So how about this: A Proposal for a Beginner Amateur Licence A low-power VHF/UHF (144/430 MHz) entry class 'Beginner Amateur’ licence • Targeted at newcomers and offering opportunity for involvement by youth organisations. • Amateur Callsigns • A relatively simple online examination with a pass certificate issued by the RSGB. • A clear path for further progression with the online ‘Beginner’ exam being accepted as exemption/credits for part of the Foundation exam • Equipment to be used will be limited to low power, 5W output, <25W ERP, CE approved VHF/UHF FM/Digital Voice transceivers. (To protect other users of the VHF spectrum in the UK and nearby nations) • Equipment to be unmodified • Abuse identified by AROS will result in licence revocation • Callsigns issued to use an additional letter to clearly identify ‘Beginner ‘licensees. • ‘Beginner’ licensees to be permitted to operate amateur club stations under supervision of a full licensee. • Process administered by RSGB with weekly updates provided to Ofcom • Launch initiated by RSGB including outreach by local radio clubs to forge links with youth organisations. • RSGB to investigate whether ‘Beginner’ amateur licence could be accepted as part of personal development and training by established youth organisations (Scouts, Air Cadets etc) • Minimal cost of administration for Ofcom • The training and development of communications skills by young people taking up a ‘Beginner’ amateur license will ensue additional benefit to ‘UK plc’. John G4SWX i think this would be a good idea john g3swx is the rsgb vhf manager the rsgb have just made the 3 licence exams harder in the uk in australia the wia national radio society have just lost providing the radio amateur exams there the acma the australian radio authority have given the task to a private company
Sorry i dont agree with this new licence proposal. Do you honestly think that most of these opperators will work on 5watts? M6's now use full 100 watts never mind 2E0's. If people are interested in radio the syllabus is fine as it is get the Foundation book and work at it.
12 year olds can pass the beginners licence we have already , its called the Foundation licence which is just a memory test of something that cannot even be called a book , how much easier do you want it ? With any luck OFCOM will tell the RSGB to do one . When SSB on CB became legal in the UK many people made great efforts to promote it and get more using the mode and after several years it just turned into UKFM but on SSB and from what I understand repeaters are already plagued by abuse (?) so maybe they should be carefull of what they wish for. The bit about AROS is hilarious so worth reading for an evening giggle.
Lets see how much more we can dumb the hobby down, how can this be anything to do with personal development and training, oh and lets bring type approval in to hobby via stealth great.Why can't the RSGB tackle some of the real problems that amateurs are having to put up with instead of trying to get everybody and his dog on the radio, maybe they think there is money to be had (again). Maybe checking if someone has a pulse, maybe that could be used has a benchmark, or putting the new beginners licence on the back of a corn flakes box so while your shopping you could get your radio licence (other cereal brands are available). I think its about time these clowns at RSGB thru the towel in.
Experience has shown that it is not the difficulty of the exams, but instead the level of interest shown by prospective amateurs that ultimately will determine the numbers. A similar scheme to the proposed has been in use in Denmark for some years without significant increases in numbers. It is quite likely that removing the exam requirements entirely would not result in any significantly increased number of newcomers. Despite very easy exams that give "Full Licence" privileges the numbers here have dropped to an insignificant amount. 73/ Karl-Arne SM0AOM
Level of interest needs to rise, the foundation licence is the beginner licence. If somebody cant pass it, maybe its the tutors teaching the material? Abuse identified by AROS will result in licence revocation... Never heard of any Licence revocation by the AROS! Maybe they should listen to the current repeater abusers by other levels of licence too!
I've read through the posts on the io group page about this subject and from my view point this is not about whats good for the hobby but whats good for the RSGB , although I don't have any figures to back it up I would expect that the main groups of RSGB membership to come from the newly licenced and those who are long time members well past retirement age. From the above post of fourteen points about a beginners licence they seem to fall into 1) Some form of power grab by the RSGB ( if it were to be approved) 2) Already covered by the existing beginners licence we already have the "Foundation". Even looking at the bits about involving youth groups, why is this failing or not been implimented under the current licence three tier system ? that might be worth looking into rather than yet another licence which could lead to current RSGB long standing members voting with their wallets and not renewing membership.
I think you have identified what makes organised amateur radio "tick". It is not about what is best for the hobby, but instead what is best for the control freaks that are in charge of the societies. Even totally eliminating the exam requirements will not result in a dramatic increase of the numbers. Amateur radio is already considered too archaic to be attractive to younger people. What I suspect are the ulterior motives of moves like this, except the obvious to get more membership revenue, are to exploit the utter weariness of amateur radio shown by the regulators in order to obtain some form of outsourcing assignment to handle all of amateur radio. This would bolster their egos tremendously, and could make it possible to further their own agendas. More than one club official see themselves as "CEO of <insert country name> amateur radio plc", because in a plc there is no transparency for others than the shareholders, which they in turn see as the members of the "good ole boys club". Civil servants are bound by FOIA and transparency laws, club officers are not. 73/ Karl-Arne SM0AOM
