AMATEUR RADIO LICENSES

Despite popular belief, radio communications is not just something used by the cadets, military or emergency services. In fact for many thousands of people Radio Communication is a hobby, these people make it a challenge to contact all the corners of the earth and also space (e.g. the International Space Station). These highly qualified hobbyists are known as Radio Amateurs (or Hams) and are licensed to operate using much higher powers (up to 400Watts in the UK) on a great number of frequency bands.

Becoming a radio amateur is easy... the first step on the three tiered ladder would be the "foundation" qualification. To obtain this all you need to do is attend a foundation course run by a Radio Society of Great Britain approved instructor, these courses can last as little as 10 hours and comprise of some theory (antennas and propagation, voice procedure, transmitters and receivers, licence conditions, etc) and some practical assessments (sending low level Morse Code, connecting up a radio, making some voice contacts, etc) culminating in a multiple choice exam paper.

Once you have passed the exam you can then apply to Ofcom for your licence to operate on the amateur radio bands (using suitable equipment) and best of all, if you're under 21 then you get your licence for free!!! To find out more about becoming an Radio Amateur or to find a local club (there are even some in schools) or instructor please check out the RSGB website.

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