RSGB changes Foundation license exam assessment

That's the route getting sued, even though we all know some people who do it! Just like the guy's with MM6/2M0 and MM0 who all sit on 27.555 MHz SSB, with widebanded HF rigs and amps...

 

Is that Imperial or Metric Watts?

 

TPC should be hammered home as the Sane thing to do.
(Transmission Power Control)
If you got 1.5kW, use it when you Need it, not all the time like a Power Junkie.

e.g. local groups chatting do not need one Giga-Power Junkie station blowing everyone's speakers apart

 

i assume everyone knows anyway, but will say it just in case :
If you can control the power going In to your PA, that changes the Power coming Out,
... so if you can, reduce your TX power from your ICOM7300 or whatever and the Air-Damage you're blasting out will also be reduced.

 

you factually incorrect ref band limits
you are both a liar and being defamtory with your assertions regarding people sticking to their licence terms

 

Of course a lot of Foundation licensees don't stick to their limits. Nor do a lot of Intermediates or Fulls. This is why "incentive licensing" on power levels was always a dumb idea. The practical was of little value in equipping Foundation licensees with the knowledge to operate a radio, the purpose of it was to install clubs as gatekeepers. A way to begin to restore some incentive - there was nothing wrong with the A/B system except the means of upgrading - would be to ensure that any new bands (eg 40MHz) are used as an incentive. Then RSGB and Ofcom should consider bandplanning on the other bands as well, in the same way as US Generals are restricted.

 

Incentive Licencing is a dumb idea - there is no justification for it. The only purpose of licencing is to ensure that the operator has sufficient knowledge to use his or her equipment in a way that does not cause unacceptable levels of interference to other spectrum users. The majority of amateur radio operators these days use off-the-shelf black boxes from Yaesu/ICOM/Kenwood and never build anything more complex than a coax patch lead - for them, the required level of knowledge is band limits, modulation modes, how to configure the speech processor to avoid splattering etc. etc. If you want to differentiate licence classes, have an "Appliance Operator" class and a "Engineer" class - Appliance Operators have access to all bands and modes up to the unmodified power output level of their black box radio, but are not allowed to build or modify radios. The exam for an Appliance Operator licence should be more or less the current Foundation exam and the exam for the Engineer class licence should be an updated version of the three hour RAE that makes the traditionalists go misty-eyed. If you want to give some added incentive, then offer Engineers the ability to use big PAs - a kW or more.

Martin (G8FXC)

 

Every country in the world has good operator's and Not So Good operators. Does'nt matter 1,000 watts or 100 watts . Some can realy play havoc on my operating signal.
Just saying my 2 penny's worth..

 

i think it should be a hands on, because if you got someone whos teaching you they can show you stuff where as learning from a book dont show you this also setting up your first station doing checks like swr and how to use the radio properly

 

The challenge you have is unlike commercial and PMR operators where RF power is measured at the output of the equipment UK license holders have the advantage of measuring at the antenna input - so armed with a remote head RMS power meter like the LP range you can justify an increased power level beyond the '400w' from the shack end past 400w until you're showing on the remote meter 400w... Even with RG213 over 50m and an ATU and RFI filter inline you could technically operate at 725W to achieve 400w at the antenna feed point.

/just saying

 

Says the bloke who never had to take a CW test to gain HF privileges!

 

The U.K. licence became a joke when the morse requirement was withdrawn for HF privileges, but looking at your call sign I assume you were happy enough to accept it…

 

FWIW, I haven't heard of anyone with a foundation license breaching the 10W limit of their license*. And many of them are working towards their intermediate license.

*That's not to say it doesn't happen, but I think characterising it is "common practice" is really doing Foundation license holds a disservice.

 

About power limits, It goes like this..

Ham purchases the largest Amplifier he or she can afford...Lets say 5KW

Although illegal, the Ham will run full throttle,

Once the Ham tries the full throttle Amp, (5KW) he or she will blow through the RF chain (Cables, connectors, baluns, etc..)

Next the final play, he or she finds out that the transmit gain is exceeding the receive gain, meaning they can be heard, but they can't hear the Ham who is hearing them..(Alligator).

Finally the outcome, the Ham operates at 800 Watts, as this is a typical balance between Transmit gain and receive gain, when using the typical multiband Yagi, at the usual 35 - 55ft...

And then the Ham is more practical, and desires to purchase one of those quiet amplifiers, probably solid state..

Cheers

DE NN2X