As a person in their 60's about to start a foundation course I am both fascinated and bemused by the arcane processes and attitudes of amateur radio licencing which has absolutely failed to keep up with modern communication and educational practice or to absorb commercial reality regarding equipment purchase and acquisition. Stuck in a timewarp 1950- 1970's mentality of build your own the reality since the late 1980's is that all technology was on a commodity pricing trajectory that ensured that as capabilities grew exponentially pricing also dropped substantially - an analogue of Moore's law ? I would never construct inferior equipment for £'s what I can buy as highly advanced off the shelf equipment for pence now (relatively speaking). Even highly advanced leading edge equipment is affordable beyond reason now. To me the concerns and suggestions raised here are the right ones but I would add that it is the protocols of usage on top of the bandwidths that is the key learning essential to proper ongoing regulation. My attitudes may change during study but I very much doubt it as life is short and time is precious. Just my two pennies worth. 73's.
The BMFA, and RUclips channels like Flite Test, are keeping model flying going by embracing drones. I see welcoming Baofengs as somewhat analogous. Thanks to Essex Ham for introducing me to the online test route, I'd looked a few years ago and been put off by needing to go to a club but now I hope to be licensed soon.
Wow, interesting subject and one that appears to bring out quite firm opinions, it's great that we can communicate and express our opinion without feeling unwelcome in such a great hobby. As an M6 I absolutely appreciate and fully respect the privileges entrusted to me and use them in accordance with the conditions in my licence. I passed my M6 4 years ago and openly admit to being somewhat technically challenged, but that in itself can be interpreted by some as laziness and not wanting to put in the effort to learn more, well I can assure you that I have tried and failed. The result of my efforts, it would seem by some, is that I be banished from the one part of the hobby I totally adore, and that is HF QRP portable work participating in SOTA and other type of activities using low power for the best result. I have had QSO's all over the world on 5w or less and take great satisfaction that less is more in these circumstances. I really enjoy building resonant antennas, usually dipoles or 2mtr portables, and that is about the limit of my technical abilities. How a radio works, how to build circuits, how to understand and put to practical use anything electronic is beyond me. I have my trusty 817 and PRC 320 for portable work and carry out regular 2mtr contacts when away in our small camper van. I am an avid user of my radios, on all bands offered to me and should this change then please feel free to contact me as I will be selling my equipment. Our radio club has a fantastic membership and everyone is made welcome. We run regular courses for Foundation and some for the intermediate and the vast majority of Foundation students are very young people, 10 to 14 years old. When a student passes, they are given a free Baofeng UV5R to use once their C/S has been issued. If I am perfectly honest, we wont see a return on our efforts until later in life when radio may appeal again but while competing against Xbox, girls/boys and other young peoples activities there will an absence from the majority of those who pass their Foundation at a young age. Should those who have been given privileges have them taken away because some think HF should be hallowed ground for Intermediates and full licence holders ?. Are the restrictions that are already in place (10w being the main one) enough to wet the appetite and offer an incentive to progress to enable greater power privileges and the use of your full C/S outside the UK..... questions that indeed will need much debate. The one thing I know for sure, this hobby is dying on its feet and the figures from the RSGB only move to confirm this. Dinosaurs became extinct because they could not adapt to change, will this happen to our hobby........
So much common sense here! The syllabus needs a huge overhaul - not just at foundation / entry level but as a cohesive whole - to make it relevant to amateur radio TODAY. This isn't to say that I'm against progression, but again, how about we make it more relevant ? Continued heavy focus upon electronics and transceiver anatomy will ultimately lead to the demise of the hobby. I favour a modular system including core (mandatory) aspects of the hobby, in addition to specialist options (e.g. transceiver architecture, construction, digital modes, repeater operation, advanced troubleshooting, culture and community, etc.) that candidates can choose from. That said, I am about to commence study for the full license having recently passed the intermediate, but struggle to appreciate the relevance of much of it.
In face thinking about it, all you need is to know the licence conditions and a call sign as long as the equipment is bought/ manufactured and the lid is not taken off it, except for repair by a service tec'.
Superb upload ,i was heavily into SSB in the late 70's early 80's and used to love working the "skip" talking to people in some amazing places ,yes i know it was CB but i loved it .Now back to 2020 i find my interest re-kindled in the hobby but so much has changed and where the buggery do i start lol .All i want to do is chat to people , i have no interest in how to build a mother board ,i know there are people who do ,but each to our own .With all the hoops and rings of fire to jump through i can see why the hobby is dying out slowly ,and what about disabled people ,ie; dyslexic,blind,autistic etc'etc' something needs to change
I have aspergers and I'm an M zero licence holder, I maxed the advanced licence but I do know that being a member of the Norfolk amatuer radio club gave me a good advantage from the start. The licence does need a review and there are many who don't get the support that I received.
I totally agree. I took my RAE in 1963! But got around to applying for a licence, only a couple of years ago! In the 60s, practically everyone used homebuilt gear. The world supply of 807s must have been seriously dented. The licensed operators of today tend to buy Black Boxes and have little or no interest in the contents. Only the results. We don't expect Computer Prograners to know how to repair their computers. This proposal will, if implemented will be exactly what the hobby needs to bring the young into the hobby. Great idea. Make it so! M0iiZ.
Agreed ! Personally I am a bit 'stuck on the fence' on this one however as on the one hand I believe that giving foundation holders access to 2M and higher frequencies with 100W like others have mentioned is one way to go, yet as a fan of CW I am eagerly awaiting my foundation exam date - albeit via Zoom given the current situation - and the prospect of being able to call CQ on HF albeit using a pre-manufactured rig as opposed to something I have built and tested myself. I have been in the electronics service field since leaving college early 90's and think that not being able to use your 'homebrew' equipment a tad unfair as a foundation license holder, however it will give people that 'push' to go on to the next two license classes. Given our location it has been difficult getting to a local club so the online exams are actually a godsend - even if the process of applying has been like following a paper trail of sorts.... Is it just me or does anyone else find the RSGB site difficult to navigate ??
As a full license holder I approve of this. Whet people's appetite without having them spend 2h on trains for three weekends in a row just to get Foundation. (my experience is that that's the commitment needed today)
@@BikingChap I don't think so. I didn't need the training, I just needed the test. But I couldn't find one that only allowed me to come in and take the test, partly because of the practical test.
Excellent video (already seen it via your website). The shutting down of the debate by the RSGB is as unsurprising as it is disheartening. My take on it.. one single exam. With a 2 tier licence. Result of the exam determines licence class. Exam can be re-sat any time if failed. But only after 3 months if wanting to upgrade. Lower tier: 100 watts and same current privileges as foundation and intermediate. Higher tier same as current full licence with a 1kw limit.
@7.14... I do have asperger's syndrome... But at a nice club like we have in Peterborough, Cambs... I never had a problem going there, meeting new people and sitTing my exams...
Some really good points made. I have a full licence and use VHF 2m almost exclusively. Within that, I have used pretty much every mode in existence. Happy to interact with any other users on there too, be it foundation, intermediate or full. Use it or lose it!
This has really helpful. I became interested in Amature Radio back in the 80's and a SWL with a AR88 and then on to CB and listening on 2 mts with a view to taking the G8 licence, as it was then but the amount of "Bucket Mouthing" on 144 put me of the hobby. I have now returned to listening with a view to joining my local club here in Tiverton,(sorry Essex), and taking the Foundation Licence
I do agree that knowing how to build a circuit board should be irrelevant, I received my manual a few days ago in prep for my exam, and was very confused and worried that it may be beyond me, I agree we have to move on to keep ham alive, great video , thanks
Well said, I've got a couple of degrees, one in electronics, also served in the Royal Sigs using VHF/HF/UHF and "other" stuff, so I've already in a past life been authorised to use but cant Tx on anything in civvy street without doing an amateur radio degree and would very much like to without doing it.
It's good to have groups around to discuss this and other proposals but it's not good when you get vilified when doing it. we are all entitled to our own opinion and have the right to give it.
Good idea John, we need to encourage more newcomers and more activity, particularly on VHF & UHF. Use it or loose it! As a next step, I would like to see a draft written proposal so we can debate the detail of this plan. I agree deep technical understanding is not necessary but don't think it's enough to just instruct on the licence conditions. We need good operating practice to be included as well.
I live in rural mid Wales and I have found myself looking into getting into ham radio but I have to be honest I didn't particularly want to be part of a club even if I did I have done a quick search and found that the closest one to me is approx 30 miles away. And if I am honest talking as an outsider looking in. The fact of technically being forced to be a part of a club and the difference to get there in the first place is sort of turning into a bit of a deal breaker for me. And if I have understood correctly my closest repeater is a little over thirty miles away
Hi Andrew. You're not forced to become a member of a club just to get an amateur radio licence. For example, you can study for the exam at home (our group offers a free online course). That said, you have to sit an exam and do a few basic practicals before you can get a licence, and it's common that people do this at a club, but you don't have to be a member. Several UK clubs offer a fast-track session where you can do the practicals plus exam in a day (assuming you've self-studied at home), and you never have to visit the club again.
Andrew have a look at this link , you will be able to do your exam from via a computer , minus the practical as its being waived for the time being . good luck Dean rsgb.org/main/blog/news/rsgb-notices/2020/04/02/rsgb-to-introduce-remote-invigilation-for-foundation-exams/?fbclid=IwAR2HrK41AI5OCpW-2wkDpMgSLvcH-zzcthACLkaBjXbE5okfKG8IBRTyu0g
John has a valid point especially those who suffer Social anxiety should be tested maybe In a separate room whilst being supervised or somehow online or at a test centre similar to car theory test.
Great Idea. I got my Foundation License some years ago but then moved away from the local radio club at Bletchley Park.I am now 25 miles away - too far for me to get there. Being limited to 10 Watts of power is frustrating. Why not let Foundation License holders use 100 Watts ? What harm could it do? Frank M3 FEC.
@Mr Foo U Thanks for the reply - Thinking about it you are right. I do have the Intermediate license Booklet. I would like to do the course. I live near Northampton. Maybe there is a Radio Club there.
Ironic in a sense that this has to be debated on RUclips comments as the RSGB shut down the debate on their official site. Therein lies part of the problem. I used to listen to a chap called Harold, G0NFJ if memory serves, who ran a morse / CW class every week. GB2CW was the call sign. I was in my late teens. This must have been 1999 - 2002 ish. I listened on a scanner. I never progressed further into radio due to the cost vs my age. However I got up to 6 wpm just following his class. CB was full of people swearing about everything and nothing. Ham was sophisticated and full of nice people, but I could only ever listen. Wonder whether I should look into this again.......?
I am in need of learning the HAM radio, for emergencies while out hiking, for communications with others and for marine use as I live onboard a boat. In this current climate and societies situation, it is difficult to get the licences required to navigate my vessel. Especially with low bridges that either swing, rise or move to a position that enables the boat to navigate safely through them. I am not an absolute novice with boating and radio. My youth was filled with FM CB radios with a handle of with a handle of "Danger Mouse", which I then found out later down the line that the handle was already in use by another operator. I am now reaching the half century mark (time flies with life and its complexity). Now I would really like to learn the HAM radio scene and all that goes with it, including the electronic side. It has always been a deep interest being of logic and practical minded. Is there ways of being able to do the remote learning of HAM radio and foundations to advance??
As you probably know, you can now study at home (free online courses), and even take your exam online - no need to leave home or visit a club if there's not a good local club.
I really like the idea, PMR + CB isn't like the amateur channels, they don't have the formal aspects. There is also a perceived barrier to the foundation, plus needing to go to a club etc for the hands on part (I see the merit in this, but it would be possible to get started without). £15-£20 online exam, a limited part of the spectrum but with the same formal side of the rest of the amateur bands (rather than PMR /CB, anything goes). More people would get on board, then take the natural next steps to foundation etc as it suits.
Fully agree with John, as a newbie not yet a license holder I feel we should be encouraging people not discouraging them. If you get people into this a lot will want to progress up the ranks, some probably like myself have no desire to do so.
