Sunday, February 18, 2018

Update on acquiring my UK call

As a followup to my last post regarding the steps needed (if any) to acquire my UK amateur radio call once moved there. I do want to  thanks all those who posted comments and who emailed me regarding this question. It would seem I have just a few readers in the Uk as I did have loads of emails from there and some fantastic contacts were passed on to me. Well the verdict is in right from the Ofcom office. It would seem I have to start from the beginning and get my foundation, intermediate and then my full licence. Until the time I pass my first step the foundation licence I can apply for a reciprocal permit for 20 pounds and renew it every 6 months if need be. I'm not at all disappointed having learned this, in fact I am excited to get the old grey matter going again and I am very sure that once I have made it all the way to the full licence I will have gained some good knowledge and awaken some lost knowledge. I also became a member of the RSGB (Radio Society of Great Britain) my welcome packet arrived the other day and I was very impressed. There was a copy of the RSGB's magazine RadCom, a very nice members certificate, RSGB lapel pin and a cool key chain. I was on their website and like the ARRL it is full on amazing information and links. I spent an afternoon with a nice cup of tea navigating the information and links of their site. I also found links were I could now start warming up my grey matter for the licence adventure. The foundation licence theory is not a problem at all I just have to bush up on their rules and regs. Once I get the foundation licence is seems I have access to all bands and a power limit of 10 watts. Heck my main mode of operation here is QRP at 5 watts. With the foundation I am good to go and just keep upgrading and adding more privileges and output power.  In my retirement this will be a great way to pass the time, learn and meet the great hams of the UK.

10 comments:

GW0KIG said...

I guess I am a bit late to this debate but I don't think you should have to sit the UK examination if you hold a full Canadian licence. Take a look at this link http://www.erodocdb.dk/Docs/doc98/official/pdf/TR6101.PDF

Kevin GW0KIG

VE9KK said...

Good evening Kevin, very interesting link for sure I am going to do more closely reading of that section.
Thanks very much for the link.
73,
Mike

Keith said...

Hi Mike -
Actually I did think about the fact that you normally operate QRP and therefore really only need to get as far as the Foundation licence!

What part of the U.K. are you considering to live?

Regards,
Keith G0RQQ

VE9KK said...

Good morning Keith I was thinking the same thing but I would like to acquire my top licence if not for the knowledge challenge but you never know in the future if I may want to get my feet wet outside of the QRP sandbox.
My wife family is from Yarm in Stockton on Tees. It is in the north part of England and we are thinking about settling up that way. We were looking at the south but it's very pricy down there.
73,
Mike

Keith said...

I live in the city of Lincoln, which is on the eastern side of the country, having moved here from Cambridge ON in 2011. Prior to Cambridge we lived in Ottawa, Montreal, and the delightful (??) suburb of Scarborough ON

VE9KK said...

Good morning Keith, before we moved to Toronto we had lived in Cambridge (Hespeler) for 17 years.
Mike

Keith said...

We were in Preston - just off Eagle on Laurel near the retirement home! Remarkable coincidence!

VE9KK said...

WOW very small world we were on Guelph ave close to Hwy 24 it was all farm land when we moved in and now it's homes and townhomes. Glade we moved when we did.
Mike

Keith said...

My daughter still lives in Preston - just behind the Preston Public Library off King. I was there last October for a couple of weeks and will be visiting again some time this year.

VE9KK said...

Very nice that you are getting back to Canada and we will be doing the same as we have 3 kids to visit. I do have some questions regarding your move to England and will give you my email if you could email me there so we can talk about the move. ve3wdm At hotmail dot com
Thanks
Mike