Norfolk Amateur Radio Club Norfolk Amateur Radio Club

training

  • The RSGB have identified that quite a few people who pass their Foundation Exam do not actually get on air and for some at least it may be that they need extra help with the practical aspects of setting up a station and the confidence of going on the air for the first time on their own.
    As winners of the 2009 Kenwood Trophy for outstanding contribution to training, the RSGB asked Norfolk Amateur Radio Club to look at developing a 'mentoring' initiative which, if successful, could be adopted by other clubs nationwide. So for the first time we are piloting our new 'Radio Buddy' scheme with our new amateurs, where each new licencee is assigned a 'buddy' from within the club with a special buddy card who will help get them on the air and put them in touch with other amateurs with similar interests. Whilst their is never an obligation to join NARC for a course, the club will also offer all newcomers 3 months free membership to help them get started.
    We will let you know how the buddy scheme goes, meantime if you are a NARC member and would like to be a buddy for future new licencees, please send your name, address and contact details together with a few words about your particular interest in radio and a 'head and shoulders' digital picture of yourself (smiling!) to G7URP who will make this up into a Radio Buddy card to use for future courses.

  • The entry Level is the Foundation licence. This is a new licence that was introduced in January 2002. The Foundation licence is designed to get you involved in amateur radio as quickly as possible. But before you are allowed to transmit 'live' it is important that you know a little bit about how your radio works, the dangers of interfering with other radio users, how not to upset your neighbours or your parents (if you are a young person) and the rules and regulations of holding a radio transmitting licence.

    How do you learn these new skills, by taking the Foundation licence training course, which is an integral part of of obtaining a Foundation licence. Most of the training is practical. There is a small amount of radio and electronics theory but only enough for you to appreciate things like using the correct fuses in your equipment and how to build an antenna to get the most out of your radio station.

    Don't be afraid of the thought of having to undertake a training course. The courses are run in a friendly informal atmosphere by experienced radio amateurs. The course will take about 10-12 hours to complete at the end of which you will sit an examination comprising of twenty six multiple choice questions. Courses are normally conducted at your local amateur radio club or if you're a younger entrant you may be able to take it at your school. Some clubs run the course over a weekend and some over a number of weeks. Once you have taken the exam you get your indicative result, which will be confirmed by the RSGB, When you have been issued with your pass certificate, you can then apply for your own individual M6 series callsign and you will be able to operate on all bands without supervision but with a power restriction of 10 Watts. This is a fairly low level of power but with the experience you will quickly gain this will enable you to communicate around the world.

  • This is the highest level of licence that you can obtain.

    To gain a Full licence it is necessary to pass the Advanced Radio Communications Examination. This examination is more advanced than the Intermediate, it again covers radio theory and licence conditions but because holding a full licence enables you to use 400 Watts power output to your transmitter such subjects as Electro Magnetic Compatability (EMC), antenna design and safety issues are covered in some depth. The licence allows access to all the amateur allocations with full power.

    When studying for the Advanced Radio Communications Examination there is currently no requirement to take a formal training course, this is because the examination is currently theory based, with no practical training element in the syllabus. It is possible to study at home on your own if you so wish. However, many local amateur radio clubs and societies and technical colleges run courses specifically for the Advanced Radio Communications Examination. Alternatively there are some correspondence and Internet courses available.

  • Once you have gained experience at the Foundation level we are sure you will want to take the next step up.
    This is the Intermediate licence. The Intermediate licence gives access to the Intermediate frequency allocations within the amateur bands . The Permitted power levels are increased to 50 watts.

    To obtain the Intermediate licence it is advisable to take a training course. This course is longer than the Foundation course and aims to teach many of the fundamentals of radio in a stimulating way by actually undertaking practical tasks such as soldering, building a small project and a variety of other exercises building on the experience you have gained as a Foundation licence holder.

    After completing the course candidates sit the Intermediate Licence Examination. Again this examination is a multiple-choice test based on what was learnt on the course, covering the basic concepts of radio operating on the amateur bands and the licence conditions. With both of these successfully completed an Intermediate licence can be obtained.

