Is the foundation amateur radio license too hard ?

[MorseMan]

Over the years the hobby has changed due to advances in technology.
The number of people coming into the hobby was falling, Why use amateur radio when you can use a phone or computer to talk to whoever you want wherever you want, Any time of the day or night ?

It couldn't get any easier to get a license, The youngest foundation was passed by a 6 year old girl.

In years gone by you built all your own gear & applied for an artificial Ariel license to test it.
To communicate further you took a full written exam & a morse test then used CW only.

As years went on equipment advanced but you still did a written exam & a morse test to use SSB & CW on HF
Later exams became multiple choice but you still have to understand.

I wanted to be a novice but the trainer said do the full RAE.
I struggle to understand but passed 2 city & guilds first time 28 years ago & the statutory 12 wpm morse 11 months later.

The foundation license is so easy it's almost impossible to fail.

With this licence you get 10watts on almost all amateur frequencies & if you put in the effort to learn cw you will work the world, If i can work Australia & New Zealand with 2watts & a 17 foot vertical up 12 feet, Then so can you.

The licence tier is 3 levels of foundation, intermediate & full...

I personally think the foundation should be like a motorbike CBT so if you don't take & pass level 2 within 2 or 3 years you should have to start again after a 1 year ban.

Come on people ! If a little girl can pass, What's your problem ?

It's not OFCOM who say you have to take an exam,
It's the telecommunications union that governs everyone.

So come on !

STOP MOANING - GET OFF YOUR ARSE & JOIN ME !!

IF I CAN DO IT ANYONE CAN !!

OR IS A 6 YEAR OLD CLEVERER ??

[Alan Pilot]

I think you will find a lot of people are doing the foundation at the moment.

[DX-Digger]

At the end of a day its a choice, if folks dont want to do it then thats fine, no need to ram it down their throats.
So who is moaning, I havent heard anyone moaning about doing the foundation.
And yelling that a 6 year old has passed it is that meant to encourage or belittle.
The Novice courses are jam packed all over the UK and uptake has never been so high.
So no need to shout, those who want to are doing so.
73 Mark

[Otter]

Some of us don't want to be hams. I'm not worried about the test - I have a 1st degree in Communications Engineering, but I've listened to the ham bands and I'll stick to CB.

[Captain Fantastic]

I would like to get at least foundation. I am a UK citizen, non UK resident. I could apply via an address in the UK, but then I have to (read *should*) transfer the license to my domicile country, which is do-able. However, then I incur a £100 annual fee to have the license here as that is how it is (not free lifetime like UK), which is a bit steep TBH. Yes, I can keep the license in the UK, but then I can't use it where I am!
Taking the license here is also an option, but that costs over £100 fee, plus the £100 annual fee on top.

Right now, I'm happy with CB. It is just one of the 'hobbies' I have and so far(!) has been way cheaper than some of the others!

[MorseMan]

I'm not trying to belittle anyone.
I have heard may times foundation license holders openly boasting of the illegal power they are using & complaining they had to sit an exam to go on the air.

I don't have any problems with anyone if they are 6 years or 60 years old so long as the stick to the license rules.

Years ago I came into the hobby from CB & left CB language there, I cringe every time I hear talk of swaaar meters.

One RSGB officer wants a simpler license than the foundation, Now they would find it difficult to make contacts if that went through, I think even foundation holders would shun them.

[MorseMan]

This is the video for the simpler license idea.

[MorseMan]

I would like to get at least foundation. I am a UK citizen, non UK resident. I could apply via an address in the UK, but then I have to (read *should*) transfer the license to my domicile country, which is do-able. However, then I incur a £100 annual fee to have the license here as that is how it is (not free lifetime like UK), which is a bit steep TBH. Yes, I can keep the license in the UK, but then I can't use it where I am!
Taking the license here is also an option, but that costs over £100 fee, plus the £100 annual fee on top.

Right now, I'm happy with CB. It is just one of the 'hobbies' I have and so far(!) has been way cheaper than some of the others!

