[Fists] UK Licensing

[Ralph Sutton]

Good grief!!

==>NEW UK FOUNDATION LICENSE PROVIDES HF ACCESS VIA "MORSE ASSESSMENT"

A new class of Amateur Radio license in the United Kingdom will make the HF
bands much more accessible to newcomers as well as to Class B VHF-only "no
code" licensees. The new Foundation license, which became effective January
1, does not require a specific Morse code examination. Instead, applicants
must pass a short test and complete what's called a "Morse assessment."
According to the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB), 600 of the new
licenses were issued the first week.

The new license provides holders with access to most bands from 136 kHz
through 440 MHz--with the notable exception of 10 meters--using CW, SSB, or
digital modes. Foundation licensees may operate with 10 W output using only
commercially manufactured equipment or "properly designed" commercial kits.
Licensees will be issued call signs from the M3AAA-M3ZZZ series. The new
license scheme followed discussions between the RSGB and the
Radiocommunications Agency, or RA--the United Kingdom's telecommunications
regulatory agency. The new ticket also is available to residents of the
Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.

Current UK Class B licensees who have held that ticket for at least a year
may obtain a Foundation license simply by taking the Morse assessment. There
is no Morse speed requirement, and applicants are provided with a copy of
the Morse alphabet and "coding" and "decoding" information sheets. The RSGB
says the entire Morse assessment takes about 30 minutes.

Passing the Morse assessment will enable Class B licensees to operate on the
HF bands as Foundation licensees, using their M3 call signs, while
continuing to have privileges above 30 MHz under their Class B tickets.

Currently unlicensed newcomers have to complete a Foundation license
training program being offered through the RSGB and pass a 20-question
multiple-choice test, in addition to the Morse assessment. The class
involves about 10 hours of hands-on training in safety, basic operating
concepts, regulations and licensing requirements and can be completed in a
weekend.

Last September, the RA reduced the Morse requirement from 12 WPM to 5 WPM
for the Class A "full" license in Britain and incorporated the Class A/B
license into Class A. The former Novice license has been renamed the
Intermediate license, and the power limit was raised from 10 W to 50 W. The
RA also has instituted an apprenticeship program in the UK that lets
unlicensed trainees operate under supervision and contact other UK
licensees.

More information on the new license is available on the RSGB Web site
<http://www.rsgb.org>.

Ralph Sutton ZL2AOH
12c Herbert Gardens
186 The Terrace
Wellington 6001
New Zealand
Tel: +64-4-473-0847
Fax: +64-4-473-0848
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