  • The Norfolk Amateur Radio Club is pleased to offer courses and exams for people wishing to obtain a amateur radio license. Amateur Radio now covers much more than just radio, because as well as traditional communications using Morse and Voice, you can send and receive data, slow scan television, normal fast television, GPS tracking of your location, even link to amateur stations around the world using radio linked to the internet! You do not need to know anything about electronics or radio to take an Amateur Radio License course - our recent candidates included a restauranteur, coach driver, scouts and a physiotherapist! It is now easier than ever before to obtain a radio license because there are now three levels of license (Foundation, Intermediate and Advance License) which you do in sequence and virtually anyone of any age from 8 years can take the Foundation License and get on the air in the wonderful world of radio. You do not have to be a member of the Norfolk Amateur Radio Club or any other club or organisation to attend a course or take an exam. However we suggest that you consider joining a club either before or after getting a license as there you will meet other like minded people of similar backgrounds who will more than be pleased to help and advise you on how best to get started in the hobby.
    The Norfolk Amateur Radio Club meets alternate Wednesday evenings at Eaton CNS School in Eaton Road Norwich and prospective members are invited to come and visit with no obligation. Details of our meeting place are in our About Us section. There may also be another club nearer to where you live - for more information ask the Exam secretary below or check on the internet, the RSGB (www.rsgb.org.uk) or your local library.

    How much will the course cost?
    The courses and exams are run at no charge by members of the Norfolk Amateur Radio Club and course fees are mainly to cove the cost of hire of the premises and will depend on the number of people who attend.
    An Amateur Radio license is now free for life as long as it is applied for online and validated by you at least once every five years (see www.ofcom.org.uk) so the only other cost is some equipment, with a basic single band radio (or ‘rig’) starting at around £50 second hand or £100 new plus an aerial which you can make or buy.

    When are the courses run?
    We try and run courses relating to demand, so when there are enough people waiting for a course we arrange it. This means we fill the courses to optimum numbers and people wait as short a time as possible.
    The courses are generally run on Saturdays at the Norfolk Amateur Radio Club meeting place at City of Norwich School in Eaton Norwich. The initial Foundation Course is typically 2 weekend days, including a 1 hour multiple choice exam on the last day. The Intermediate course generally takes 5 days with the exam, again generally at weekends. The Advance course is a longer course over 8 days spanning many weeks and additional dedicated home study is also required on the Advance. From 2023 you can now also take a ‘Direct to Full’ exam which takes you to a full license in one exam. The courses typically have 6-15 people maximum and are friendly and informal. We recommend that you order/purchase the course books just before the course (make sure they are the latest editions) so that you can relate the coursework to the syllabus in the book - these are available from RSGB bookshop, Amazon.co.uk etc.
     
    Please note that since 2020 you can take the Amateur Radio exams online from your own home - you do not need to attend a formal course although there are several good online courses as well as club training. See the National society who represents the hobby for more details:  www.rsgb.org
     
     
    Examination Centres used by NARC:

    Norfolk Amateur Radio Club
    c/o
    Sixth Form Centre (details supplied with course confirmation)
    City of Norwich School (RSGB Centre Number NF424) 
    Eaton Road
    Norwich
    Norfolk
    NR4 6PP
     
     
    David Palmer G7URP (Exam secretary and course address (RSGB Centre ref NF142)
    DCP Microdevelopments Limited, 
    Bryon Court, 
    Bow Street,
    Great Ellingham,
    Attleborough,
    Norfolk,
    NR17 1JB

    email  G7URP 

    How do I apply?
    A booking form is available from the exam secretary and will be emailed to those on a waiting list when the course is announced. Please note that the RSGB examination fee is non-refundable if the examination is not attended. Also note that you will need to bring photo-ID with you on the day of the examination.
    Contact Information
    Examination Secretary
    David Palmer G7URP (by email please - this keeps administration efficient and the courses free of charge)


    How to get on a course:
    To register on the waiting list for the next available course please send an email with your name, course required and your phone number to G7URP 
    US License examinations
    We are fortunate to have one of the very few authorised ARRL examiners for the US radio ham license exams in the UK within our club and Vic G0FEI/N0FEI has kindly offered to help us organise and invigilate US license examinations and help with queries like US address requirements etc.
    For more information please discuss with Vic G0FEI (details on QRZ.com) or contact through David G7URP as above.

  • Advance Maths contentpdf

    Advance The Full Licence Manual errata Updates here

    Maths
    Maths primer available from the RSGB website.
    You will need Adobe Acrobate Reader to print  / read it get_adobe_reader


    Hamtests
    http://www.hamtests.co.uk/

    QADV
    http://qadv.uk

    Ofcom
    www.ofcom.org.uk