[UK-CONTEST] Foundation Licence.

[Ray Goff]

Having taught both Foundation and Intermediate courses, I would suggest that
there is very little difference in the technical level between the
Foundation license and the Intermediate. You need a little more
understanding (still at the block diagram level) of receivers and
transmitters; plus a bit of construction, which incidentally as far as I can
determine from the rules, does not need to work! Add to that the basic use
of an multimeter and a soldering iron and you have the Intermediate license.


It is the Advanced license that is the huge step up and the only reason that
I can see to make that move is to get rid of the absolutely ridiculous
2x0xxx callsign which is forced upon you for your efforts at upgrading your
license...

The Newbury club has had over 200 candidates through its Foundation course
and whilst there have been some with the CB mentality who will not and
simply cannot progress, the vast majority of those candidates have either
come back to take an Intermediate license course, or are on the waiting list
for our next course. The biggest single improvement in the Intermediate
course is the recent introduction of the 'exam-on-demand' feature which
provides both instructors and candidates with closure after a weekend of
hard work.

My personal schedule prevents me from committing to running an Advanced
course at Newbury, although we offer the exam for those who feel that they
can pass by self study and some assistance on email. This month we have four
candidates for the Advanced exam.

Despite the negative comments on the operating techniques of some amateurs;
in my view there is still plenty of room on the bands for all of us,
particularly if you are prepared to wrangle a Morse key. Judging by the
popularity of my Morse trainer, that mode is a long way from dead!

I had always thought of my license as something that I could enjoy in my
retirement years (still a few years off), but with the alarming decline in
the number of licenses before the new Foundation license, I was genuinely
concerned that we would loose most of our frequency allocations. That is
what drives me to get more new licensees.

73

Ray, G4FON

>>Quite a few Foundation licencees locally and some spoken too recently have
expressed alarm at the seemingly vast amount of knowledge required to
>>obtain an Intermediate. I see much sense in this and think that the fault
is with the Foundation being somewhat TOO easy.There is a big step 
>>change in the examination requirements, and perhaps the standard of the
Foundation should be increased somewhat as a preparation for proceeding
>>further.  
>>        Cheers es 73 Ivan G3IZD