I don't think you would be able to do this unless you had a full license & where you live had a reciprocal agreement

[Captain Fantastic]

I don't think you would be able to do this unless you had a full license & where you live had a reciprocal agreement

You are probably right, I just tried to find more info and I know there is reciprocity, but as you say it's more likely for the full, not foundation, license. Oh well.

[MorseMan]

I don't think you would be able to do this unless you had a full license & where you live had a reciprocal agreement

You are probably right, I just tried to find more info and I know there is reciprocity, but as you say it's more likely for the full, not foundation, license. Oh well.

£100 sounds very expensive for a radio license to me.
Where are you located ?
I'm not fully sure of all countries that run a reciprocal agreement but I'm pretty sure foundation level is not allowed.
You probably need a full license & probably can run only for a short time.

[milly]

I would like to get at least foundation. I am a UK citizen, non UK resident. I could apply via an address in the UK, but then I have to (read *should*) transfer the license to my domicile country, which is do-able. However, then I incur a £100 annual fee to have the license here as that is how it is (not free lifetime like UK), which is a bit steep TBH. Yes, I can keep the license in the UK, but then I can't use it where I am!
Taking the license here is also an option, but that costs over £100 fee, plus the £100 annual fee on top.

Right now, I'm happy with CB. It is just one of the 'hobbies' I have and so far(!) has been way cheaper than some of the others!

The only UK licence you could use in Switzerland is a FULL one. Foundation and Intermediate UK licences are not covered by CEPT T/R61-01
Further, there is a limit on the amount of time a licence within the CEPT T/R61-01 recomendation can be used in any other country.

In the UK no-one except some crusty old greasy-haired shed dweller* gives two hoots unless you cause a problem for the MoD or British Bullshit Company....no idea if Switzerland enforce their equivalent laws though

(* these are the types who think that you can't be a radio amateur unless you took a test prior to the invention of the National Grid and only use CW at over 35wpm...amateur callsigns should have no more than four characters but we'll tolerate those who did a CW test at 12wpm as long as they have signed in blood that they will never use voice again)

[milly]

I wonder what percentage of this influx of young Foundation licencees only did it to stop their father mithering during lockdown.
I've not heard many of them on the radio.

The entry requirement has to keep in line with modern usage but even then the golden days of the hobby are long gone. For most people it's just as easy to use skype/zoom etc. and ulimately cheaper to do that. If I was six I wouldn't want to fire up my amateur radio and be bombarded by bad language or medical details being passed between the members of the colosomy club....on V/UHF that seems to be most of the traffic (even hogging repeaters for the same inane drivel).

[Captain Fantastic]

The only UK licence you could use in Switzerland is a FULL one. Foundation and Intermediate UK licences are not covered by CEPT T/R61-01
Further, there is a limit on the amount of time a licence within the CEPT T/R61-01 recomendation can be used in any other country.

Thanks for the confirmation, I knew about the time limit, but unless I go for the full monty it's not worth it so it would seem.

....no idea if Switzerland enforce their equivalent laws though

The Swiss are very tight on all laws, and there are no grey areas. You are fined for every transgression (if caught!), no matter how trivial, and even if you only crossed the line slightly there is no debate. I don't want to risk getting into trouble by straying into the licensed frequencies, so I don't do it. Also, it's likely that other operators will put you straight anyway, the Swiss are pretty direct when you are doing something wrong... A good example: my daughter was walking in a village and accidentally dropped a 1cm square piece of sweet wrapper. She was 'rubbish shamed' by a 4yo on a scooter who came up and told her off and handed her the scrap of paper!

£100 sounds very expensive for a radio license to me.

I'm checking on it, but I'm pretty sure it's about that to start and then each year... It costs a lot to live in Switzerland (and if you ever vacationed here then you'll know).
The test is also only in German, French or Italian...

[Ant]

Whilst looking through groups, I found this.....

https://www.facebook.com/droptheFL

[MorseMan]

Sounds like they make life as difficult as possible.