View Full Version : The Foundation License
N5LRZ
07-30-2002, 03:29 AM
As most of us know the Brits have a new license, The Foundation License. The requirements are that you have to take an official training course and pass a 20 question multiple guess test. Just 20 questions???
But that is not the strange part. You have to take a code assessment test. And here is where strange begins. "There is no morse speed requirement, and the applicants are provided with a copy of the morse alphabet 'coding' and 'decoding' information sheets. To complete the assessment, applicants must receive a text of up to 30 characters in QSO format, and they may write down the morse elements and decode them using the information sheets"
So here is the test, Hi, Here is a page with the morse code and here is a page with the format of the message we will send you. Write down the dots and dashes and decode them when the tape ends using the information pages we gave you.
Opinions anyone?http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/confused.gif
Signed
I hope my life does not depend
on these guys ability to copy code.
R Arceneaux
N5LRZ
KB9YFI
07-30-2002, 03:35 AM
why would it?
N3BIF
07-30-2002, 03:47 AM
so they use their "Foundation Decoder Ring "
I have been reading the uk.radio.amateur newsgroup for some time. The "foundation" ticket is causing the generation of much hate and discontent.
Should we worry about it over here? I don't know. Seems to me that we have enough to wory about without taking on the trials and tribulations of the world.
How many other countries have a similiar license?
I think that the Japanese have had a similiar type of ticket for some time? We never hear anything about that, probably because we can't read Japanese.
Gary WG7X
N7CPC
07-30-2002, 07:14 AM
What are the priveleges given a holder of a Foundation license? If it is just like our no code tech., no problem. If it ain't and they still only max out at four hundred watts, who cares? We ain't gonna hear 'em anyhoo.
73
M1MPW
07-30-2002, 09:06 AM
Hi People,
I passed my Foundation Licence around 2 months ago.
The Foundation Licence was brought about because of
the rising decline in interest in Amateur Radio.
The idea being that Amateur Radio is for "self learning".
And that hopefully Foundation Licencees will go on to
take harder exams in the future to further their learning.
The Course is actually very good.
It basically weeds out those people that have a proper
interest and are not totally daft!
The code acessment is quite good. I enjoyed finding
out the morse is not as hard as one thinks.
I am now studying at home already to take the
Full Class A Licence exam in December this year,
or May next year.
As for what the Foundation Licence allows:
10 Watt ERP max.
All bands from 3.5 to 433Mhz excluding 28Mhz. (10m)
All modes of Transmission ( includes SSTV and CW )
Tranceivers must not be home built, but Antennas and
test equipment may be.
I believe that the hatred from some of the so called
"higher licenced" Amateurs comes from the idea that this
Licence allows "CB'ers" and "Axe welding Maniacs" on
"their" precious bands.
Anyway, I will be learning the "code" and will probably find that once I have done I won't use anything else!
So... Any questions?
73
Mark
M3MPW
N5LRZ
07-30-2002, 12:09 PM
Re N7CPC,
You just might hear them. I quote from the article, "...provides holders with access to mos bands from 136 KHz through 440 MHz--with the notable exception of 10 meters."
So you just might hear them. Their call sign will run from M3AAA - M3ZZZ.
They are authorized for only 10 watts but it is enough to be heard nicely under the proper conditions.
RArceneaux
N5LRZ
Reminds me of the VE sessions I've participated in where people taking the code test would show up with their little dot-dash-dot Cheat Sheets at the ready. Bunky, if you still have to look up what "dash dash dot dash" stands for, you're not ready for a code test.
Mark, I liked when you said, "The Course is actually very good.
It basically weeds out those people that have a proper
interest and are not totally daft!"
I wish WE, in the good ol' USA, had some kind of course or test that weeded out the "totally daft." Of course, 2 meters would be a LOT more quiet then....
http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif
ke5wj
07-30-2002, 10:38 PM
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (N7CPC @ July 30 2002,03:14)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">What are the priveleges given a holder of a Foundation license? #If it is just like our no code tech., no problem. #If it ain't and they still only max out at four hundred watts, who cares? #We ain't gonna hear 'em anyhoo.
73[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Don't bet on it. I've worked quite a few of them on CW, #including M0TTT. (Now there's a guy who just doesn't give a dit.)