I passed my foundation in 2004. It was a long time ago, but I remember it being just about difficult enough to feel like I earned it. It's important that people work for a privilege, at least a little, otherwise it has no value or respect. However, I broadly agree with the idea of a VHF/UHF only licence. That's a great idea. Biggest problem I have is the whole club thing - I don't find the full licence syllabus particularly challenging these days, and I'm really in to the technical side of things, but still I'm at foundation level because I DO find the club membership thing... annoying. Perfect solution for me would be if somebody offered commercial training packages. An online course with somebody to ask questions, and then an exam (onsite if required) for £x. I'd certainly have a full licence by now if it were so easily accessible.
I would love to get into ham radio, but I simply do not have the time or technical inclination to go into studying for all the exams. A simpler introduction would be ideal for someone like me and the technical side would come over time, but would not hinder the enjoyment and contribution.
I could not agree more with John. I have ventured into this hobby not just for one-to-one communication, but research. There are a great many hobbyists who love experimentation using Arduino, and RF digital communication. We are limited to our bedroom's using 433MHz or 2.4GHz. We would love to develop gadgets such as image capture with RF ability to transfer files over RF frequency other than limited to 2.4GHz or 433MHz. Think about it, imagine a young person, using an Arduino IDE to develop equipment that can use the RF frequency in an imaginary way for the gadgets of tomorrow use learning tools such as Flowcode or Arduino..
Best thing ever being able to do the Foundation online. Relying on clubs where anyone under 40 is made to feel inferior was awful. The CB community is/was never like this.
Hello all I'm a CB'er from the 80's and I have passed a ship to shore radio license around the millennium, I would love to progress to the next step of license, I do have slightly better than average understanding of radio equipment compared to the general public, but I am currently not very knowledgeable about all the technical stuff so basically I know the difference between simplex & duplex and I know what a phase locked loop is & the phonetic alphabet etc. I'm interested in progressing a little further into a ham license without becoming a technical expert, any advice on how or where I should go next would be lovely, especially in a UK lockdown is this even possible? ❤️
Many CB uses originally took the foundation to use new modes and DX on SSB many using CB antenna on 10m, now I wonder what legal UK CB SSB use on 12 watts does to the number of people who actually want to take a test to be limited to 10 watts. A simple entry to VHF sounds practical, alongside the normal exam which could remain for full mode operations, I think we should increase foundation power to 25 watts, therefore giving a better reason for CB users to take the test and use their 25 watt 10/11 meter radios, which many own as cheapest for SSB use, legally on 10 meters. I would leave intermediate power at 50 watts but add 5mhz use. Regards, 2e0deq.
This chap speaks sense. Being in my mid 60s. I am a bit late to the hobby. I did the full course back in 1998 via the post. 18 modules. I did find it a bit difficult. Unfortunately I was made redundant and never did the exam. I may have scraped through who knows. I never bothered again. It felt like the people who are at the top don't really want any body but the best to become Radio Hams and make the wall to high to keep the riff raff out. I can understand that to some degree. After all the average CBers round where I live are or were a bit short in the brain dept. They buy a cb, press the button, swear at each other and threaten to cut each others coax! I didn't do well at school. in fact I may as well not gone. I got unclassified in my CSE maths exam. But I left school and joined the army, I became an advance signaller, Heavy goods driving instructor, Promotion. I left the army in 93. I ended up a Warehouse manager, Transport manager and had a NEBOSH certificate. So I don't class my self as riff raff. Recently my wife passed away and I found my self in a hole and sinking. I discovered you can do a foundation course with Essex Ham and take the exam at home! Wow how easy is that. Well I have done the course and take the exam in the morning. To keep my mind off things, I may even study a bit more who knows. See what tomorrow brings.
Well done for bringing this up. I am trying to also push for alteration of legislation in Portugal where the entry level CAT3 who can’t transmit and must wait 2 years prior to a CAT2 exam. Exams and licenses must be HAREC with CEPT and IARU who also want to grow new operators. Look forward to contribute to improving access to the hobby
As someone who is getting into radio I think there should be something like a max of 20w. This was cover hand helds and portable radios you can have in your car. Lessons on how to work and programme radios, nato alphabet, Q codes and general code like 73. It still requires a call sign. I know if I pass my test I will only have a hand held.
I fully agree, there should be an entry licence. A call sign issued with 5 watts and an understanding of the licence at 2mtrs and above. The hobby will die otherwise. It should be easier to get into it these days as everything is off the shelf. Very few build anything and the transmitters are quite good at suppression these days, so very little interference. CW is almost dead these days, just a few hanging on.
Couldnt agree more the only down side is seperating idiots who migrate from other types of radio where they have got away with playing music and foul mouthing it Would need some kind of monitoring I have done 11mtr ssb since the 1980s And as yet not moved over to ham Even though many freinds have Mainly due to work commitments etc And my reduced appetite in radio But fully agree that radio needs to.move with the times to keep the new generations interested Or its going to be history and new internet tech replacing it As we can see today that communication is now easy with internet based tech And in reality we need to show what can be done with an antenna and the traditional ways and right conditions
My radio career covers learning with the old system and passing under the new system now that I have new hobbies and the world has moved on. I do a lot of digital comms and experimentation now so think it’s perfect to let people get into this side of things at VHF and above.
I think a licence that gives you VHF/UHF only at Say 5 watts any mode FM/DMR/DSTAR etc. (so really hand held only) but any antenna. So a bit like the original 1990s novice licence. But still a lot more than the Free 0.5w PMR 446 may be start them with M2???
As an outsider who wants to become a radio user I am hesitant due the way the hobby is portrayed and presented. On the whole it seems to be run by older generation males who only want clones of themselves partaking. This attitude worked in the 70’s and 80’s when social media didn’t exist but that attitude is outdated and the hobby needs to catch up with the rest of the world. I understand that there has to be a structure and licensing to filter out the idiots but this hobby has so much more to offer. Get rid of some of the hurdles and red tape and make it more appealing and accessible. It’s good to talk....
Hi. Not all radio amateurs are the same. Take a look at www.essexham.co.uk, or some of our other videos - we aim to have a modern take on amateur radio and make it fun. We also offer a free online training course, so you can see if it's for you. I happen to agree that we need to get rid of hurdles and red tape, and make it fun, and some groups just want to have fun!
Essex Ham - UK Amateur Radio - Hi, thanks for the positive reply, Your attitude and outlook are really refreshing. I will check your videos out and if I were local to you I would visit. I live in the Midlands but will definitely be visiting my local radio club when they next meet. Thanks again.
I suffer with General Anxiety Disorder and have comorbid agoraphobia, I can't go out and have a full time carer, Is there anyway I can get a ham licence so I can use the bands, thank you
Carers for a group of disabled people hired a mini-bus and took them all to a training and exam club with a 50mile round trip over the course of a few months. They're all active on the local repeaters biw and use it every day. It's a little unfortunate that there aren't many clubs out there anymore. If you're lucky enough to live close by or have access to travel, it might not be that much of an issue. However for regular Joe who is interested in getting their ticket, just trying to find a club is often more work than it should be. There should be more offerings in local colleges for training and exams for at least foundation. Work with younger groups like scouts again to get them back in to the hobby and helping to train adults even if they can't offer the exam etc. Maybe allow mobile exam centres via a mini-bus so they can do day events for exams. There are loads of technical minded people out there, look at how big of a business computers are. Just hit up some of the bigger companies that do community driven events like Overclockers and get computer 'geeks' in on the action. The same IT stores would also be happy to sell radio gear to get people started as well. The biggest problem I see, is getting people trained up and licensed. If you give them free access to 2meter with no license requirement then there is going to be no incentive to progress, and even if they did want to progress they'll be in the same position as they are now, without access to a local club or reliable means to take an exam.Then you have the issue of people who just don't care for others but use it because they think it's just another CB without consequences. If we wanted to just let people communicate without a reason for it (other than to save the band for the existing hams who don't want to lose it), with no learning to the hobby then there isn't much to it. We could give the same users PMR446 and let them rip with 10w on there instead.
Hi Simon, Thanks for the comments. I totally agree that it would be great if there were more placed to train and take exams. Problem seems to be that RSGB has made the Foundation & Intermediate harder, meaning fewer clubs are willing/able to train, and costs go up due to extra time needed to teach. With numbers in decline, less local training and harder exams may not help. As I understand the RSGB proposal, the Beginners Licence would still require an exam and wouldn't be "licence free" - by removing the electronics and HF components (not required for 5W VHF/UHF), there's less teaching, making it easier for clubs to teach. As for incentive - access to HF, other modes, more power would be the incentive to progress to Foundation, and with some basic radio experience already under the belt from Beginners, progression would be easier, as half of the work would have been done.
@@EssexhamUk In the end it boils down to people being able to get training, and take their exam. Some clubs provide training but no exam, others only certain times of year or if they have enough people willing to do their training course. Some only do foundation or up intermediate levels now, this would basically just get dropped to beginner level. Clubs are dying out and people can't get into the hobby. The find a club page on RSGB site works, but contacting the majority of the clubs are hard work. Most of us are looking at the hobby from the inside, not from the outside of those looking to get in. I'm all for having the exams, but when the finding training and somewhere to get the exam is a bigger task than the exam and training, there is something wrong. Maybe the RSGB needs to do a review of how it presents training and courses to non-hams rather than trying to fix something that isn't really broken, just mostly inaccessible.
@@simonj48 You've summed up the problem well, and identified the weak link - clubs. Fewer and fewer clubs are running training & exams, and older trainers are retiring or going SK, with few newcomers willing to step up and run training. Making it harder to get in, isn't going to help that. It's clubs that run training, not the RSGB, so how can clubs be inspired to do more? Asking them to run more courses, that are harder and take longer to teach, with fewer people... isn't going to be easy! Proposals like the two being discussed by RSGB both remove the weak link, clubs, to make entry more accessible, presumably due to the decline in clubs that you've identified. Apart from forcing clubs to train more, or massive incentives for creation of new clubs, how could clubs be persuaded to teach more?
Wonderful Video - Just got my very first HAM Radio Handheld - interesting to listen to people on the airwaves, but it feels like there is a huge barrier to entry to broadcast, especially for women. I've been scanning all 16 channels of the PMR446 bands where I live and they're virtually dead. I remember getting a much less powerful PMR446 20 years ago and all the channels were full of people talking to each other. Now there's no talk on those bands. They should allow people easier access to this band with more powerful radios with bigger antennas so you have more chance to reach people further away. HAM Radio as a hobby WILL die out as the members die off. I'm sure the demographic for the average user must be a man in his 60's or 70's. Tuning into my local repeater it certainly sound like this is the average age. They sound like nice people but they won't be around forever.
Interesting topic; I just passed my foundation exam; I'm in my late 60s and I have no intention of designing and building a transceiver ; yes you need to know about dB and interferes, operation protocols etc! All you need is a operator and full licence holder ; full having the ability to design and build! The issue with licencing is over complicated, besides the youngsters of today would rather sit in front of a computer playing games; if you want this hobby to survive then it must change!
i became interested in radio last week. i take my foundation test in a few days. i am a keen electronics nerd, and own a little lab with scopes, func gens, and all that stuff, so the technical details of the syllabus were easy. but i did wonder what relevance it had to 90% of the people interested in radio. i personally am only interested by the technical aspects, communication, for me, is just a means to learn more about radio itself. i expected to have to learn morse, i then learned this element was dropped over 30 years ago, presumably as it was no longer relevant, like ohms law now to radio operation.
I would love to finally be a licensed operator as I have enjoyed the listening and technical aspects of the hobby but have been away from radio for quite a while, sadly this hobby is in its swan song if it does not change with the times. The introduction of some sort of provisional license for very basic privileges seems like a great idea and there should be a heavy leaning towards actual radio practices and communications exchanges as for power limitations these would be absolutely vital and could be possibly used to give people an understanding and introduction to the technical aspects of the hobby eg: part 1 , 5 watt limit on 2 meter simplex frq's only, part 2 5 watt output and access to using repeater facilities , then progressing to novice/foundation license level where yes technical aspects should remain a requirement (listen to me 30 odd years having an interest in this hobby dosent have a license and has really bad morse at breakneck speeds of two words per minute on a good day lol), these provisional licences are absolutely necessary if the amateur radio hobby is to survive and this fellows suggestions in this video are the only way ahead . 73's Robert ( listening station motherwell Scotland).
