quick low-down on radio stuff if you please

[fisha]

CB radio i can understand - i would like to get another in the forseeable future and i'll need to renew the license at that time.

however, i see a few of you chaps are into the amateur radio stuff. Can someone give a quick overview of whats involved with that?

I see that you have to take some sort of text and that on passing i assume you get that 5-digit call sign. A couple of questions:

- what does the test involve
- how hard is it?
- how much does it cost?
- how much is the equipment?
- can the equipment do CB as well?
- are there many people that use it?

just a quick overview would be supa-doopa!

cheers,

Donald

[OldFart]

Good question Donald, i'm interested too :)

[g7jtk]

1. what does the test involve?
Lessons or self study an a City & Guilds exam.
2. how hard is it?
Hard if you arn't into electronics
3. how much does it cost?
£15 for the licence, + lessons books exam.
4. how much is the equipment?
from about £100 up to thousands.
5. can the equipment do CB as well?
some will but you still need cb licence
6. are there many people that use it?
not as popular as it once was but the call sign book is as thick as a phone book.

www.rsgb.org for all the information you will need.

[timbott]

Originally posted by g7jtk
6. are there many people that use it?
not as popular as it once was but the call sign book is as thick as a phone book.

That's true and I am one of the culprits, always licensed and I have a fully functional 2 metre FM/SSB station upstairs and a 70cm handheld, I must admit I am guilty of spending far to much time on the Internet and (to my shame) I do neglect Amateur Radio.

To the posters on here who wonder what it is - unless you are genuinely interested in radio and electronics - forget it, as unless you have a fairly deep understanding of radio transmitters and receivers you will not pass the Radio Amateurs Examination (RAE).

Probably the best way to explain the roots of Amateur Radio would be by saying licensed amateurs are the only people in this country (and probably the world) who can legally construct and use their own transmitters as we all use transmitters of sorts nowadays (mobile phone) but only us amateurs are trusted to build our own, all other stuff has to be approved my the authorities.

Unfortunately most radio amateurs buy stuff off the shelf and use it very much as a very expensive and powerful mode of communicating around the globe.

I must admit I have never built my own gear - I have made my own aerials though with some success

Such a vast subject.

When radio waves were first discovered it was assumed that any wavelength shorter than 200 metres was useless so sub 200m wavelengths were give to the early amateurs. Now little uses longer wave lengths. Thank us intrepid Radio Hams for your Mobile Phones, Microwave Ovens, Cordless phones, VHF/UHF radio etc.

http://www.rsgb.org/

cheers, Tim, G6NLO

[fisha]

so my degree in Electronic and Electrical Engineering with characteristic impedance, SWR, transmitter / receiver / amplifier design may actually have some use then?


sounds interesting - might look into it a little more.

does a ham license have a yearly subscription?

[g7jtk]

£15.00

[kev hughes]

With the new liecensing structure a novice liecence is not that technically demanding and the 10Watt limit is not so bad really. Join your local club and you will learn more about this wonderful hobby. I'm a member here Llanelli ARS (http://homepage.ntlworld.com/royjones/)

ps sign the guestbook please:yay:

[Highway_Star]

With the new exam structure the City & Guilds thing went out th window, there is however moves afoot to bring in a new NVQ in something like Communication Technology or similar wording.

The Foundation exam is a breeze, Don with you're background you won't have a problem, you'd just ned to mug up on the operational procedures etc. If you're on broadband I can send you a self study course.

As to sitting it, like the man said, find a local club, they will have someone who is qualified as a trainer/examiner.

I'm with Kev, the 10 watt power limit on M3's isn't that much of a hindrance, you'll get all you locals with ease, and there are quite a few repeaters in your neck of the woods. I've been hearing stations from Irvine working simplex, hitting me at about S5-S7, OK I'm quite high up, but even so..