It appears to me to be just a bit different than the old Novice ticket, with a somewhat relaxed CW requirement, much lower power limits, and expanded mode and band priviledges. It is an entry level license and I have no problem with people wanting to learn and upgrade.
But what do I know - I can't even speak the King's English. #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif
ka1kjz
07-31-2002, 04:39 AM
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (ke5wj @ July 30 2002,15:38)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Don't bet on it. I've worked quite a few of them on CW, #including M0TTT. (Now there's a guy who just doesn't give a dit.)[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
GAWD! #I dont do CW, but if I did, and heard that call, I'd probably think something shorted in my brain and I was halucinating baddddd!
N7CPC
07-31-2002, 07:16 AM
Don't give a dit! Dah's funny!
73 http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif
Or if you were an Irishman with the callsign EI5HSE, you would be FULL of dit!
And if he got an Irish vanity call, and shortened his call to EI5HS, he'd have to TAKE a dit.
Oh well. Dit Happens.
Out.
G8XQS
07-31-2002, 10:48 PM
Hi. You asked for opinions on the UK Foundation Licence. Here's one I wholeheartedly agree with:-
From "Radio Communication", the RSGB journal, August 2002:-
"...I wanted to comment on these M3s I've been hearing on 15m. #Never in my life have I come across a more enthusiastic group of hams than these M3s that I've been speaking to lately on 15m. #As a group they are a joy to listen to. #They are having more fun being on the air than any group of hams I have heard in years. #I'll give you an example of just one of many that I have heard and spoken to. #M3SDX called me the other Sunday. #During the course of the conversation he said he was operating from a farmer's pasture. #He said he drove his vehicle into the pasture every weekend and put up a mast with a triband Yagi on top. #Now think about the efforts that ham has to make just to get on the air. #If we old goats could catch that same enthusiasm and can-do attitude the bands would be so much more fun. #Y'all folks in the UK are obviously having much more success with these newcomers than we are on this side of the Atlantic. #Whatever you're doing, it's working.
Jack Emerson, W4TJE"
So - M3s can be worked from the States! #And don't panic - NO-ONE'S life will depend on their CW! Sure - for decades that was an important issue but no more. #If a ship gets in trouble now they hit their distress beacon and satellites and GPS etc. do the necessary.
Incidentally M0TTT is a full UK Class A licence (ie. the holder has passed the full UK Radio Amateurs Exam and a 12 wpm CW test). #All UK Foundation Licence calls begin with M3. #Just to confuse you even more some M3 licencees have actually been the holders of full UK VHF/UHF licences for upto 38 years - they are not all newcomers to ham radio by any means. #In fact the majority are long-licenced VHF/UHF hams who have taken out an M3 call so they can operate QRP on HF.
Hope that clarifies a few ideas folks.
73s
Martin G8XQS
Sometimes I even THINK in Morse Code.... Guess that makes me a Dit For Brains.
Okay, I'm out.
N7CPC
08-01-2002, 06:15 PM
I bet they are a happy lot! Think how many happy. enthuzed Bozos we would have trashing the bands here if they could get on fifteen meters with no evident code requirement!
The precident sucks!
73
N3BIF
08-01-2002, 06:22 PM
So does lack of proofreading , .....PRECEDENT !
n0xas
08-01-2002, 06:59 PM
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I bet they are a happy lot! #Think how many happy. enthuzed Bozos we would have trashing the bands here if they could get on fifteen meters with no evident code requirement![/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
They probably are happy... #but I have to say, as for the lack of code requirement thing, a quick listen to those trashing portions of 75M at night or a few select 20M frequencies during the day or evening will show you that passing a code test doesn't always mean you've got your head extracted from your amplifier. #
The more I think about this the more convinced I am that there will eventually be no Morse code requirement for any amateur license, anywhere. #It's not going to be real soon, but it IS coming. #Like spark, technology (like it or not) has made Morse a less essential part of radio than it once was. #Like it or not, yo may as well get used to the idea. #I think it's time we stopped preemptively making the "lid/no lid" decision based on how a person operates and what he or she contributes, rather than some other arbitrary criteria.
