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Re: Want to take my Foundation

Posted: 02 Mar 2017, 20:51
by stanogs68
Admiral wrote:
Metradio wrote:The Foundation license is a good thing, as long as a time limitation is put on it - 1 or 2 years, in which time the Novice exam needs to be passed or the license expires. Those with the willingness to go further can do so, others will fall to natural wastage..

Mike
Whoa, steady on tiger, should every person that passes the driving test be time limited to pass the Institute of Advanced Drivers test, and then RoSPA Gold? No, it is what it is, if someone is comfortable with a Foundation licence then so be it for me.
absolutely true do you know when you pass your theory on your driving test its gone in 2 years what a rip off you forget the lot in 2 years unless you have a brain debilitating desease its wrong just too take money off you its the same with driving 7,5 trucks you have keep taking a test and digger driving lisence its a con

Re: Want to take my Foundation

Posted: 02 Mar 2017, 22:16
by 2j4ez
Ive just done mine. passed last Friday night (24feb) at the Harlow club.

it was 1 day learning ,1 day doing things with a radio like swr morse ,atu making contacts. then 2 days learning then exam. I got 24 out of 26.
You need 19 or more to pass

Re: Want to take my Foundation

Posted: 02 Mar 2017, 22:40
by Farty
Metradio wrote:What was your reasoning to do the Novice 2E0 ??

Mike
Boredom.

simply having a ham ticket does not mean I need to use it to its fullest extent, or even use it at all. Similarly, having a FL ticket does not mean someone is compelled to progress.

That's the way it is.

Folk may as well get over it, because there's never been a compunction for lower grade licence holders, be it the old B or the newer FL, to acquire a full ticket, and there never will be.

And that's quite right too - I don't tell others what to do with their licence, and I expect the same courtesy in return.

Re: Want to take my Foundation

Posted: 02 Mar 2017, 22:58
by WeatherWatcher
Farty wrote: That's the way it is.

Folk may as well get over it, because there's never been a compunction for lower grade licence holders, be it the old B or the newer FL, to acquire a full ticket, and there never will be.

And that's quite right too - I don't tell others what to do with their licence, and I expect the same courtesy in return.

I agree with your comments I only got my Full licence by default -was happy with the original Class B . :thumbup:

Re: Want to take my Foundation

Posted: 03 Mar 2017, 07:51
by Metradio
Farty wrote:
Metradio wrote:What was your reasoning to do the Novice 2E0 ??
Mike
Boredom....
Good a reason as any...

Mike

Re: Want to take my Foundation

Posted: 24 Mar 2017, 15:23
by nay27uk
Well last night was the mock exam, it was a mock they got from back in 2014 so a bit old like, but anyway, I scored not as good as I would like to have and only got 24 out of 26 right, it is a pass yes, but its not 100% is it.

One question I got wrong, I realised I had read or understood the context wrong only after going through it in my head driving back home, said question was.
why should a radio amateur ask if the frequency is in use before using it

I put answer

A: it is a license requirement

The answer should have been

D: to check a local station is not listening to a distant station that cannot be heard

My thinking was, who says that it is a local station on the frequency? local to me is withing 20 miles of my QTH, where did the LOCAL come from? I have not asked yet if the frequency is in use, so I have no idea if it is in use or is not in use, or if any users that could be using the frequency are LOCAL or not, hence me thinking OK it must be A.

The other question I got wrong was

The signal from a receiver antenna.
A: is strong enough to connect directly to the loud speaker
B: contains only the wanted signal
C: contains many radio signals (was almost 90% sure it was this)
D: is fed to the audio amplifier (was unsure because I could not quite remember in my head the block diagram of a Reciver, so like a fool chose this one)

I put D.

Both questions I was humming and haring over both what I put and the actual correct answers but like a fool chose the wrong one

Re: Want to take my Foundation

Posted: 24 Mar 2017, 15:55
by mercury888
24's not bad. I wanted 26 and got 25, made a stupid error on an antenna length question - it said halfwave and I calculated full wave. Oh well.

Re: Want to take my Foundation

Posted: 24 Mar 2017, 16:01
by nay27uk
Thanks Mercurry for that.

I know I will pass as I did the mock with no revision at all, I was just going from my memory, so before the actual exam on the 6th I will read my book from cover to cover again 2 more times as well as on the exam day I will read and read again and then break the questions down in my head before I commit to the optical form.

I do want 26 out of 26 but to me 24 or 25 is good enough I suppose.

