Newcomers Page (Note some external sites may store cookies in your computer)
Amateur Radio is a hobby enjoyed by boys and girls of all
ages and physical abilities. You certainly don’t need to be an
electronics expert, and you don’t even need a licence to receive amateur radio
signals!
To transmit you will need an amateur radio licence. To get a licence you need to undertake some self-study and/or training and pass the relevant exam – which is usually sat on-line at home.
You will find members of the Poole Radio Society will be keen to help you get your Foundation Licence, which is an excellent way to dip your toes into the amateur waters. Once you have caught the bug, we’ll also be pleased to help you progress to an Intermediate Licence, and then on to a Full Licence (used to be known as the Advanced Licence).
Getting your licence has never been easier!
Getting a Licence
Getting your licence is a simple, 3-step process.
1. You can self-study and/or join a training course
2. Take the assessment – usually on-line at home
3. Wait for the result and send off for your licence
The table below shows the main requirements to get each type of licence. This is the situation as at 1st September 2022.
What do you have to do to get a Licence? |
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To Get Licence Type |
Minimum Existing Qualifications |
Training / Self-Study |
Multiple Choice |
Practical Training |
|
Foundation |
None |
Short Training Course / Self-Study |
Foundation Exam |
None |
|
Intermediate |
Foundation |
Training Course / Self-Study |
Intermediate Exam |
None |
|
Full |
Intermediate |
Training Course / Self-Study |
Full Exam |
None |
You will find members of the Poole Radio Society will be very keen to help you get your Foundation Licence, which is an excellent way to dip your toes into the amateur waters. Once you have caught the bug, we will also be pleased to help you progress to an Intermediate Licence, and then on to a Full Licence.
Morse Code
You don’t need to learn Morse Code to become a radio amateur.
Syllabus, Courses, Exams etc.
The exam syllabus lists the topics you’ll need to be familiar with. Please note that the syllabus changes from time to time, as do the supporting books that are published by the RSGB. We strongly recommend buying your book from the RSGB just before you start working towards your exam so as to make sure that it is the most up-to-date. Make sure that you refer to the correct syllabus for when you expect to take your exam.
The table below lists the 3 types of licence and sources of further information and training. Exams are usually sat at home and are remotely invigilated.
The information below is for the new syllabus for each of the exams that came into effect from 1st September 2022
Licence Type |
Exam Dates |
Exam Syllabus |
Sample Questions |
Exam BookletYou can refer to this in the exam |
Recommended Remote Learning Course |
|
Foundation |
Short notice on- line from home |
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|
Intermediate |
Short notice on- line from home |
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|
Full (was Advanced) |
Short notice on- line from home |
From 21st January 2023 an alternative route to a Full licence will be additionally available. Known as the ‘Direct to Full’ exam, no existing qualifications are required. This route to a full licence is aimed at those with existing knowledge of STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Electronics, Maths). In practice it is probably best suited to those who already have, or are studying for, an A-level in Physics or similar. No additional books are planned for this route. A separate syllabus will be available.
Licences (Note some external sites may use cookies)
The main privileges of the various types of licence are summarised below. Please refer to the current licence schedule to get more details.
Main Privileges of the Various Licence Types |
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Licence Type |
Licence Prefix |
LF, MF & HF(Below 50MHz) |
VHF & UHF(50MHz to 430 MHz) |
SHF & EHF(Microwaves) |
Max Power(See Licence Schedule for full details and exceptions) |
Transmit using Home Design & Build |
|
Foundation |
M3 or M6 or M7 |
Most |
Yes |
10GHz Only |
Up to 10 Watts |
No |
|
Intermediate |
2E0 |
Most |
Yes |
Yes |
Up to 50 Watts |
Yes |
|
Full |
M0 |
All |
Yes |
Yes |
Up to 400 Watts |
Yes |
Callsigns
When you receive your amateur radio licence in the post, included in the documentation will be your callsign. This is unique to you. The first 2 or 3 characters (the prefix) identify to anyone else who hears you the country and type of licence you have. In England for many years amateur radio licences started with the letter G. In recent years they have started either with the letter M or 2E. Click here for a full list of International Prefixes etc. (Note some external sites may use cookies)
Frequencies and Wavelengths
The radio spectrum covers radio signals with wavelengths
of 100km down to just a millimetre. As you can see in the diagram
below, the shorter the wavelength of the signal, the higher it’s frequency will
be. Radio amateurs have small allocations in parts of every section of
the spectrum except VLF.
Each part of the radio spectrum exhibits different properties and requires different types of antennas to make contacts. For example, on the 20m or 14MHz band, a simple antenna consisting of two pieces of wire about 5m each in length connected at the centre to the feeder from the transmitter will allow contacts to be made to outside Europe even with low power. However, on the 3cm or 10GHz band most operators would be pleased to make a contact across the English Channel.
Equipment
Whilst most amateur radio equipment can be purchased new or second-hand, it is also possible to build a lot of equipment. Simple equipment that will still enable you to make contacts with amateurs in other countries can be built with components costing under £20, and assembled using a soldering iron and some simple tools, most of which you probably already have. Don’t worry about soldering - we will be pleased to show you how to do this.
Help Getting Started
We are very pleased to help you get started and to enjoy the exciting world of amateur radio. For further information please come along to one of our meetings and we will be pleased to point you in the right direction.
Disability
There are many disabled radio amateurs. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, then amateur television and computer-based data modes are ideal. If you are blind or partially sighted, then several commercial radios will provide audible indications of their settings. Those with limited mobility will find that amateur can open up a whole new world. The RAIBC is a specialist group that will be pleased to help you at every stage. Specially produced training materials are available.