If you’ve had an interest in radio for 30 years, I suspect you’d have little difficulty in passing a basic 26-question multiple choice Foundation exam. Currently there are no practicals and you can sit the exam at home. There are several free tuition courses available. There’s a sizable number of people like you taking Foundation now, including kids under 10, and due to Covid, it’s a pretty straightforward process. What’s put you off getting Foundation? (Morse no longer required)
@@EssexhamUk The major factor in me not starting my license was lack of clubs in the local area and the practices of the only local club , I think though that it may be time to get this done and being the journey , The curriculum and study guides on this channel are actually what has drawn me back towards becoming licensed, And in the very near future I would like to sit said exam with yourselves, I did study the foundation book back in the early 2000's purchased from the RSGB but life circumstances changed greatly, I really enjoyed building the lake sw receiver (Darlington type) and amp circuit back then, i really enjoy the qrp aspects of the hobby, will e-mail in the next day or so making mention of my comment here , thank you for replying chat soon. 73's
@@rudidraufganger7448 The issues around the lack of clubs is well known, and the current situation with exam staking place online and no practicals addresses this and probably explains the spike of interest we're seeing. There is no need to introduce a new licence class for that reason. I also suspect that if you have 30 years experience of radio (including construction), a very basic low-power handheld licence wouldn't be of much interest - that proposal was really aimed at those very new to radio looking to dip their toe in, not an experienced radio person. I suspect you'd have little problem passing the current entry-level exam if you put your mind to it. We run free online courses, and the RSGB exam is a one-off £27.50. Once lockdown is lifted, practicals may restart at clubs, so if you want to avoid going to a club, don;t leave it too long!
@@EssexhamUk will do, I have emailed the main site and will follow through with the exam within the next few weeks, I am awaiting a reply to the email and will happily follow the advice given, thank you for your reply.
@@rudidraufganger7448 Hi. A reply was sent at 12:01pm today. In summary, our next course is on 18th April and you can find more details about our free course (including a video and details of how to enrol) at www.essexham.co.uk/train/foundation-online/
John mentioned he was n his mid sixties.Let me say i am 72 and I passed my Foundation Exam in August 2019. If the interest in radio is there in the first place the interested parties regardless of age will find it so the lack of interest in the younger generation is probably because they already have a method of communication that you don't need a licence for it is of course the Mobile Phone which everyone has. If you want to try it fine but it would take advertising on a national scale to spread the word. On a final note how much would the Beginners Licence devalue my efforts to obtain the Foundation Licence?
bloke in garden shed lol , i think john is spot on as if exam to pass then least the ppl would of learned the basics , and i suppose with the cheap programmable radios , it would be very easy to transmit on an illegal or emergency frequency
I got my full licence in the 60's and have seen a lot of changes in the years since. I fully support a beginners licence but it has to be balanced with policing of its use. Gone are the days when you had a visit from the "Post Office man" to check over your gear and logbook to make sure you were abiding by the licence terms. I would ask the question, how do we police all grades of licence (including mine)? Should we have "type approved" radios that meet certain standards to make sure no undue interference is caused? The proposal certainly raises a lot of questions. However, I fully support the idea.
Ken Grey I think, sadly, type approved radios will come. As far as policing goes I don’t hear much abuse BUT I still believe a greater limitation of bands for the FL would make it very obvious if they were breaking rules. Trying to prove they using 100w rather 10w just wont happen.
@@BikingChap Looking at how the likes of Amazon are advertising dual band VHF/UHF handhelds I am not surprised that we have issues with unlicensed (and out of band) use (speaking for my area). We need more people in the hobby, new blood to keep it going in the future. I am also seeing a lot of the baby boomer generation like myself, licensed in the 60's coming back after 10. 10 or 30 years away. The long term licensed are often shunned by newer licencees as though we were some form of enemy. We are not. We are here to help and pass on our years of experience to anyone who asks. In my years I ran a packet radio repeater, was part of the development of creating the first computer RTTY system, taught morse code and helped many get their licenses. I, and may others want to help. We are not luddite old fogies.
Ken Grey I’m probably out of touch because I very rarely go on repeaters let alone digital voice but I hear that’s where much of the abuse is. As for unlicensed folk getting kit, it was ever thus. The only way would be to treat them like firearms and have to have permissions and then have each radio recorded on a licence but that won’t happen in a million years. Like you I see a lot of newcomers and a lot of returnees, myself included. Perhaps it’s as the Boomers kids have left home or retirement kicks in. I have to say, online at least, I see more abuse of the old guard by relative newcomers than the other way around yet the narrative continues to be ‘you old beggars really should be more welcoming!’ All a bit odd. I’ve always thought that the ‘dumbing down’ of AR was a risky strategy and, frankly, a lazy way to bolster numbers. I’m under no illusion that’s an unpopular very especially these days but there are. As I’ve said previously, for many AR will end up being CBPlus and while that *may* help secure vhf/uhf allocations it’s unlikely if they all trundle off to HF and in time it may lead to ofcom but less flexible in what we’re allowed to do if the hobby becomes, generally, less technical.
no no no no no, there will be no point to get foundation licence then. As there are two bands which you can use without any licences. Pmr 446 MHz and cb 27 MHz. The only reason I want to get foundation licence is to get access to shortwave bands.
I have several local clubs.... But contacting any of them (other than than on air) is nigh on impossible which is not helpful for someone wanting to start.... I already have a business suppliers license (I have cheap ish kit I lend for scout events) that requires no formal training whatsoever yet I can actually do quite a lot on VHF and UHF such as setting up repeaters for business use.... Why not make foundation 2m/70cm focused and save the theory for intermediate
Amend the Foundation to a basic licence for UHF & VHF 10w only - this allows for basic simplex and repeater use as well as using hotspots for digital modes
Chris Waters That would mean a) revoking HF from existing Foundation licence holders, and b) changes to the syllabus - no point teaching HF and electronics if it’s a VHF/UHF-only licence.
@@EssexhamUk then change the name of it to Entry licence and retain the rights of existing foundation licence holders and yes change the syllabus accordingly.
There’s only one small flaw in this, ofcom, RSGB , do not take dead keyers seriously, problem is idiots buy said £25 radios, then bugger about on the band, and nobody takes it serious. That is main reason people are not using 2m 70cms as much, the idiots spoil it for us, My 2ps worth, your proposals are good, totally agree with them, more people on air talking and filling the band out, but make us hams pay for our license, I dunno, £20 a year each say, then use that money to pay for the detector vans and prosecution of the idiots. I’d be very much in favour Tom 2e0tum
Tom McGoun a lot of the dead Keyers aren’t the ones using the cheap hand helds but are experienced ops with decent equipment who, shall we say, are utter jug artists.
@@timg5tm941 Agreed, Tim. I'm also not sure how dead keyers are a flaw in this suggestion. What have dead keyers got to do with a beginner's exam proposal? Is the suggestion that beginners will be doing the same? How do we know that? We don't. Get people on 5w and on the air I say. Make 2m busy. I fully support the proposal and it seems so does the majority!
@@BikingChap See this is what i don't like about Amateur Radio this holier-than-thou , pointing fingers at people/operators without no evidence whatsoever to back it up. Oh he must be one that came from 11mtrs. Oh he's this or he that really gets my nerves. We are all people with a shared hobby, at the end of the day we all want the same thing, it's about time these accusers get off their high horses & stop the inflammatory remarks without any evidence. Slander could land you in court.
Why change anything? The present foundation license is quite easy to pass .I have no technical ability but i passed first time .just study and do lots of online mock exams
This video was recorded prior to the introduction of online exams, which have changed how people sit their exams. As explained in the video, taking exams under the previous system was problematic for many people.
To inject new life into the hobby they should allow people to pay for a temporary callsign that a person pay per year etc vs risking a chunk of money on a maybe or change the exam rules to you only pay if you passed to make it more financially viable cos alot of people cannot afford to risk money left right n centre plus there's hardly any clubs out there no end had to close shutdown so no local places to learn nearest is miles away All it should be now is register ur details ur radio serial number what wattage it is model etc job done it would open door to new members and maybe encourage them to continue and advance Or they could scrap the foundation exam altogether
At the heart of all this is a battle for what Amateur Radio really is. If it's seen now as nothing more than a CB service then sure have a very easy test that's open to abuse (someone else can do it online for you, nothing to stop you buying a 100W radio and running it full power etc etc) it *may* get a few more people in. What it will definitely do is further water down the technical knowledge in the hobby which in turn makes it easier for OFCOM to remove more and more right because, after all, we have so many rights because we contribute to UKPLC but training the engineers of tomorrow. Personally i would suggest the hobby would be better protected by managed retreat, if no-one is using certain spectrum then re-allocate it and worry less about how many licences are held.
Thanks for the comments. As explained in the video, numbers are in decline and so is activity on-air (as well as public awareness). Exams have just become harder, and it's getting harder to get a licence due to lack of exam and training facilities. If nothing is done to address this, the hobby will fade away. Tomorrow's tech innovators aren't radio amateurs any more, they're elsewhere. As for technical knowledge - most amateurs don't construct transmitters these days, and as black boxes are so hard to repair, only a tiny percentage of amateurs get inside their boxes to repair/mod. So, do we need such a heavy focus on electronics? Also I can see you point-of-view, personally, I'm not convinced that making it harder to get into the hobby, reallocating our spectrum to others, and trying to turn us back into transmitter constructors will secure the hobby's future.
@@EssexhamUk There is a paradox here in my mind. *If* the only way to 'save' Amateur radio is to boost licence numbers and the only way that many believe you boost numbers is to make the entry level requirements even lower you inevitably de-skill the hobby, exactly what was argued by many when the foundation licence was introduced. Given OFCOM's view is still that it's a tech hobby and the self training still provides or improves techs for industry, de-skilling the hobby actually makes it more likely to be dismantled and down graded by OFCOM in years to come. In other words while trying to help, these ideas will drive the nail in to the hobby. Frankly OFCOM has much bigger things to worry about and RSGB are only interested in membership and black box manufacturer ad revenues. If you want nothing but a glorified CB Radio plus service this is a good way to go. So what to do? Find out why those with a technical interest don't get involved with the hobby and go from there, trust me, it won't be because the foundation licence is too hard.
@@BikingChap If you look purely at the numbers, the introduction of the 3-tier system in the early 2000s made a big difference. Numbers coming in by the end of the 1990s was at an all-time low and declining year-on-year. If something wasn't done, there would be hardly anyone joining, and certainly not enough new blood to replace the SKs. Many people at the time predicted that bringing in Foundation would result in the sky falling in, but that didn't happen. Arguably, bringing in Foundation did the job it was required to do - bring in new people, introduce some hands-on practicals and make for a smooth steady transition to the Full licence. The world has changed since RAE. The vast majority of radio amateurs (RAE and post-RAE) are not using transceivers that they have designed and built themselves. Does it therefore make sense that the focus might need to shift slightly from transceiver construction, to other areas? Or that the licensing needs a restructure to accommodate the climate and be relevant to the privileges granted. For example, does a newcomer really need to know how to apply Kirchhoff's law before they are allowed to use a radio? Why are Q codes at Intermediate, not Foundation? As for people with a technical interest - they don't get as involved with amateur radio these days, because they're elsewhere... in maker groups, playing with Arduinos, Pis, AI, IoT, robotics, coding, 3D printing, VR, etc. It could be argued that they are the new "amateurs". They can do all of that without courses, exams, travelling miles to sit in village halls, wait 6 months for courses, etc - the hurdles that we put in the way. The hobby's USP is communication, and to use RF an exam needs to be taken, appropriate to the class of licence. Personally, I don't see the harm in taking a step back, every 20 years or so and asking "do we need to change anything?"
@@EssexhamUk with regards to numbers it would be interesting to see how many of those went on to get their full licence. if the vast majority do, then yes I'd agree it was working. If they do not (and there is little incentive frankly) then all you are doing is watering down the technical knowledge and with it increasing the risk of further restriction by OFCOM further down the line. In honesty when i took my exams at night school i don't think many were building their own radios then but what they almost universally had was an interest in radio. Let me put it another way. If you deskill the entry level requirement and encourage those that have no interest in radio of course, in time, you will see less licensees involved in the technical side, a self fulfilling prophecy if you will. I think what is crucial is that the syllabus evolves but that doesn't mean making it easier. I genuinely can't believe your comments "As for people with a technical interest - they don't get as involved with amateur radio these days" is just not the case. PLEASE look up the uBITx group on facebook. The latest version can be put together in an hour, very easily, and gets you on HF for well under £200. Get this, it runs an Arduino! Not only that put there's a whole community playing with the code to give it new features, 3d printing cases for it and modding it to give it a screen that looks like a 7300. They ARE technical folk and the ARE amateurs. Seriously look on youtube for uBITX and Nextion and see what these guys doing. They're currently looking at adding FM/AM to it and even after a day or over 100 people have signed up to that really niche topic (the main uBITX facebook page has nearly 4,000 followers. :) So in short you ask do we need to change anything? Absolutely. Do we need to simply dumb it down? Absolutely not. You're right the new Amateurs are the ones playing with Arduinos, PIs, coding, 3d printing and the rest of it. it is this that youngsters are all very familiar with and very keen on so let's target them too by changing the syllabus fundamentally and make the logistics far, far easier but PLEASE not lower the technical bar in the hope that, basically, letting anyone in will save out hobby because it won't.
@@BikingChap I still don't get the argument about "watering down". If you're saying that we "watered down" in 2002 and suffered as a result... where is the evidence? What restrictions have Ofcom imposed as a result of Foundation? What we've seen is a boost in numbers and a new generation getting into the hobby that weren't coming in under RAE. Is that so terrible? You then go on to highlight all of the great stuff that's going on... all stuff that probably wouldn't if the hobby had died in the early 2000s! And as the risk of repeating myself, who's talking about dumbing down? What's being discussed in this proposal is removing the barriers to entry (the difficulty in actually getting on a course), and making entry-level relevant and appropriate (no need to teach HF for a VHF licence - save that for the next level). As a reminder, today's Full exam is significantly harder to achieve than the old RAE ever was, so like-for-like technical standards have increased, not decreased, and no-one's proposing to make changes in that area.
I passed my M7 thanks to this channels fast track, 2 weeks ago, the Video Tutorials are great and cover just what you need to be a responsible license holder. It was easy to follow and I got 98% a pass. I just wish there was an intermediate course from Essex Ham
you mean essex ham dont do an intermediate course, well thats me buggered then, i took my foundation with essex ham hoping to progress with them. there are no clubs at least that are open re covid , so as i say thats me stuffed . looks like im going to be at foundation level indefinately..
Enjoy Radio and respect each other thats the most inportant thing wee are all in the same hobbie some Radio operators want too talk not do the techside of radio , i myself work have family and cant always get too radio clubs , i prefered radio talk on ssb which ive always enjoyed , good video enjoyed and lets keep the radio hobbie going for years too come HNY De mw6hnn
i guess i sound like a dinosaur but if you don't want to 'do the technical' side of radio and just want to talk in all seriousness why don't you use Zello or similar? Not trying to be rude just don't get it.
BikingChap Zello are you being serious as a Ham radio Operator zello Not my cup of tea Personally your taking the biscuit I can do technical side but when ivewent too a radio club and when I’ve said how I got into radio regarding cb radio Fm Mode and 11 meter how I got into radio in my youth and been said too don’t mention cb radio !!!!! I replied it’s radio communication throw radio !!! For you too say zello it’s not radio and how radio works from antenna too antenna throw propregation and also groundwave but what do I know !!! I’ll stay on my lincence which I have and won’t move on with your comment and Bought the book for the next lincence I won’t even bother now with someone like you even in a qso on the airwaves if you point some too zello as it not radio for me as it’s as easy a picking up the telephone Fake radio I do radio voice notes tx transmission and will help any fellow operators which enjoy radio and don’t class anyone different move with the time oldman maybe cash you further down the log 73 de Mw6hnn always enjoy radio it’s a hobbie tht wee are all in and no difference in each other and every operators have different experiences but zello not for me and may help some ! But it’s not radios communication as I know 73 HNY
fair enough@@walesunt Zello seems a really good option for those who want to simply chat and for those more in to the tech side of things whether propagation or antennas or radio building then there's Amateur Radio. I too started on CB and i don't see one better than the other but they are, or at least should be, different and more than 'just radio'. Best wishes.
BikingChap I just say enjoy radio and it is sad tht wee always don’t agree and you get bad apples in all walks of life and in all hobbies sadly I’ve been involved in radio for 30 years which doesn’t mean I know more than the other operators thts been on radio 50years ect Your learn every day in life sometimes ! But radio for me is polite / respect / and don’t down the next operators that enjoy the hobbie and hopefully learn from each other but as said bad apples who think are superior HI. 73 / if you hear me on the band give me a call I won’t give you a 5/9 😀 best regards Darren
@@walesunt oh i couldn't agree more and i don't doubt many of those younger than me have learnt more than i'll ever know but i still have the view that there are those who are interested in radio and those who just want to chat *on* radio. Id hate to think 'bad apples' equates to those with superior knowledge. There are fools who think they should have access to everything for know effort and there are fool who've been on the bands for decades and just want it for themselves. All the ebst and no, i won't just give you a 59 ;)
How about rescinding Foundation Licence holders access to HF and restricting them to VHF and UHF? If they want to gain access to HF, then they'll have to pass the Intermediate exam!
I have just completed the Foundation practical and have the written exam in a few weeks. I have no interest in VHF/UHF at the moment and wish to work HF and become a competent CW operator. Were your suggestion to become reality then I'd need to reconsider my involvement with the hobby. I don't mind being power restricted, but I don't want to be band restricted. I also don't want to feel pressure to race through the licences; I'd like to take my time, gain real experience and move up a level when I am genuinely ready for it. Perhaps I'm being selfish? I don't know, but that's my view for what it's worth.
@@johnratcliffe6438 it's good that you want to progress, but many Foundation Licence holders don't. The whole idea of the 3 tier licence system was that people can progress through it by self training, etc. Unfortunately, many decide to stay at the bottom rung of the ladder and never progress. Which is proposed in the video is a form of VHF/UHF CB radio. I went from Foundation to Full licence in just under 2 years, but it wasn't easy. The Intermediate was a bit more difficult because of some of the maths. The Full was even more so because I don't have a natural aptitude for mathematics. After spending several hundreds of hours revising for the Full exam whilst on night shift, I did pass the Full, much to my surprise! It is possible! Having access to practically all band doesn't encourage people to progress. If people want to work towards something, rather than just rest on their laurels, surely this will encourage them?
@@MM0IMC Congratulations on getting your full license, you can buy me a pint when I get mine! 😊 I appreciate your views, but I think I'd respond by saying I disagree; having the bands but not the power *is* an incentive to progress. Those stations you can hear but not work - "If only I had another 100 Watts" Argh! 😊 As to your other point, I suppose it comes down to how many people you'd like to see in the hobby. Is it better to have more, even if some stay at the lowest level? Or have fewer, at a higher level? I have no personal view on how fast people progress through the licenses, live and let live IMHO. I hope to work you soon!
@@MM0IMC I appreciate that; I'd like a balance. Ultimately the decision will be made well above my head, so I'll accept whatever happens with good grace, adapt and keep moving forward.
Great till some old un lays into you as a Newbie...Novice...Don't know what your doing...don't deserve a license...I did mine in 1909 with Marconi...I DID MY MORSE AT Bletchley Park...All true I'm affraid (apart for Marconi!) so I'll stick to HF .The rest of the World always has a welcome!!
This is misguided rubbish in the extreme. All the "muppets" on channel 19 (c.b.) will pile on and disrupt the hobby so badly that all the good operators will give up, and amateur radio will become legal high powered c.b.
I’d be interested to hear what your solution to the problems highlighted in this video would be. How do we make the hobby both accessible and more relevant for the next generation?
@@Northernbloke. I’d be interested to hear what your solution to the problems highlighted in this video would be. How do we make the hobby both accessible and more relevant for the next generation?
@@Northernbloke. John is the RSGB VHF Manager, and he's proposed this to counter the problems of a lack of newcomers and a lack of activity on the bands. I appreciate that you don't like John's idea, but how would you propose to tackle the issues raised in his video and halt the decline in interest, newcomers and on-air activity? As for licence-free, I can't see that happening mainly because of HAREC & CEPT. A licence-free option certainly wouldn't benefit the network of clubs (including Essex Ham) who get their new members predominantly via their training courses - no training, no new members, The changes over the decades have resulted in exams being tougher than they were under RAE (the RAE is now roughly equivalent to today's Intermediate), so I can't see where your comment about watering down comes from. Personally I can't see the harm in raising interest in the hobby and making it more relevant and accessible. Assuming you don;t want to see the hobby fade away and die, what would your solution be to stimulate interest and activity, and halt the decline?
People that don't want to associate with others as radio amateurs will fill the 2 meter band with hate. Amateur Radio friendly hobby and not for people haters.
It's sad to see you have no absolutely understanding of Autism whatsoever. Speaking as someone who is autistic, I find face to face contact with others very stressful on a good day and physically impossible on a bad day. It has nothing to do with not 'wanting' to associate with others (face to face), but everything to do with the ability to do so.
It is as simple as this..there are many foundation licence holders that do not want to have to learn any more or put any effort in but do want to get straight on HF and they are allowed to at the moment.It is all wrong. If you really want to use HF it should come with some knowledge and skill because it is a big responsibility . Using HF gives you the ability to cause worldwide QRM . Once I had my M3 all those years ago i could not wait to gain my full licence and learn more . I was very eager to construct things and did so. I am far from being a radio genius but i am willing to continue learning. There are people that got their M3 with me almost 20 years ago and are STILL M3s !
Lee Nobody so what no big deal if people you done your m3 with still got it today I don’t agree with this video 100% but you are one of the big problems this hobby has got I called Radio snobbery I am better than you as I am a full licence if people decide not to go any further foundation license that’s their choice they should not be belittled for it
@@RICHARD26CARL it's not radio snobbery. It's like going around on a motorbike on L plates for the rest of your life. The pitch originally for the foundation was to get people interested or in the door so to speak not to reduce the tech level required for ever more. I've absolutely no problem with someone who has a foundation licence, more power to them, but it really should be limited to 2 years imho.
BikingChap thats like saying then if you pass your car test you shouldn’t stop there and progress onto your HGV license? 😂 so yeah it is radio snobbery if people are happy just with there m3 so be it not hurting anyone or the hobby only thing hurts the hobby is Narrowminded people think you need to progress when you don’t there A place for everyone all levels that’s why it’s called a foundation
@@RICHARD26CARL that's where we disagree. The foundation is just that, a starting point, not a 'full' licence. Just as a learner riders aren't allowed certain privileges because they're learning neither should foundation licence holders. Would we accept learner bikers to ride around on big bikes without experience or passing further tests? No, we don't. This isn't snobbery just as it wasn't snobbery when i hadn't passed a morse test so wasn't allowed on HF, it's about believing that foundation should be a starting point but not something where we'd want folk to sit for ever more. Otherwise all you have is a gloried CB service and that would be a crying shame.
The ignorance of this man to negatively stereotype older people and then to have the condemning audacity to go from worried to being angry with them. What is a bigoted offencive man like this doing in a position of power. prosecutable
As a person in their 60's about to start a foundation course I am both fascinated and bemused by the arcane processes and attitudes of amateur radio licencing which has absolutely failed to keep up with modern communication and educational practice or to absorb commercial reality regarding equipment purchase and acquisition. Stuck in a timewarp 1950- 1970's mentality of build your own the reality since the late 1980's is that all technology was on a commodity pricing trajectory that ensured that as capabilities grew exponentially pricing also dropped substantially - an analogue of Moore's law ? I would never construct inferior equipment for £'s what I can buy as highly advanced off the shelf equipment for pence now (relatively speaking). Even highly advanced leading edge equipment is affordable beyond reason now. To me the concerns and suggestions raised here are the right ones but I would add that it is the protocols of usage on top of the bandwidths that is the key learning essential to proper ongoing regulation. My attitudes may change during study but I very much doubt it as life is short and time is precious. Just my two pennies worth. 73's.
The BMFA, and RUclips channels like Flite Test, are keeping model flying going by embracing drones. I see welcoming Baofengs as somewhat analogous.
Thanks to Essex Ham for introducing me to the online test route, I'd looked a few years ago and been put off by needing to go to a club but now I hope to be licensed soon.
I think anything that encourages more people to take up the hobby has to be a good thing, "constant change is here to stay".
Best presentation I've seen on any media. I'm now doing the excellent Foundation course on line with Essex Ham and have a date for my on line exam!
Wow, interesting subject and one that appears to bring out quite firm opinions, it's great that we can communicate and express our opinion without feeling unwelcome in such a great hobby.
As an M6 I absolutely appreciate and fully respect the privileges entrusted to me and use them in accordance with the conditions in my licence. I passed my M6 4 years ago and openly admit to being somewhat technically challenged, but that in itself can be interpreted by some as laziness and not wanting to put in the effort to learn more, well I can assure you that I have tried and failed. The result of my efforts, it would seem by some, is that I be banished from the one part of the hobby I totally adore, and that is HF QRP portable work participating in SOTA and other type of activities using low power for the best result. I have had QSO's all over the world on 5w or less and take great satisfaction that less is more in these circumstances.
I really enjoy building resonant antennas, usually dipoles or 2mtr portables, and that is about the limit of my technical abilities. How a radio works, how to build circuits, how to understand and put to practical use anything electronic is beyond me. I have my trusty 817 and PRC 320 for portable work and carry out regular 2mtr contacts when away in our small camper van. I am an avid user of my radios, on all bands offered to me and should this change then please feel free to contact me as I will be selling my equipment.
Our radio club has a fantastic membership and everyone is made welcome. We run regular courses for Foundation and some for the intermediate and the vast majority of Foundation students are very young people, 10 to 14 years old. When a student passes, they are given a free Baofeng UV5R to use once their C/S has been issued. If I am perfectly honest, we wont see a return on our efforts until later in life when radio may appeal again but while competing against Xbox, girls/boys and other young peoples activities there will an absence from the majority of those who pass their Foundation at a young age.
Should those who have been given privileges have them taken away because some think HF should be hallowed ground for Intermediates and full licence holders ?. Are the restrictions that are already in place (10w being the main one) enough to wet the appetite and offer an incentive to progress to enable greater power privileges and the use of your full C/S outside the UK..... questions that indeed will need much debate. The one thing I know for sure, this hobby is dying on its feet and the figures from the RSGB only move to confirm this. Dinosaurs became extinct because they could not adapt to change, will this happen to our hobby........
So much common sense here! The syllabus needs a huge overhaul - not just at foundation / entry level but as a cohesive whole - to make it relevant to amateur radio TODAY. This isn't to say that I'm against progression, but again, how about we make it more relevant ? Continued heavy focus upon electronics and transceiver anatomy will ultimately lead to the demise of the hobby. I favour a modular system including core (mandatory) aspects of the hobby, in addition to specialist options (e.g. transceiver architecture, construction, digital modes, repeater operation, advanced troubleshooting, culture and community, etc.) that candidates can choose from. That said, I am about to commence study for the full license having recently passed the intermediate, but struggle to appreciate the relevance of much of it.
In face thinking about it, all you need is to know the licence conditions and a call sign as long as the equipment is bought/ manufactured and the lid is not taken off it, except for repair by a service tec'.
Superb upload ,i was heavily into SSB in the late 70's early 80's and used to love working the "skip" talking to people in some amazing places ,yes i know it was CB but i loved it .Now back to 2020 i find my interest re-kindled in the hobby but so much has changed and where the buggery do i start lol .All i want to do is chat to people , i have no interest in how to build a mother board ,i know there are people who do ,but each to our own .With all the hoops and rings of fire to jump through i can see why the hobby is dying out slowly ,and what about disabled people ,ie; dyslexic,blind,autistic etc'etc' something needs to change
I have aspergers and I'm an M zero licence holder, I maxed the advanced licence but I do know that being a member of the Norfolk amatuer radio club gave me a good advantage from the start. The licence does need a review and there are many who don't get the support that I received.
I totally agree. I took my RAE in 1963! But got around to applying for a licence, only a couple of years ago! In the 60s, practically everyone used homebuilt gear. The world supply of 807s must have been seriously dented. The licensed operators of today tend to buy Black Boxes and have little or no interest in the contents. Only the results. We don't expect Computer Prograners to know how to repair their computers. This proposal will, if implemented will be exactly what the hobby needs to bring the young into the hobby. Great idea. Make it so! M0iiZ.
Agreed ! Personally I am a bit 'stuck on the fence' on this one however as on the one hand I believe that giving foundation holders access to 2M and higher frequencies with 100W like others have mentioned is one way to go, yet as a fan of CW I am eagerly awaiting my foundation exam date - albeit via Zoom given the current situation - and the prospect of being able to call CQ on HF albeit using a pre-manufactured rig as opposed to something I have built and tested myself. I have been in the electronics service field since leaving college early 90's and think that not being able to use your 'homebrew' equipment a tad unfair as a foundation license holder, however it will give people that 'push' to go on to the next two license classes. Given our location it has been difficult getting to a local club so the online exams are actually a godsend - even if the process of applying has been like following a paper trail of sorts.... Is it just me or does anyone else find the RSGB site difficult to navigate ??
I found some 6146's in a box in my workshop.
As a full license holder I approve of this. Whet people's appetite without having them spend 2h on trains for three weekends in a row just to get Foundation. (my experience is that that's the commitment needed today)
wanker 73
and there in lies the problem, accessibility to training.
@@BikingChap I don't think so. I didn't need the training, I just needed the test. But I couldn't find one that only allowed me to come in and take the test, partly because of the practical test.
John has excellent ideas and delivery... heaven forbid mind if I become a anorak in the garden shed !
What a great interview & what a lovely man .... His aspiration for the development of the “hobby” is admirable .... Things will change “eventually” 🙏
Excellent video (already seen it via your website). The shutting down of the debate by the RSGB is as unsurprising as it is disheartening. My take on it.. one single exam. With a 2 tier licence. Result of the exam determines licence class. Exam can be re-sat any time if failed. But only after 3 months if wanting to upgrade. Lower tier: 100 watts and same current privileges as foundation and intermediate. Higher tier same as current full licence with a 1kw limit.
;) or even 100w / 400w / 1Kw :)
what the hell!
lets make full use of the bulgarian amplifiers that are for sale these days :-)
thats an old call Tim.
been in the family and you've inherited it?
@7.14... I do have asperger's syndrome...
But at a nice club like we have in Peterborough, Cambs...
I never had a problem going there, meeting new people and sitTing my exams...
Some really good points made. I have a full licence and use VHF 2m almost exclusively. Within that, I have used pretty much every mode in existence. Happy to interact with any other users on there too, be it foundation, intermediate or full. Use it or lose it!
Make the foundation a form fill, and change the bands available at that level? keep the intermediate and advanced as is??
Great video that makes perfect sense to me,agree with everything that said and I really hope this is implemented.
at last! a measured sensible approach to licensing that will hel the hobby in the future
This has really helpful. I became interested in Amature Radio back in the 80's and a SWL with a AR88 and then on to CB and listening on 2 mts with a view to taking the G8 licence, as it was then but the amount of "Bucket Mouthing" on 144 put me of the hobby. I have now returned to listening with a view to joining my local club here in Tiverton,(sorry Essex), and taking the Foundation Licence
This is a very refreshing point of view. Well said
I do agree that knowing how to build a circuit board should be irrelevant, I received my manual a few days ago in prep for my exam, and was very confused and worried that it may be beyond me, I agree we have to move on to keep ham alive, great video , thanks
Well said, I've got a couple of degrees, one in electronics, also served in the Royal Sigs using VHF/HF/UHF and "other" stuff, so I've already in a past life been authorised to use but cant Tx on anything in civvy street without doing an amateur radio degree and would very much like to without doing it.
It's good to have groups around to discuss this and other proposals but it's not good when you get vilified when doing it. we are all entitled to our own opinion and have the right to give it.
Great idea. Would love this, but not interested in circuits, etc. just want to communicate with others and enjoy the airwaves.
Good idea John, we need to encourage more newcomers and more activity, particularly on VHF & UHF. Use it or loose it! As a next step, I would like to see a draft written proposal so we can debate the detail of this plan.
I agree deep technical understanding is not necessary but don't think it's enough to just instruct on the licence conditions. We need good operating practice to be included as well.
I would be interested in a beginners license as only the communications side appeals to me
I live in rural mid Wales and I have found myself looking into getting into ham radio but I have to be honest I didn't particularly want to be part of a club even if I did I have done a quick search and found that the closest one to me is approx 30 miles away. And if I am honest talking as an outsider looking in. The fact of technically being forced to be a part of a club and the difference to get there in the first place is sort of turning into a bit of a deal breaker for me. And if I have understood correctly my closest repeater is a little over thirty miles away
Hi Andrew. You're not forced to become a member of a club just to get an amateur radio licence. For example, you can study for the exam at home (our group offers a free online course). That said, you have to sit an exam and do a few basic practicals before you can get a licence, and it's common that people do this at a club, but you don't have to be a member. Several UK clubs offer a fast-track session where you can do the practicals plus exam in a day (assuming you've self-studied at home), and you never have to visit the club again.
Andrew have a look at this link , you will be able to do your exam from via a computer , minus the practical as its being waived for the time being .
good luck
Dean
rsgb.org/main/blog/news/rsgb-notices/2020/04/02/rsgb-to-introduce-remote-invigilation-for-foundation-exams/?fbclid=IwAR2HrK41AI5OCpW-2wkDpMgSLvcH-zzcthACLkaBjXbE5okfKG8IBRTyu0g
My local club is almost spitting distance but found they were all tea total so i didn't bother joining!!
John has a valid point especially those who suffer Social anxiety should be tested maybe In a separate room whilst being supervised or somehow online or at a test centre similar to car theory test.
Great Idea. I got my Foundation License some years ago but then moved away from the local radio club at Bletchley Park.I am now 25 miles away - too far for me to get there. Being limited to 10 Watts of power is frustrating. Why not let Foundation License holders use 100 Watts ? What harm could it do? Frank M3 FEC.
@Mr Foo U Thanks for the reply - Thinking about it you are right. I do have the Intermediate license Booklet. I would like to do the course. I live near Northampton. Maybe there is a Radio Club there.
@Mr Foo U Cheers - I will check it out !
Ironic in a sense that this has to be debated on RUclips comments as the RSGB shut down the debate on their official site.
Therein lies part of the problem.
I used to listen to a chap called Harold, G0NFJ if memory serves, who ran a morse / CW class every week. GB2CW was the call sign. I was in my late teens. This must have been 1999 - 2002 ish.
I listened on a scanner. I never progressed further into radio due to the cost vs my age. However I got up to 6 wpm just following his class.
CB was full of people swearing about everything and nothing. Ham was sophisticated and full of nice people, but I could only ever listen.
Wonder whether I should look into this again.......?
yes great point john why put up barriers for ppl who cant mix with ppl and they do make very good operaters
I am in need of learning the HAM radio, for emergencies while out hiking, for communications with others and for marine use as I live onboard a boat. In this current climate and societies situation, it is difficult to get the licences required to navigate my vessel. Especially with low bridges that either swing, rise or move to a position that enables the boat to navigate safely through them. I am not an absolute novice with boating and radio. My youth was filled with FM CB radios with a handle of with a handle of "Danger Mouse", which I then found out later down the line that the handle was already in use by another operator. I am now reaching the half century mark (time flies with life and its complexity). Now I would really like to learn the HAM radio scene and all that goes with it, including the electronic side. It has always been a deep interest being of logic and practical minded. Is there ways of being able to do the remote learning of HAM radio and foundations to advance??
I have the problem that the nearest club is to far away from me and when I did drive there was not made that welcome with very little help
As you probably know, you can now study at home (free online courses), and even take your exam online - no need to leave home or visit a club if there's not a good local club.
I really like the idea, PMR + CB isn't like the amateur channels, they don't have the formal aspects. There is also a perceived barrier to the foundation, plus needing to go to a club etc for the hands on part (I see the merit in this, but it would be possible to get started without). £15-£20 online exam, a limited part of the spectrum but with the same formal side of the rest of the amateur bands (rather than PMR /CB, anything goes). More people would get on board, then take the natural next steps to foundation etc as it suits.
Fully agree with John, as a newbie not yet a license holder I feel we should be encouraging people not discouraging them. If you get people into this a lot will want to progress up the ranks, some probably like myself have no desire to do so.
Amateur Radio needs to change in a very big way its old and outdated and old fashion with the teaching of how to get a license
You don’t need to know how to make golf clubs , to play golf !
Yes. I've been driving since 17 but can't build a car, not do I need to.
I passed my foundation in 2004. It was a long time ago, but I remember it being just about difficult enough to feel like I earned it. It's important that people work for a privilege, at least a little, otherwise it has no value or respect. However, I broadly agree with the idea of a VHF/UHF only licence. That's a great idea. Biggest problem I have is the whole club thing - I don't find the full licence syllabus particularly challenging these days, and I'm really in to the technical side of things, but still I'm at foundation level because I DO find the club membership thing... annoying.
Perfect solution for me would be if somebody offered commercial training packages. An online course with somebody to ask questions, and then an exam (onsite if required) for £x. I'd certainly have a full licence by now if it were so easily accessible.
Totally agree about the"club thing"
I would love to get into ham radio, but I simply do not have the time or technical inclination to go into studying for all the exams. A simpler introduction would be ideal for someone like me and the technical side would come over time, but would not hinder the enjoyment and contribution.
Spot on john.
I could not agree more with John. I have ventured into this hobby not just for one-to-one communication, but research. There are a great many hobbyists who love experimentation using Arduino, and RF digital communication. We are limited to our bedroom's using 433MHz or 2.4GHz. We would love to develop gadgets such as image capture with RF ability to transfer files over RF frequency other than limited to 2.4GHz or 433MHz. Think about it, imagine a young person, using an Arduino IDE to develop equipment that can use the RF frequency in an imaginary way for the gadgets of tomorrow use learning tools such as Flowcode or Arduino..
Best thing ever being able to do the Foundation online. Relying on clubs where anyone under 40 is made to feel inferior was awful. The CB community is/was never like this.
Hello all I'm a CB'er from the 80's and I have passed a ship to shore radio license around the millennium, I would love to progress to the next step of license, I do have slightly better than average understanding of radio equipment compared to the general public, but I am currently not very knowledgeable about all the technical stuff so basically I know the difference between simplex & duplex and I know what a phase locked loop is & the phonetic alphabet etc. I'm interested in progressing a little further into a ham license without becoming a technical expert, any advice on how or where I should go next would be lovely, especially in a UK lockdown is this even possible? ❤️
Many CB uses originally took the foundation to use new modes and DX on SSB many using CB antenna on 10m, now I wonder what legal UK CB SSB use on 12 watts does to the number of people who actually want to take a test to be limited to 10 watts. A simple entry to VHF sounds practical, alongside the normal exam which could remain for full mode operations, I think we should increase foundation power to 25 watts, therefore giving a better reason for CB users to take the test and use their 25 watt 10/11 meter radios, which many own as cheapest for SSB use, legally on 10 meters. I would leave intermediate power at 50 watts but add 5mhz use. Regards, 2e0deq.
This chap speaks sense. Being in my mid 60s. I am a bit late to the hobby. I did the full course back in 1998 via the post. 18 modules. I did find it a bit difficult. Unfortunately I was made redundant and never did the exam. I may have scraped through who knows. I never bothered again. It felt like the people who are at the top don't really want any body but the best to become Radio Hams and make the wall to high to keep the riff raff out. I can understand that to some degree. After all the average CBers round where I live are or were a bit short in the brain dept. They buy a cb, press the button, swear at each other and threaten to cut each others coax! I didn't do well at school. in fact I may as well not gone. I got unclassified in my CSE maths exam. But I left school and joined the army, I became an advance signaller, Heavy goods driving instructor, Promotion. I left the army in 93. I ended up a Warehouse manager, Transport manager and had a NEBOSH certificate. So I don't class my self as riff raff. Recently my wife passed away and I found my self in a hole and sinking. I discovered you can do a foundation course with Essex Ham and take the exam at home! Wow how easy is that. Well I have done the course and take the exam in the morning. To keep my mind off things, I may even study a bit more who knows. See what tomorrow brings.
Well done for bringing this up. I am trying to also push for alteration of legislation in Portugal where the entry level CAT3 who can’t transmit and must wait 2 years prior to a CAT2 exam. Exams and licenses must be HAREC with CEPT and IARU who also want to grow new operators. Look forward to contribute to improving access to the hobby
As someone who is getting into radio I think there should be something like a max of 20w. This was cover hand helds and portable radios you can have in your car. Lessons on how to work and programme radios, nato alphabet, Q codes and general code like 73. It still requires a call sign. I know if I pass my test I will only have a hand held.
I fully agree, there should be an entry licence. A call sign issued with 5 watts and an understanding of the licence at 2mtrs and above. The hobby will die otherwise. It should be easier to get into it these days as everything is off the shelf. Very few build anything and the transmitters are quite good at suppression these days, so very little interference. CW is almost dead these days, just a few hanging on.
Couldnt agree more the only down side is seperating idiots who migrate from other types of radio where they have got away with playing music and foul mouthing it
Would need some kind of monitoring
I have done 11mtr ssb since the 1980s
And as yet not moved over to ham
Even though many freinds have
Mainly due to work commitments etc
And my reduced appetite in radio
But fully agree that radio needs to.move with the times to keep the new generations interested
Or its going to be history and new internet tech replacing it
As we can see today that communication is now easy with internet based tech
And in reality we need to show what can be done with an antenna and the traditional ways and right conditions
My radio career covers learning with the old system and passing under the new system now that I have new hobbies and the world has moved on. I do a lot of digital comms and experimentation now so think it’s perfect to let people get into this side of things at VHF and above.
I think a licence that gives you VHF/UHF only at Say 5 watts any mode FM/DMR/DSTAR etc. (so really hand held only) but any antenna. So a bit like the original 1990s novice licence.
But still a lot more than the Free 0.5w PMR 446 may be start them with M2???
As an outsider who wants to become a radio user I am hesitant due the way the hobby is portrayed and presented.
On the whole it seems to be run by older generation males who only want clones of themselves partaking.
This attitude worked in the 70’s and 80’s when social media didn’t exist but that attitude is outdated and the hobby needs to catch up with the rest of the world.
I understand that there has to be a structure and licensing to filter out the idiots but this hobby has so much more to offer. Get rid of some of the hurdles and red tape and make it more appealing and accessible.
It’s good to talk....
Hi. Not all radio amateurs are the same. Take a look at www.essexham.co.uk, or some of our other videos - we aim to have a modern take on amateur radio and make it fun. We also offer a free online training course, so you can see if it's for you. I happen to agree that we need to get rid of hurdles and red tape, and make it fun, and some groups just want to have fun!
Essex Ham - UK Amateur Radio - Hi, thanks for the positive reply, Your attitude and outlook are really refreshing. I will check your videos out and if I were local to you I would visit.
I live in the Midlands but will definitely be visiting my local radio club when they next meet.
Thanks again.
Essex Ham - UK Amateur Radio furthermore, your website is very welcoming and encouraging. Excellent.
I suffer with General Anxiety Disorder and have comorbid agoraphobia, I can't go out and have a full time carer, Is there anyway I can get a ham licence so I can use the bands, thank you
Absolutely. You can take your exam online from home, and extra support is available for those who may need help.
Carers for a group of disabled people hired a mini-bus and took them all to a training and exam club with a 50mile round trip over the course of a few months. They're all active on the local repeaters biw and use it every day.
It's a little unfortunate that there aren't many clubs out there anymore. If you're lucky enough to live close by or have access to travel, it might not be that much of an issue. However for regular Joe who is interested in getting their ticket, just trying to find a club is often more work than it should be.
There should be more offerings in local colleges for training and exams for at least foundation. Work with younger groups like scouts again to get them back in to the hobby and helping to train adults even if they can't offer the exam etc. Maybe allow mobile exam centres via a mini-bus so they can do day events for exams.
There are loads of technical minded people out there, look at how big of a business computers are. Just hit up some of the bigger companies that do community driven events like Overclockers and get computer 'geeks' in on the action. The same IT stores would also be happy to sell radio gear to get people started as well.
The biggest problem I see, is getting people trained up and licensed. If you give them free access to 2meter with no license requirement then there is going to be no incentive to progress, and even if they did want to progress they'll be in the same position as they are now, without access to a local club or reliable means to take an exam.Then you have the issue of people who just don't care for others but use it because they think it's just another CB without consequences.
If we wanted to just let people communicate without a reason for it (other than to save the band for the existing hams who don't want to lose it), with no learning to the hobby then there isn't much to it. We could give the same users PMR446 and let them rip with 10w on there instead.
Hi Simon,
Thanks for the comments. I totally agree that it would be great if there were more placed to train and take exams. Problem seems to be that RSGB has made the Foundation & Intermediate harder, meaning fewer clubs are willing/able to train, and costs go up due to extra time needed to teach. With numbers in decline, less local training and harder exams may not help.
As I understand the RSGB proposal, the Beginners Licence would still require an exam and wouldn't be "licence free" - by removing the electronics and HF components (not required for 5W VHF/UHF), there's less teaching, making it easier for clubs to teach. As for incentive - access to HF, other modes, more power would be the incentive to progress to Foundation, and with some basic radio experience already under the belt from Beginners, progression would be easier, as half of the work would have been done.
@@EssexhamUk In the end it boils down to people being able to get training, and take their exam. Some clubs provide training but no exam, others only certain times of year or if they have enough people willing to do their training course. Some only do foundation or up intermediate levels now, this would basically just get dropped to beginner level. Clubs are dying out and people can't get into the hobby.
The find a club page on RSGB site works, but contacting the majority of the clubs are hard work. Most of us are looking at the hobby from the inside, not from the outside of those looking to get in. I'm all for having the exams, but when the finding training and somewhere to get the exam is a bigger task than the exam and training, there is something wrong.
Maybe the RSGB needs to do a review of how it presents training and courses to non-hams rather than trying to fix something that isn't really broken, just mostly inaccessible.
@@simonj48 You've summed up the problem well, and identified the weak link - clubs. Fewer and fewer clubs are running training & exams, and older trainers are retiring or going SK, with few newcomers willing to step up and run training. Making it harder to get in, isn't going to help that.
It's clubs that run training, not the RSGB, so how can clubs be inspired to do more? Asking them to run more courses, that are harder and take longer to teach, with fewer people... isn't going to be easy!
Proposals like the two being discussed by RSGB both remove the weak link, clubs, to make entry more accessible, presumably due to the decline in clubs that you've identified. Apart from forcing clubs to train more, or massive incentives for creation of new clubs, how could clubs be persuaded to teach more?
Wonderful Video - Just got my very first HAM Radio Handheld - interesting to listen to people on the airwaves, but it feels like there is a huge barrier to entry to broadcast, especially for women. I've been scanning all 16 channels of the PMR446 bands where I live and they're virtually dead. I remember getting a much less powerful PMR446 20 years ago and all the channels were full of people talking to each other. Now there's no talk on those bands. They should allow people easier access to this band with more powerful radios with bigger antennas so you have more chance to reach people further away.
HAM Radio as a hobby WILL die out as the members die off. I'm sure the demographic for the average user must be a man in his 60's or 70's. Tuning into my local repeater it certainly sound like this is the average age. They sound like nice people but they won't be around forever.
Well said John
Interesting topic; I just passed my foundation exam; I'm in my late 60s and I have no intention of designing and building a transceiver ; yes you need to know about dB and interferes, operation protocols etc! All you need is a operator and full licence holder ; full having the ability to design and build! The issue with licencing is over complicated, besides the youngsters of today would rather sit in front of a computer playing games; if you want this hobby to survive then it must change!
thanks for this video
best 73 from Felix HB9ABX
i became interested in radio last week. i take my foundation test in a few days. i am a keen electronics nerd, and own a little lab with scopes, func gens, and all that stuff, so the technical details of the syllabus were easy. but i did wonder what relevance it had to 90% of the people interested in radio. i personally am only interested by the technical aspects, communication, for me, is just a means to learn more about radio itself. i expected to have to learn morse, i then learned this element was dropped over 30 years ago, presumably as it was no longer relevant, like ohms law now to radio operation.
I would love to finally be a licensed operator as I have enjoyed the listening and technical aspects of the hobby but have been away from radio for quite a while, sadly this hobby is in its swan song if it does not change with the times.
