RSGB changes Foundation license exam assessment

From what I’ve seen in the UK, 400 watts is loosely defined as a pair of 3-500s running full tilt.
K5FUV

 

This is why it was so dumb to drop valve theory from the Intermediate and Full syllabus!

 

you do realise that UK licence power limits are generally at the * antenna feedpoint* unless the band plan says ERP

 

I have attached some light bedtime reading as a pdf for further elucidation.

 

and the relevance of the EMC stuff to the power limits for Amateurs is what exactly ?

while EMC compliance is important, the relevance of that topic to what people are putting into an antenna feeder to enable them to make the full use of their power limits of their licence is what exactly ?

73 de 2E0NYH ( a UK intermediate licence callsign )

 

EMF compliance is effectively a schedule to the licence now - if you are not compliant, you are in breach of your licence conditions, so for many people their power limit is effectively less than 400W at the feedpoint. An amp with 2x 3-500Z is going to give you about 1500W PEP out the back of it..

 

Thankfully the EMC compliance is being phased in gradually. Anything over 110MHz must be assessed by 18th Nov 2021, for 10MHz upwards from May 2022 and 10MHz down from Nov 2022. OFCOM are still working the reference data for 10MHz and down. So as long as you have your 2-metre and up antennae assessed then you are good to go. BTW, the RSGB spreadsheet is really easy to complete (providing you do not get dismissive and resign from the aye-been society).
For the record, the EMC assessment works with the power level produced at the final output point, either the radio or the amp... simply as that!

 

True but it does not change the basic fact of where power is measured / calculated from with respect to the power limits in the licence either ERP or feedpoint power , where the EMC stuff is all about EIRP and working backwards from that to the power you can put out the back of the set ...

A lot of power discussions seem to be based in a fundamental misunderstanding of this - including those saying about the foundation licence ' why both you can do 12 watts legally on 11m ssb' ... i'm lucky to have some very knowledgable people local to me who have helped me fully understand all this and provided (remote / minimal physicla contact ) advice and support in getting set up through the lockdowns

Also the Amp maximum power thing is a bit of a red herring it;s like saying a 2cv can just about reach 70 mph why drive anything more powerful when the speed limit is 70 moh

 

Parklife!

 

I personally feel it's a learning curve I went into ham radio and was taught well by K5OAZ but before I had met them as a child or young adult had NEVER heard of ham radio it intrigued me and jumped in head first

 

I figure you’d probably require a few hundred feet of very lossy feed line to get a pair of 3-500s down to 400 watts at the feed point.

 

This has rather headed off the original track for this thread.

As someone who ran foundation and intermediate courses before covid the practical parts of both courses are really valuable (and actually nothing to do with policing power entitlement).
At foundation level to be able to demonstrate and practice the practical way to tune an aerial is a fundamental thing one needs to understand when starting off and not so easy to learn via a video or book.
Similarly at intermediate level making a small project allows one quickly to pick up skills from your mentors (and those teaching often to pick up new skills from the students!).
So, as in much of life, it is the interaction with others and the passing on of skills that is the valuable part of the practical teaching in the amateur licenses and it will be sad to loose these. Particularly as through the learning process students get introduced into the club structure and become encouraged to participate. A problem that all clubs are having at the moment.
Lets encourage more practical, hands on, parts to the license courses and run these outside of the license training if the RSGB decide not to make them part of the training.

You can all go back to ranting about how many watts make five now !

MWØTDZ

 

now clubs have to attract members rather than gatekweeping those attracted by the hobby ...

 

Depends on the frequency

 

Obviously, you've never heard of Ham Spirit and have little idea of how to behave properly in an international forum. You make me ashamed to be British (as do the comments above on being licensed without having sat a CW test). Please don't use national epithets to describe fellow hams (especially not if you can't spell them correctly) or tell people to avoid making comments. We are guests on an American-run site and should behave politely to others, regardless of where they come from.