Put another way -- would you say all UK operators are more inclined to be lids? #All US ops? #All of a particular race or color? #Religion? #Location? #I just passed my Extra exam two days ago. #No one asked me to pass a 20WPM code test; in fact, I couldn't take one if I wanted to. #Now, you don't know if I can copy code at 5WPM, 15, 20, or 40 - do you think I'm qualified to be an Extra or not? #You can't tell until we meet on the air. #That's my whole point.
I like CW. #I operate CW almost all the time at the moment. #But I'm not going to use that as my yardstick to determine what I think of another person. #
Dale
(M3 calls welcome here.)
K1LCA
08-01-2002, 07:19 PM
It sounds like Raymond doesn't play well with others. One must have a personal invitation to play in his sandbox.
Larry K1LCA
ke5wj
08-01-2002, 11:04 PM
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (davn3bif @ Aug. 01 2002,14:22)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">So does lack of proofreading , .....PRECEDENT ![/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
I thought he meant "president".
Seriously, the M3's I have worked on CW were fine operators and I have no complaints. If someone else does, well, that's why most rigs have means to turn off the power or change frequencies.
KB9YFI
08-02-2002, 01:02 AM
</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (w3sy @ Aug. 01 2002,10:39)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Sometimes I even THINK in Morse Code.... Guess that makes me a Dit For Brains.
Okay, I'm out.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
God, I hope someone thinking that slow will never have my life in his hands. SLAM! car accident.....HEAD ON.
Jim
WB2RJR
08-02-2002, 01:32 AM
I would support a no code test license for HF here in the U.S. with the following privileges only.
1.) 100 watts output max.
2.) 160-10 meters, no VHF,UHF
3.) cw only
73 Marty K7RKR
n0xas
08-02-2002, 02:40 PM
Well, the FCC already beat you to it, though with different privileges. #And what would be the point of a no-code license that granted only CW operating privileges? #
I don't think the FCC is all that concerned with preserving the history of Amateur Radio; that's not their job. #If *we* want to preserve it by using CW, great. #But I think the main reason we have a Morse code requirement for HF privileges is that it's required by treaty. #Once that goes away I think it's only a matter of time. #Personally, I'd support a no-code HF license if it were coupled with a little better written exam and better enforcement, but sadly I suspect neither of those are on the horizon. #Morse does seem to make a fairly good filter against total morons, but it also keeps out a lot of people that could bring a lot of good to the hobby (or service, or whatever you want to call it).
Dale
The new brit ticket is one of those "just show up" tickets. Just show up and you get one.:)Thats been a trend in ham radio for years so what else is new ? Is that much different than a no code tech getting his extra over the weekend here in the usa , as I read abt in qst I think some time back?The majority of #hams wanted to make the exams easy and to do away with code testing. Well, we got it now and all of a sudden the new guys realize they dont have the braggin rights the old timers do http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif So sad, to bad. It will never go back to fcc testing and 20wpm so why waste ones time getting upset over lowered standards ? Thats what the majority wanted and thats they got.
Back in the Old Days that people don't like to hear about any more, there used to be a two year (then one year, I believe) "experience requirement" for Extra Class. That is, you couldn't even TAKE the Extra test until you had a General or Advanced for two years first! I guess the thinking was that to qualify for the Extra privs, you needed experience -- something that you can't teach and can't be tested on.
Perhaps now that code tests all but history, and the exam questions and answers can be studied right off the Internet, why not bring back that experience requirement? Then maybe the license will mean something again. Right now, it really doesn't. I doubt I'll get much argument on that. I'm not trying to be hurtful. That's just how it is. If someone can knock out the exam over the weekend as his first ticket, what does it prove?
Anyway, it's what you do and what you learn after you get your ticket that really matters, so why not give folks a couple years of "hands on" before qualifying for the top ticket?
Either that, or just toss out the whole "incentive licensing" structure and make a one-size-fits-all license. Right now, the US license structure doesn't mean much.
Out.
M3TMC
10-22-2002, 09:37 PM
My two children are foundation holders. Jade M3 JLT aged 10 and Sammie M3 STT aged 12. We have worked the world together and most nights (when propagation allows) we speak into the USA (14.240) with Walt and friends. I would like to thank Walt and his friends for spending time with us and for the smiles of excitment when we made the first contact. To see that was worth more than money!! You should have seen my kids faces light up!!!!!!!
This is what its all about and not how and why we was able to do it!
Get used to it 5000 new M3s so far and its growing! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif