Ham radio

[angelsson]

This follows from a previous thread 'do I need a licence'

It appears from advice received regarding communications during an Atlantic crossing, that Amateur radio would have greater benefits and give me all the forecasting information I require.
My challenge is I know nothing about it, and I am seeking to become a fully licenced ham, information as to courses whether in a classroom or correspondence, preferably, would be most welcome.
I have until September next year to qualify, and retired with lots time to input, is that a realistic timetable to achieve the full licence.

Would welcome all input.

 

[peter2407]

LRC

I think its the LRC that you are after http://www.yachtcom.co.uk/lrc/

 

[Roberto]

This follows from a previous thread 'do I need a licence'

It appears from advice received regarding communications during an Atlantic crossing, that Amateur radio would have greater benefits and give me all the forecasting information I require.
My challenge is I know nothing about it, and I am seeking to become a fully licenced ham, information as to courses whether in a classroom or correspondence, preferably, would be most welcome.
I have until September next year to qualify, and retired with lots time to input, is that a realistic timetable to achieve the full licence.

Would welcome all input.

You may try the local Ham club if there is one, they usually organise courses, otherwise:

www.rsgb.org

should have all you need

Congrats for the decision, I personally think the ham licence has been one of the most useful things for cruising

 

[prv]

I think its the LRC that you are after http://www.yachtcom.co.uk/lrc/

No, he wants a ham ticket having been told that there are few people to talk to on the Marine bands (I have no idea if that's accurate).

Pete

 

[Conachair]

Would welcome all input.

I went the same route and don't regret it. Did the 3 exams between January & June this year, first 2 pretty easy but the advanced was quite involved.

List of clubs here..http://www.onesite.co.uk/find/amateur_radio.htm

I haven't done the LRC course but from what I've heard it's pretty basic compared with the ham side of things, by the time you get to advanced ham you will have a good knowledge of how it works and the legal side as well, as they are left alone hams tend to be very well behaved legally and make an effort not to interfere with other hams or other frequencies.

I went that route both as I was interested in the subject and wanted to get much more into it that LRC would allow and also for budget! I can now send / receive email free pretty much anywhere with no yearly subscriptions just using a good soundcard and winlink Plus the kit was cheaper, £1k for a ic7000 plus tuner off ebay, £500 on top for other bits, maybe a bit more. But a good radio.

I don't have and probably won't bother doing the LRC, but offshore wouldn't hesitate having a chat on the marine ssb bands, technically illegal but the radio is good enough and i know enough now not to cause a problem. Half the US boats with marine SSB are unlicensed anyway. But having been bored to tears by the VHF nets around the Caribbean doubt if that will happen much.

So if you have the time and want to learn quite a bit then go for it, courses /exams don't cost that much and hams tend to be a very helpful friendly bunch.



MM0PDD

 

[angelsson]

I went the same route and don't regret it. Did the 3 exams between January & June this year, first 2 pretty easy but the advanced was quite involved.

List of clubs here..http://www.onesite.co.uk/find/amateur_radio.htm

I haven't done the LRC course but from what I've heard it's pretty basic compared with the ham side of things, by the time you get to advanced ham you will have a good knowledge of how it works and the legal side as well, as they are left alone hams tend to be very well behaved legally and make an effort not to interfere with other hams or other frequencies.

I went that route both as I was interested in the subject and wanted to get much more into it that LRC would allow and also for budget! I can now send / receive email free pretty much anywhere with no yearly subscriptions just using a good soundcard and winlink Plus the kit was cheaper, £1k for a ic7000 plus tuner off ebay, £500 on top for other bits, maybe a bit more. But a good radio.

I don't have and probably won't bother doing the LRC, but offshore wouldn't hesitate having a chat on the marine ssb bands, technically illegal but the radio is good enough and i know enough now not to cause a problem. Half the US boats with marine SSB are unlicensed anyway. But having been bored to tears by the VHF nets around the Caribbean doubt if that will happen much.

So if you have the time and want to learn quite a bit then go for it, courses /exams don't cost that much and hams tend to be a very helpful friendly bunch.



MM0PDD

This site never lets you down, thanks to your link I am not only in touch with my local group, but have arranged to meet them and start the courses they run.
I am as you say going for it, they are very friendly and helpful, and according to the secretary, also chief examiner I should complete my full licence well inside my time frame.
The courses are free to potential amateurs, they are forerunners in obtaining lottery funding for providing accessible community education, they also have the status as an examination centre, so I seem to have found exactly what I was asking for here.

Many thanks to all of you and to Roberto for his encouragement to.

Mike

 

[Bilgediver]

This follows from a previous thread 'do I need a licence'

It appears from advice received regarding communications during an Atlantic crossing, that Amateur radio would have greater benefits and give me all the forecasting information I require.
My challenge is I know nothing about it, and I am seeking to become a fully licenced ham, information as to courses whether in a classroom or correspondence, preferably, would be most welcome.
I have until September next year to qualify, and retired with lots time to input, is that a realistic timetable to achieve the full licence.

Would welcome all input.

Hi Again.....


Yes the ham licence opens up another world and you have time to get one.

Many local Radio Ham clubs run their own courses and examinations are held locally. There will be one or more clubs in most major towns around you so just a matter of contacting local hams. You could start here.

http://www.rsgb-region-7.org.uk/

There are world wide e-mail networks run by hams primarily set up for disaster control etc like the recent hurricane in the USA however they are available for other hams. One such system is Winlink. Winlink operators provide services for messages sent by both Pactor and Winmor.

Pactor requires an expensive modem (£900) is reasonably fast. Winmor is a software slower system which utilises a sound card and is a good alternative.

No matter how you connect you sue the same computer program and it is very user friendly and has many precomposed messages for sending for world wide weather forecasts and grib files etc. I believe Roberto here uses this as do some folk on the Live aboard forum.

There are many ham radio nets operating around the world as well as people like Herb in Canada who provide a weather and routing service over the oceans.

Google is your friend for all this so just search away.

http://www.cruiser.co.za/radionet.asp

http://www3.sympatico.ca/hehilgen/vax498.htm

 

[Chalker]

Angellson
Are you going solo or with ARC?

Both on the ARC and going solo you could find marine SSB useful to chat to other boats, during the crossing and in the Caribbean on SSB nets. You'll lots of info from them.

Also Marine SSB gives you access to Herb who weather outed boats in the Atlantic. No charge but he likes you to report your position an local conditions.
He is fantastic and VERY well respected. http://www3.sympatico.ca/hehilgen/vax498.htm

 

[angelsson]

Angellson
Are you going solo or with ARC?

Both on the ARC and going solo you could find marine SSB useful to chat to other boats, during the crossing and in the Caribbean on SSB nets. You'll lots of info from them.

Also Marine SSB gives you access to Herb who weather outed boats in the Atlantic. No charge but he likes you to report your position an local conditions.
He is fantastic and VERY well respected. http://www3.sympatico.ca/hehilgen/vax498.htm

I will be going solo, not with Arc. I appreciate the value of SSB and I have communicated with herb who was most helpful, however a choice had to be made and I have come down on the side of Amateur radio for all the reasons previously quoted.

Thank you for your input

 

[Mirror Painter]

All radio hams are odd and I is one.

G7HEU / M0HEU.

P.S. Let me know if I might help with any info as you proceed.

 

[angelsson]

Hi Again.....


Yes the ham licence opens up another world and you have time to get one.

Many local Radio Ham clubs run their own courses and examinations are held locally. There will be one or more clubs in most major towns around you so just a matter of contacting local hams. You could start here.

http://www.rsgb-region-7.org.uk/

There are world wide e-mail networks run by hams primarily set up for disaster control etc like the recent hurricane in the USA however they are available for other hams. One such system is Winlink. Winlink operators provide services for messages sent by both Pactor and Winmor.




Pactor requires an expensive modem (£900) is reasonably fast. Winmor is a software slower system which utilises a sound card and is a good alternative.

No matter how you connect you sue the same computer program and it is very user friendly and has many precomposed messages for sending for world wide weather forecasts and grib files etc. I believe Roberto here uses this as do some folk on the Live aboard forum.

There are many ham radio nets operating around the world as well as people like Herb in Canada who provide a weather and routing service over the oceans.

Google is your friend for all this so just search away.

http://www.cruiser.co.za/radionet.asp

http://www3.sympatico.ca/hehilgen/vax498.htm

Terrific information, many thanks for the links, this is the one I have contacted, and they as you will see run courses and are also an examination centre also, the help and friendliness is very encouraging.

Many thanks

Mike

 

[angelsson]

Terrific information, many thanks for the links, this is the one I have contacted, and they as you will see run courses and are also an examination centre also, the help and friendliness is very encouraging.

Many thanks

Mike

Sorry forgot the link

http://www.cobwebs.uk.net/mgarg

 

[Bilgediver]

Sorry forgot the link

http://www.cobwebs.uk.net/mgarg

These Guys will help you through things. This is certainly the way to go
to maximise the use of your SSB. Try and get to grips with the digital modes as these will be your route to e-mail.

I lived in Cowbridge when first married having started life in Cardiff.

 

[SteveSarabande]

Interesting thread. I used to have an amatuer licence, g4shz, gave it up in the 80's though. I wonder if they keep records that far back or would i need to retake all the exams.

 

[maby]

Interesting thread. I used to have an amatuer licence, g4shz, gave it up in the 80's though. I wonder if they keep records that far back or would i need to retake all the exams.

You can get your licence back on the strength of a photocopy of the page from the Call Book that lists you and some sort of evidence that you lived at that address at that time. When I reactivated my licence, I contacted the RSGB giving them the relevant dates, and they sent me a photocopy from their library archives. Just send that to the radio licencing centre and they should reissue the licence to you.

 

[SteveSarabande]

You can get your licence back on the strength of a photocopy of the page from the Call Book that lists you and some sort of evidence that you lived at that address at that time. When I reactivated my licence, I contacted the RSGB giving them the relevant dates, and they sent me a photocopy from their library archives. Just send that to the radio licencing centre and they should reissue the licence to you.

That is interesting.proving my address in 1987 is more difficult, but i will mail rsgb and see what they say.

I did a google search of g4shz and i was suprised when it came up with a site with my name on it, so i guess someone has been keeping records

 

[SteveSarabande]

Angelsson, if youneed a radio tech for your atlantic trip let me know, An atlantic crossing is on my wish list.

 

[Conachair]

That is interesting.proving my address in 1987 is more difficult, but i will mail rsgb and see what they say.

I did a google search of g4shz and i was suprised when it came up with a site with my name on it, so i guess someone has been keeping records

Might be worth a quick call to Ofcom, who issue the licenses. Nice bunch, very helpful.

Though you are supposed to validate it every 5 years.

http://licensing.ofcom.org.uk/radiocommunication-licences/amateur-radio/validate-online/

 

[maby]

That is interesting.proving my address in 1987 is more difficult, but i will mail rsgb and see what they say.

I did a google search of g4shz and i was suprised when it came up with a site with my name on it, so i guess someone has been keeping records

How strict they will be about proving residence, I don't know. I seem to remember that I managed to find some old correspondence that showed my address, but I don't think they have a strict procedure for reissuing licences - it's a question of convincing the person processing your request that you are the same person listed on the callbook page. The first step is to get a copy from the RSGB - you are not going anywhere without that, then talk to the radio licencing authority and ask what other evidence, if any, they want.

 

[nathanlee]

I did my foundation course about 6 years ago, but let it lapse and then lost my certificate.

There's a few of us in Preston looking at doing the advanced (from foundation), but it's a bit of a pain in the bum. A couple of hours once a month is a bit frustrating. I know they're volunteers and it's cheap, but I'd rather pay a sum and actually get the course done in a reasonable time.

Plus, I don't have the sort of life where I can definitely be somewhere on the 1st monday of every month.

Are there any commercial training outfits?