The introduction of some sort of provisional license for very basic privileges seems like a great idea and there should be a heavy leaning towards actual radio practices and communications exchanges as for power limitations these would be absolutely vital and could be possibly used to give people an understanding and introduction to the technical aspects of the hobby eg: part 1 , 5 watt limit on 2 meter simplex frq's only, part 2 5 watt output and access to using repeater facilities , then progressing to novice/foundation license level where yes technical aspects should remain a requirement (listen to me 30 odd years having an interest in this hobby dosent have a license and has really bad morse at breakneck speeds of two words per minute on a good day lol), these provisional licences are absolutely necessary if the amateur radio hobby is to survive and this fellows suggestions in this video are the only way ahead .
73's Robert ( listening station motherwell Scotland).
If you’ve had an interest in radio for 30 years, I suspect you’d have little difficulty in passing a basic 26-question multiple choice Foundation exam. Currently there are no practicals and you can sit the exam at home. There are several free tuition courses available. There’s a sizable number of people like you taking Foundation now, including kids under 10, and due to Covid, it’s a pretty straightforward process. What’s put you off getting Foundation? (Morse no longer required)
@@EssexhamUk The major factor in me not starting my license was lack of clubs in the local area and the practices of the only local club , I think though that it may be time to get this done and being the journey , The curriculum and study guides on this channel are actually what has drawn me back towards becoming licensed, And in the very near future I would like to sit said exam with yourselves, I did study the foundation book back in the early 2000's purchased from the RSGB but life circumstances changed greatly, I really enjoyed building the lake sw receiver (Darlington type) and amp circuit back then, i really enjoy the qrp aspects of the hobby, will e-mail in the next day or so making mention of my comment here , thank you for replying chat soon.
73's
@@rudidraufganger7448 The issues around the lack of clubs is well known, and the current situation with exam staking place online and no practicals addresses this and probably explains the spike of interest we're seeing. There is no need to introduce a new licence class for that reason. I also suspect that if you have 30 years experience of radio (including construction), a very basic low-power handheld licence wouldn't be of much interest - that proposal was really aimed at those very new to radio looking to dip their toe in, not an experienced radio person. I suspect you'd have little problem passing the current entry-level exam if you put your mind to it. We run free online courses, and the RSGB exam is a one-off £27.50. Once lockdown is lifted, practicals may restart at clubs, so if you want to avoid going to a club, don;t leave it too long!
@@EssexhamUk will do, I have emailed the main site and will follow through with the exam within the next few weeks, I am awaiting a reply to the email and will happily follow the advice given, thank you for your reply.
@@rudidraufganger7448 Hi. A reply was sent at 12:01pm today. In summary, our next course is on 18th April and you can find more details about our free course (including a video and details of how to enrol) at www.essexham.co.uk/train/foundation-online/
John mentioned he was n his mid sixties.Let me say i am 72 and I passed my Foundation Exam in August 2019.
If the interest in radio is there in the first place the interested parties regardless of age will find it so the lack of interest
in the younger generation is probably because they already have a method of communication that you don't need a licence for
it is of course the Mobile Phone which everyone has.
If you want to try it fine but it would take advertising on a national scale to spread the word.
On a final note how much would the Beginners Licence devalue my efforts to obtain the Foundation Licence?
I completely understand the law
But I'm in my late forties and would follow the rules and policies and would really enjoy radio ham
Very good idea
bloke in garden shed lol , i think john is spot on as if exam to pass then least the ppl would of learned the basics , and i suppose with the cheap programmable radios , it would be very easy to transmit on an illegal or emergency frequency
I got my full licence in the 60's and have seen a lot of changes in the years since. I fully support a beginners licence but it has to be balanced with policing of its use. Gone are the days when you had a visit from the "Post Office man" to check over your gear and logbook to make sure you were abiding by the licence terms. I would ask the question, how do we police all grades of licence (including mine)? Should we have "type approved" radios that meet certain standards to make sure no undue interference is caused? The proposal certainly raises a lot of questions. However, I fully support the idea.
Ken Grey I think, sadly, type approved radios will come. As far as policing goes I don’t hear much abuse BUT I still believe a greater limitation of bands for the FL would make it very obvious if they were breaking rules. Trying to prove they using 100w rather 10w just wont happen.
@@BikingChap Looking at how the likes of Amazon are advertising dual band VHF/UHF handhelds I am not surprised that we have issues with unlicensed (and out of band) use (speaking for my area).
We need more people in the hobby, new blood to keep it going in the future. I am also seeing a lot of the baby boomer generation like myself, licensed in the 60's coming back after 10. 10 or 30 years away.
The long term licensed are often shunned by newer licencees as though we were some form of enemy. We are not. We are here to help and pass on our years of experience to anyone who asks.
In my years I ran a packet radio repeater, was part of the development of creating the first computer RTTY system, taught morse code and helped many get their licenses. I, and may others want to help. We are not luddite old fogies.
Ken Grey I’m probably out of touch because I very rarely go on repeaters let alone digital voice but I hear that’s where much of the abuse is. As for unlicensed folk getting kit, it was ever thus. The only way would be to treat them like firearms and have to have permissions and then have each radio recorded on a licence but that won’t happen in a million years.
Like you I see a lot of newcomers and a lot of returnees, myself included. Perhaps it’s as the Boomers kids have left home or retirement kicks in. I have to say, online at least, I see more abuse of the old guard by relative newcomers than the other way around yet the narrative continues to be ‘you old beggars really should be more welcoming!’ All a bit odd.
I’ve always thought that the ‘dumbing down’ of AR was a risky strategy and, frankly, a lazy way to bolster numbers. I’m under no illusion that’s an unpopular very especially these days but there are.
As I’ve said previously, for many AR will end up being CBPlus and while that *may* help secure vhf/uhf allocations it’s unlikely if they all trundle off to HF and in time it may lead to ofcom but less flexible in what we’re allowed to do if the hobby becomes, generally, less technical.
no no no no no, there will be no point to get foundation licence then. As there are two bands which you can use without any licences. Pmr 446 MHz and cb 27 MHz. The only reason I want to get foundation licence is to get access to shortwave bands.
I have several local clubs.... But contacting any of them (other than than on air) is nigh on impossible which is not helpful for someone wanting to start.... I already have a business suppliers license (I have cheap ish kit I lend for scout events) that requires no formal training whatsoever yet I can actually do quite a lot on VHF and UHF such as setting up repeaters for business use....
Why not make foundation 2m/70cm focused and save the theory for intermediate
Amend the Foundation to a basic licence for UHF & VHF 10w only - this allows for basic simplex and repeater use as well as using hotspots for digital modes
Chris Waters That would mean a) revoking HF from existing Foundation licence holders, and b) changes to the syllabus - no point teaching HF and electronics if it’s a VHF/UHF-only licence.
@@EssexhamUk then change the name of it to Entry licence and retain the rights of existing foundation licence holders and yes change the syllabus accordingly.
There’s only one small flaw in this, ofcom, RSGB , do not take dead keyers seriously, problem is idiots buy said £25 radios, then bugger about on the band, and nobody takes it serious. That is main reason people are not using 2m 70cms as much, the idiots spoil it for us,
My 2ps worth, your proposals are good, totally agree with them, more people on air talking and filling the band out, but make us hams pay for our license, I dunno, £20 a year each say, then use that money to pay for the detector vans and prosecution of the idiots.
I’d be very much in favour
Tom
2e0tum
Tom McGoun a lot of the dead Keyers aren’t the ones using the cheap hand helds but are experienced ops with decent equipment who, shall we say, are utter jug artists.
@@timg5tm941 Agreed, Tim.
I'm also not sure how dead keyers are a flaw in this suggestion. What have dead keyers got to do with a beginner's exam proposal? Is the suggestion that beginners will be doing the same? How do we know that? We don't.
Get people on 5w and on the air I say. Make 2m busy. I fully support the proposal and it seems so does the majority!
@@timg5tm941 any evidence of this?
@@BikingChap See this is what i don't like about Amateur Radio this holier-than-thou
, pointing fingers at people/operators without no evidence whatsoever to back it up.
Oh he must be one that came from 11mtrs. Oh he's this or he that really gets my nerves.
We are all people with a shared hobby, at the end of the day we all want the same thing, it's about time these accusers get off their high horses & stop the inflammatory remarks without any evidence.
Slander could land you in court.
Why change anything?
The present foundation license is quite easy to pass .I have no technical ability but i passed first time .just study and do lots of online mock exams
This video was recorded prior to the introduction of online exams, which have changed how people sit their exams. As explained in the video, taking exams under the previous system was problematic for many people.
To inject new life into the hobby they should allow people to pay for a temporary callsign that a person pay per year etc vs risking a chunk of money on a maybe or change the exam rules to you only pay if you passed to make it more financially viable cos alot of people cannot afford to risk money left right n centre plus there's hardly any clubs out there no end had to close shutdown so no local places to learn nearest is miles away
All it should be now is register ur details ur radio serial number what wattage it is model etc job done it would open door to new members and maybe encourage them to continue and advance
Or they could scrap the foundation exam altogether
At the heart of all this is a battle for what Amateur Radio really is. If it's seen now as nothing more than a CB service then sure have a very easy test that's open to abuse (someone else can do it online for you, nothing to stop you buying a 100W radio and running it full power etc etc) it *may* get a few more people in. What it will definitely do is further water down the technical knowledge in the hobby which in turn makes it easier for OFCOM to remove more and more right because, after all, we have so many rights because we contribute to UKPLC but training the engineers of tomorrow. Personally i would suggest the hobby would be better protected by managed retreat, if no-one is using certain spectrum then re-allocate it and worry less about how many licences are held.
Thanks for the comments. As explained in the video, numbers are in decline and so is activity on-air (as well as public awareness). Exams have just become harder, and it's getting harder to get a licence due to lack of exam and training facilities. If nothing is done to address this, the hobby will fade away. Tomorrow's tech innovators aren't radio amateurs any more, they're elsewhere.
As for technical knowledge - most amateurs don't construct transmitters these days, and as black boxes are so hard to repair, only a tiny percentage of amateurs get inside their boxes to repair/mod. So, do we need such a heavy focus on electronics?
Also I can see you point-of-view, personally, I'm not convinced that making it harder to get into the hobby, reallocating our spectrum to others, and trying to turn us back into transmitter constructors will secure the hobby's future.
@@EssexhamUk There is a paradox here in my mind. *If* the only way to 'save' Amateur radio is to boost licence numbers and the only way that many believe you boost numbers is to make the entry level requirements even lower you inevitably de-skill the hobby, exactly what was argued by many when the foundation licence was introduced.
Given OFCOM's view is still that it's a tech hobby and the self training still provides or improves techs for industry, de-skilling the hobby actually makes it more likely to be dismantled and down graded by OFCOM in years to come. In other words while trying to help, these ideas will drive the nail in to the hobby.
Frankly OFCOM has much bigger things to worry about and RSGB are only interested in membership and black box manufacturer ad revenues. If you want nothing but a glorified CB Radio plus service this is a good way to go.
So what to do? Find out why those with a technical interest don't get involved with the hobby and go from there, trust me, it won't be because the foundation licence is too hard.
@@BikingChap If you look purely at the numbers, the introduction of the 3-tier system in the early 2000s made a big difference. Numbers coming in by the end of the 1990s was at an all-time low and declining year-on-year. If something wasn't done, there would be hardly anyone joining, and certainly not enough new blood to replace the SKs. Many people at the time predicted that bringing in Foundation would result in the sky falling in, but that didn't happen. Arguably, bringing in Foundation did the job it was required to do - bring in new people, introduce some hands-on practicals and make for a smooth steady transition to the Full licence.
The world has changed since RAE. The vast majority of radio amateurs (RAE and post-RAE) are not using transceivers that they have designed and built themselves. Does it therefore make sense that the focus might need to shift slightly from transceiver construction, to other areas? Or that the licensing needs a restructure to accommodate the climate and be relevant to the privileges granted. For example, does a newcomer really need to know how to apply Kirchhoff's law before they are allowed to use a radio? Why are Q codes at Intermediate, not Foundation?
As for people with a technical interest - they don't get as involved with amateur radio these days, because they're elsewhere... in maker groups, playing with Arduinos, Pis, AI, IoT, robotics, coding, 3D printing, VR, etc. It could be argued that they are the new "amateurs". They can do all of that without courses, exams, travelling miles to sit in village halls, wait 6 months for courses, etc - the hurdles that we put in the way. The hobby's USP is communication, and to use RF an exam needs to be taken, appropriate to the class of licence. Personally, I don't see the harm in taking a step back, every 20 years or so and asking "do we need to change anything?"
