people.
Q. Why, if someone can build a QRP transceiver, do they have to buy commercial kit to get on the air?
A. The Foundation licence holder will be allowed to use home build kit, providing that they are simple and do not require specialist skills or test equipment.
Q. How many modules would have to be passed to get the foundation licence?
A. This is a leftover from the different proposals between the RSGB and the RA, and has now been clarified. The final solution to the content of the licence has not yet been reached, but is not far off.
Q. Can RA put proposals and mechanisms for removing the Morse requirement before WRC 2003?
A. RA has already started discussions by undertaking a recent consultation, and we hope to have everything in place before WRC. We cannot make changes before the requirement is abandoned.
Q. Could there be an additional licence class above the Advanced licence class, with more privileges?
A. There are problems in deciding what extra privileges that licence should have - more power, availability of additional frequency bands etc? Greater power is already available for experimentation, but must be limited by location and the potential to give rise to interference to other users of the radio spectrum.
Q. Have the RA considered using the other end of the spectrum e.g.1.8 MHz for the foundation licence.
A. This is still under consideration, as are all of the other elements of the foundation licence. There is a question of controlling the power output from commercial equipment, which needs to be resolved.
Q. Could home built kit in the foundation licence that gives access to HF be allowed if it is signed off by an existing licensee?
A. This is an interesting concept, but it would depend on the competence of the licensee who will sign the kit off. There could be variable standards, and there could be a difficulty with enforcement issues. Commercially available self - build kit would be a better option to ensure conformity. The foundation licence will develop as time goes by, and there may be future scope for allowing more advanced home construction. There is also an implication under the health and safety legislation. If a licensed amateur certifies home - built equipment is safe; they would have the responsibility if there were to be an accident.
Q. At what age would you want the foundation licence to start and what about the cost - if they are very young, wouldn't their parents have to face the cost of starting up and could the parents be persuaded to let the family home be used for amateur radio?
A. It is hoped that the parents would visit the school or club to see what the hobby is all about, and perhaps would then become encouraged to let the child operate amateur radio. There is also an element of monitoring to ensure that youngsters are using it in a safe manner.
3. General Discussion
3.1 A general discussion on other Amateur Radio issues followed.
Q. Is there anything to stop licences being made available at a local post office?
A. The cost of this was found to be prohibitive hence the centralised postal system.
Q. How do you obtain callsigns for contests?
A. Apply to the RSGB, as a club rather than an individual.
Q. The difference in power levels between Intermediate and Advanced Licence is very little in real terms, from 400 to 1,000 watts. The difference is about 4 dB and if you get interference at one level, you will get it at the other. Why not allow greater power?
A. The aim of amateur radio is to use the most efficient means of transmission and reception, not just on power levels. A specialist licence could be an option for specialist operations, for example, moon bounce.
Q. Are the year 2000 special callsigns going to continue into 2001?
A. RA is awaiting a response from the organisations that have used them to see how popular they were and if there is a need for them to continue.
Q. Is there any information available on linking amateur radio to the Internet?
A. A limited form of linking amateur radio to networks has been permitted for a year, but you have to apply for a Notice of Variation to do this. Over the last year, about 100 have requested this, so the take up has not been that good.
Q. Could dBW be dropped and replaced with Watts?
A. RA does now list both in the licence booklet.
Q. Why was the authority for converting monoband 10-metre multi-mode equipment on 11 metres was converted to 10 metres stopped?
A. The authority was only for a specific period to try and reduce the amount of illegal equipment that was in use.
Statement from the floor: The Internet is more expensive from a start up point of view than purchasing radio equipment.
Q. Now that callsigns are issued out of sequence, it is difficult to see if a callsign is genuine which causes problems for repeater keepers. Can access to the Radio Licensing Centre's database be given to check authenticity?
A. The Data Protection Act does not allow the release of personal information to third persons. You can however, ring the Radio Licensing Centre and ask if a particular callsign is current. If you suspect that someone is operating illegally, don't talk to them.
Q. How long does a radio contest callsign last for?
A. The special contest callsigns last for three years and are issued to clubs who are issued with a NoV. The callsign can be mobile, but the local RIS office must be notified 28 days in advance.
Q. Why, if 16 - 17 six metre repeaters were issued in the UK, were none issued in Scotland.
A. No applications appeared to have been submitted by Scottish amateurs. It is for local groups to decide if they want one and to apply.
Q. Is it possible to increase the term of the licence beyond one year. Documentation could be issued annually. Why not increase to 5 years?
A. We did consult on this but no one responded. The reason for annual renewal is to remind people to notify the Radio Licensing Centre if they have changed their details (address etc.) and means that at least once a year they will get a new terms and provisions booklet.
4. Interference and EMC
Q. EMC is a major issue where faulty IT equipment on Bush TV's on standby mode causes interference, and what can RA do to solve the problems?
A. RA could make a test purchase to see if the equipment meets EMC regulations, as the manufacturers have stated they do. The EMC regulations may not be tight enough. To change the Regulations will have to depend on experience of use of particular equipment.
Statement from the floor: the manufacturer should recall The TV's and the problems sorted out, then re-issued.
A. The RSGB have been asked to canvass their members to see how wide - spread the problem is. If it is a major issue, a test purchase will be made and the equipment will be tested at our laboratory.
Q. Do interference complaints get investigated about interference to amateur radio from TV and if supporting proof that the installation is ok, is there a charge for visits?
A. If there were a complaint from domestic users about interference from amateur radio, RA investigation staff would visit the station and check for spurious emissions. They will then write to the complainant and inform them of the outcome. If the interference still remains, then a visit to the domestic premises can be made, and there is a £45 charge. Normally, it is a problem with the domestic equipment.
Complaints of interference from amateurs are more difficult as it is a non-protected service. Other services take priority such as emergency services, and RA have very limited staff resources. They will investigate, but such complaints are of a low priority and will only be investigated when resources permit.
Q. Are there any plans in the UK to provide protected sub bands for CW work, so that CW is not swamped by Single Side Band activity in the bottom part of the band?
A. We have looked at setting aside some parts of HF for Morse operation. A consultation was undertaken by RSGB in November last year, but the response was minimal. The main concern seemed to be about the encroachment of digimode into CW bands. Therefore, the proposal was dropped.
Statement from the floor: Log keeping should be voluntary rather than mandatory, for low power operation.
A. The major reason for log keeping is that it is evidence that the user has been on the band, if interference has been reported. If a log were not kept, tracking down interference would be very difficult. A log can also make it easier to prove that you were not responsible for interference, if it is well maintained. No log at all would not give this security.
Q. Why not introduce logs only for those operating above 5 Watts?
A. RA will consider and consult with local staff to see if any problems have been reported on interference below 5 watts.
5. E-Commerce
E- licensing will be introduced by April 2002 to enable people to carry out certain transactions e.g. renewals, electronically rather than on a paper-based system as is currently the case.
6. Close
Martin Cain closed the meeting by thanking the audience for their constructive and lively contributions to the meeting and said that any additional thoughts on the foundation licence would be welcomed.
Radiocommunications Agency
January 2001
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