Re: Want to take my Foundation

Posted: 24 Mar 2017, 16:05
by Metradio
nay27uk wrote:Well last night was the mock exam, it was a mock they got from back in 2014 so a bit old like, but anyway, I scored not as good as I would like to have and only got 24 out of 26 right, it is a pass yes, but its not 100% is it.
Amateur radio is a mixture of technical expertise and common sense, lets hope your exam is more technicaly orientated :D

Mike

Re: Want to take my Foundation

Posted: 24 Mar 2017, 16:07
by nay27uk
Not sure what you mean by that Metradio but thanks anyway for the comment :oops:

Re: Want to take my Foundation

Posted: 24 Mar 2017, 22:33
by mof000
Don't worry you only need to get 19 questions right to pass. You can brush up on it as your learning as time goes on.

Re: Want to take my Foundation

Posted: 25 Mar 2017, 02:52
by nay27uk
I plan on keeping my M6 for 6 to 12 months (this was my plan from the outset) and then doing my Intermediate, however it is probably a good thing I am doing my Foundation at this time as I have been told by the tutors that the exams are all being changed soon and having a big move around, I think they said the changes are due for the end of this year or the beginning of next year.

The changes involve the moving of elements of the exams from one to another and it was explained that after the new changes.

The Foundation will contain a lot of the elements now found only in the Intermediate.
The Intermediate will contain a lot of the elements now found only in the the Advanced.
And that the Advanced will become more involved and even harder.

Re: Want to take my Foundation

Posted: 25 Mar 2017, 08:13
by paulears
Sounds a very sensible move. Very clearly, some people who take the novice exam have worked hard, and learned plenty of stuff that isn't tested, simply because it will help them get more from the hobby. Others sadly, never bothered to even take the time to learn anything other than the stock answers to questions, and haven't given the actual knowledge and practical attention. You know the answer, can trot it out, but have no clue what it means.

We don't get too many on here, but every now and then a classic case pops up - they ask VERY basic question that everyone knows was probably in the test, but they don't understand it - after they have passed? That needs fixing for the benefit of the hobby in general. Loads of people sign up to this forum and others when they pass, then quietly vanish. They passed a test, understood little and gave up, and went to do model railways or fishing.

For some, and I was one, years ago - the single test was damn hard. The maths was hard, the questions very deep, and totally centred on good operational practices and understanding what goes on inside so pointed at reducing interference, clean signals, and maximum economy on bandwidth.

If you look at the Government's own descriptors of Educational Level - and then match these to the different exams, it's a bit of a shock, as they don;t really fit at all. You cannot come up with any meaningful Levels - because the style and type of questions doesn't test anything properly. The Highway Code and the driving test theory is a good example of a similar flawed process. Passing the theory test doesn't make you a better driver, and the fact that practically everyone passes the theory makes it a bit pointless.

In real education, it's generally accepted that exams should make you work things out, not match answers to questions without understanding.

nay27uk seems to understand the hobby pretty well, so if he's crafty, then get in for the next level now, before they change the rules - next level does mean a bit of hard work, but that hard work goes up if they try to tinker with the exams. No guarantee they will get it right.

Re: Want to take my Foundation

Posted: 25 Mar 2017, 09:19
by mof000
Can anyone confirm that the foundation is going to become a lot harder than it already is?
I can't find any information on it changing?
I'd be very surprised if they made it any harder as the hobby is on it's arse IMO.

Re: Want to take my Foundation

Posted: 25 Mar 2017, 10:22
by paulears
There is pretty conclusive evidence that lowering access gateways produces more entrants, but fewer that stick. This forum is an excellent example where people are interested, so join. Many hang around long enough to post lots of questions then gradually shift to answering other people's questions. That shows genuine interest. On the other hand, many people take the test - THEN join, ask a few questions they should have known, then give up and leave. That, I reckon is why the hobby appears to be on it's arse. Maybe it's not as wide as we think - and has become trivialised.


How much actual satisfaction and skill is there in buying a £20 radio, and a £30 vertical, and a bit of cable, and that is your total investment in ham radio? It seems that this is the ONLY thing people do. After a week or two, what is left that is new with this intro to the hobby?

Making the exam harder, restricts entry to people who are keener, and have made the effort.

Is it really right that a cadet force nominate some of their people to take the test, simply so that each vehicle can have one of them on board to talk over amateur repeaters when they get lost? No interest at all in ham radio, but 16, intelligent, and becoming hams for totally the wrong reason. They don't want to talk to strangers, just their mates. This, I believe should not happen. If they can pass the test, the test is wrong.