@@EssexhamUk with regards to numbers it would be interesting to see how many of those went on to get their full licence. if the vast majority do, then yes I'd agree it was working. If they do not (and there is little incentive frankly) then all you are doing is watering down the technical knowledge and with it increasing the risk of further restriction by OFCOM further down the line.
In honesty when i took my exams at night school i don't think many were building their own radios then but what they almost universally had was an interest in radio. Let me put it another way. If you deskill the entry level requirement and encourage those that have no interest in radio of course, in time, you will see less licensees involved in the technical side, a self fulfilling prophecy if you will.
I think what is crucial is that the syllabus evolves but that doesn't mean making it easier. I genuinely can't believe your comments "As for people with a technical interest - they don't get as involved with amateur radio these days" is just not the case. PLEASE look up the uBITx group on facebook. The latest version can be put together in an hour, very easily, and gets you on HF for well under £200. Get this, it runs an Arduino! Not only that put there's a whole community playing with the code to give it new features, 3d printing cases for it and modding it to give it a screen that looks like a 7300. They ARE technical folk and the ARE amateurs. Seriously look on youtube for uBITX and Nextion and see what these guys doing. They're currently looking at adding FM/AM to it and even after a day or over 100 people have signed up to that really niche topic (the main uBITX facebook page has nearly 4,000 followers. :)
So in short you ask do we need to change anything? Absolutely. Do we need to simply dumb it down? Absolutely not. You're right the new Amateurs are the ones playing with Arduinos, PIs, coding, 3d printing and the rest of it. it is this that youngsters are all very familiar with and very keen on so let's target them too by changing the syllabus fundamentally and make the logistics far, far easier but PLEASE not lower the technical bar in the hope that, basically, letting anyone in will save out hobby because it won't.
@@BikingChap
I still don't get the argument about "watering down". If you're saying that we "watered down" in 2002 and suffered as a result... where is the evidence? What restrictions have Ofcom imposed as a result of Foundation? What we've seen is a boost in numbers and a new generation getting into the hobby that weren't coming in under RAE. Is that so terrible? You then go on to highlight all of the great stuff that's going on... all stuff that probably wouldn't if the hobby had died in the early 2000s!
And as the risk of repeating myself, who's talking about dumbing down? What's being discussed in this proposal is removing the barriers to entry (the difficulty in actually getting on a course), and making entry-level relevant and appropriate (no need to teach HF for a VHF licence - save that for the next level).
As a reminder, today's Full exam is significantly harder to achieve than the old RAE ever was, so like-for-like technical standards have increased, not decreased, and no-one's proposing to make changes in that area.
At long last....someone is talking sense
Amateur radio is like teletext out-of-date and going the way of the dinosaurs.
I passed my M7 thanks to this channels fast track, 2 weeks ago, the Video Tutorials are great and cover just what you need to be a responsible license holder. It was easy to follow and I got 98% a pass. I just wish there was an intermediate course from Essex Ham
you mean essex ham dont do an intermediate course, well thats me buggered then, i took my foundation with essex ham hoping to progress with them. there are no clubs at least that are open re covid , so as i say thats me stuffed . looks like im going to be at foundation level indefinately..
Enjoy Radio and respect each other thats the most inportant thing wee are all in the same hobbie some Radio operators want too talk not do the techside of radio , i myself work have family and cant always get too radio clubs , i prefered radio talk on ssb which ive always enjoyed , good video enjoyed and lets keep the radio hobbie going for years too come HNY De mw6hnn
i guess i sound like a dinosaur but if you don't want to 'do the technical' side of radio and just want to talk in all seriousness why don't you use Zello or similar? Not trying to be rude just don't get it.
BikingChap
Zello are you being serious as a Ham radio Operator zello
Not my cup of tea
Personally your taking the biscuit
I can do technical side but when ivewent too a radio club and when I’ve said how I got into radio regarding cb radio Fm Mode and 11 meter how I got into radio in my youth and been said too don’t mention cb radio !!!!! I replied it’s radio communication throw radio !!!
For you too say zello it’s not radio and how radio works from antenna too antenna throw propregation and also groundwave but what do I know !!!
I’ll stay on my lincence which I have and won’t move on with your comment and Bought the book for the next lincence I won’t even bother now with someone like you even in a qso on the airwaves if you point some too zello as it not radio for me as it’s as easy a picking up the telephone
Fake radio I do radio voice notes tx transmission and will help any fellow operators which enjoy radio and don’t class anyone different move with the time oldman maybe cash you further down the log 73 de Mw6hnn always enjoy radio it’s a hobbie tht wee are all in and no difference in each other and every operators have different experiences but zello not for me and may help some ! But it’s not radios communication as I know 73 HNY
fair enough@@walesunt Zello seems a really good option for those who want to simply chat and for those more in to the tech side of things whether propagation or antennas or radio building then there's Amateur Radio. I too started on CB and i don't see one better than the other but they are, or at least should be, different and more than 'just radio'. Best wishes.
BikingChap
I just say enjoy radio and it is sad tht wee always don’t agree and you get bad apples in all walks of life and in all hobbies sadly
I’ve been involved in radio for 30 years which doesn’t mean I know more than the other operators thts been on radio 50years ect
Your learn every day in life sometimes !
But radio for me is polite / respect / and don’t down the next operators that enjoy the hobbie and hopefully learn from each other but as said bad apples who think are superior HI.
73 / if you hear me on the band give me a call I won’t give you a 5/9 😀 best regards Darren
@@walesunt oh i couldn't agree more and i don't doubt many of those younger than me have learnt more than i'll ever know but i still have the view that there are those who are interested in radio and those who just want to chat *on* radio. Id hate to think 'bad apples' equates to those with superior knowledge. There are fools who think they should have access to everything for know effort and there are fool who've been on the bands for decades and just want it for themselves. All the ebst and no, i won't just give you a 59 ;)
How about rescinding Foundation Licence holders access to HF and restricting them to VHF and UHF? If they want to gain access to HF, then they'll have to pass the Intermediate exam!
I have just completed the Foundation practical and have the written exam in a few weeks. I have no interest in VHF/UHF at the moment and wish to work HF and become a competent CW operator. Were your suggestion to become reality then I'd need to reconsider my involvement with the hobby. I don't mind being power restricted, but I don't want to be band restricted. I also don't want to feel pressure to race through the licences; I'd like to take my time, gain real experience and move up a level when I am genuinely ready for it. Perhaps I'm being selfish? I don't know, but that's my view for what it's worth.
@@johnratcliffe6438 it's good that you want to progress, but many Foundation Licence holders don't. The whole idea of the 3 tier licence system was that people can progress through it by self training, etc. Unfortunately, many decide to stay at the bottom rung of the ladder and never progress. Which is proposed in the video is a form of VHF/UHF CB radio.
I went from Foundation to Full licence in just under 2 years, but it wasn't easy. The Intermediate was a bit more difficult because of some of the maths. The Full was even more so because I don't have a natural aptitude for mathematics. After spending several hundreds of hours revising for the Full exam whilst on night shift, I did pass the Full, much to my surprise! It is possible!
Having access to practically all band doesn't encourage people to progress. If people want to work towards something, rather than just rest on their laurels, surely this will encourage them?
@@MM0IMC Congratulations on getting your full license, you can buy me a pint when I get mine! 😊
I appreciate your views, but I think I'd respond by saying I disagree; having the bands but not the power *is* an incentive to progress. Those stations you can hear but not work - "If only I had another 100 Watts" Argh! 😊
As to your other point, I suppose it comes down to how many people you'd like to see in the hobby. Is it better to have more, even if some stay at the lowest level? Or have fewer, at a higher level? I have no personal view on how fast people progress through the licenses, live and let live IMHO.
I hope to work you soon!
@@johnratcliffe6438 I'd rather have quality over quantity, but your mileage will vary..
@@MM0IMC I appreciate that; I'd like a balance. Ultimately the decision will be made well above my head, so I'll accept whatever happens with good grace, adapt and keep moving forward.
Great till some old un lays into you as a Newbie...Novice...Don't know what your doing...don't deserve a license...I did mine in 1909 with Marconi...I DID MY MORSE AT Bletchley Park...All true I'm affraid (apart for Marconi!) so I'll stick to HF .The rest of the World always has a welcome!!
This is misguided rubbish in the extreme. All the "muppets" on channel 19 (c.b.) will pile on and disrupt the hobby so badly that all the good operators will give up, and amateur radio will become legal high powered c.b.
I’d be interested to hear what your solution to the problems highlighted in this video would be. How do we make the hobby both accessible and more relevant for the next generation?
@@Northernbloke. I’d be interested to hear what your solution to the problems highlighted in this video would be. How do we make the hobby both accessible and more relevant for the next generation?
@@Northernbloke. John is the RSGB VHF Manager, and he's proposed this to counter the problems of a lack of newcomers and a lack of activity on the bands. I appreciate that you don't like John's idea, but how would you propose to tackle the issues raised in his video and halt the decline in interest, newcomers and on-air activity?
As for licence-free, I can't see that happening mainly because of HAREC & CEPT. A licence-free option certainly wouldn't benefit the network of clubs (including Essex Ham) who get their new members predominantly via their training courses - no training, no new members,
The changes over the decades have resulted in exams being tougher than they were under RAE (the RAE is now roughly equivalent to today's Intermediate), so I can't see where your comment about watering down comes from. Personally I can't see the harm in raising interest in the hobby and making it more relevant and accessible. Assuming you don;t want to see the hobby fade away and die, what would your solution be to stimulate interest and activity, and halt the decline?
People that don't want to associate with others as radio amateurs will fill the 2 meter band with hate. Amateur Radio friendly hobby and not for people haters.
a beginners licence would a way of getting your in the Amateur Radio World without the door being slammed on it!
It's sad to see you have no absolutely understanding of Autism whatsoever. Speaking as someone who is autistic, I find face to face contact with others very stressful on a good day and physically impossible on a bad day. It has nothing to do with not 'wanting' to associate with others (face to face), but everything to do with the ability to do so.
It is as simple as this..there are many foundation licence holders that do not want to have to learn any more or put any effort in but do want to get straight on HF and they are allowed to at the moment.It is all wrong. If you really want to use HF it should come with some knowledge and skill because it is a big responsibility . Using HF gives you the ability to cause worldwide QRM . Once I had my M3 all those years ago i could not wait to gain my full licence and learn more . I was very eager to construct things and did so. I am far from being a radio genius but i am willing to continue learning. There are people that got their M3 with me almost 20 years ago and are STILL M3s !
Lee Nobody so what no big deal if people you done your m3 with still got it today I don’t agree with this video 100% but you are one of the big problems this hobby has got I called Radio snobbery I am better than you as I am a full licence if people decide not to go any further foundation license that’s their choice they should not be belittled for it
@@RICHARD26CARL it's not radio snobbery. It's like going around on a motorbike on L plates for the rest of your life. The pitch originally for the foundation was to get people interested or in the door so to speak not to reduce the tech level required for ever more. I've absolutely no problem with someone who has a foundation licence, more power to them, but it really should be limited to 2 years imho.
BikingChap thats like saying then if you pass your car test you shouldn’t stop there and progress onto your HGV license? 😂 so yeah it is radio snobbery if people are happy just with there m3 so be it not hurting anyone or the hobby only thing hurts the hobby is Narrowminded people think you need to progress when you don’t there A place for everyone all levels that’s why it’s called a foundation
@@RICHARD26CARL that's where we disagree. The foundation is just that, a starting point, not a 'full' licence. Just as a learner riders aren't allowed certain privileges because they're learning neither should foundation licence holders. Would we accept learner bikers to ride around on big bikes without experience or passing further tests? No, we don't. This isn't snobbery just as it wasn't snobbery when i hadn't passed a morse test so wasn't allowed on HF, it's about believing that foundation should be a starting point but not something where we'd want folk to sit for ever more. Otherwise all you have is a gloried CB service and that would be a crying shame.
@@BikingChap It is Radio snobbery, did you have open doors to get your Motorcycle licence? No I don't think so, or are you still riding on L plates?
The ignorance of this man to negatively stereotype older people and then to have the condemning audacity to go from worried to being angry with them. What is a bigoted offencive man like this doing in a position of power. prosecutable