I’ve been interested in radio for almost as long as I can remember. Tuning in to Radio Luxembourg in the evenings on 1439KHz was always a highlight in my early teens. Receiving a new radio for a birthday in the early 1970s was another milestone for me as it not only received the long and medium wavebands but also shortwave. This was a new world for me. Being able to listen to foreign service broadcasts from many of the world’s radio stations was amazing.
Early favourites were Radio Sweden, Radio Canada International, Radio Tirana - Albania and HCJB Ecuador - Voice of the Andes. It was impossible not to pick-up the ever present BBC, the Voice of America and of course Radio Moscow. I would happily spend hours seeking out the more interesting stations. QSL cards were collected and Shortwave magazine & Practical Wireless were regular purchases from the newsagents. Air-band was next and to this day I’m still an aviation enthusiast and frequent listener.
The Yaesu FRG-7 was the first communications receiver I owned. It opened up the fascinating world of Amateur Radio. It was at this time I discovered that to become a radio amateur you needed to sit and pass the R.A.E. (Radio Amateurs Exam). Part of the exam involved Morse code, I had little interest in this and to a fifteen year old, the exam appeared to be quite a challenge. My listening continued and wherever I lived over the next 40 years there was always an HF radio and a long wire antenna at the house. When I travelled, I always packed a small short wave radio and there has always been an air-band radio at home and in my car.
During a chance conversation with one of my mates Kevin, at Glasgow Airport recently, while we were photographing one of the day’s interesting aircraft movements, I discovered he was a radio amateur. I explained I’d always liked the idea of becoming one but Morse just didn’t interest me. As the chat continued I learned of the changes that had been made to radio amateur licensing over the years and there were now three types of licence in the UK and none required learning Morse code. Early during this conversation a decision was made, the world of radio for me was about to change in a big way. I had decided to become a Radio Ham.
Kevin said if I was interested I should visit the local amateur radio club, which meets each Thursday night. The Paisley Amateur Radio Club is a great collection of guys, very welcoming and are collectively a great source of knowledge and experience which I was very keen to tap in to. I’m there most Thursdays and have made some good friends. I had many questions to ask the lads and they were keen to answer them. But more importantly, I also learn so much by listening to their conversations. However I often needed to get them to explain their discussions to a novice.
I ordered the Foundation Licence Manual, the handbook for what is essentially a novice licence. It covers all the basics and, if passed, awards you your first radio licence and the privilege to transmit on the amateur bands, albeit with some restrictions. The book was bought in late March 2022, key sections of text were emphasised with my highlighting pen and committed to memory. Then, I applied to sit the exam.
The Foundation Licence exam consists of 26 multiple choice questions covering the syllabus, and 60 minutes are given to answer them. It’s an online exam with a video connection to the invigilator. Mock tests are available online and there’s even an App available with questions covering all three exams, so it’s quite easy to judge if you’re ready to sit the exam. The Foundation Licence limits the user to 10 watts transmitting power, the Intermediate to 50 and the Full licensee may use up to 400 watts. Other privileges are awarded with the licences as you progress to becoming a full licence holder. More amateur bands are available to you, the ability to operate a repeater, operate at sea or operate a special event station are just some of the extra benefits earned as you progress forward with the other licences.
I sat the exam in late April ’22 and was actually surprised how easy I found it. I had answered the questions and checked them all twice in around 12 minutes. I pressed the “submit” button and held my breath, 25/26. A silly mistake cost me the top score but it was still a good pass. A score of 19 or more out of 26 is regarded as a pass. A few days later I received my pass certificate, then logged on to the Ofcom website and selected my callsign. I was now a licensed radio amateur with the callsign Mike Mike Seven Victor Echo Sierra, MM7VES.
I had ordered some equipment from Martin Lynch & Son in anticipation of passing the exam. A transceiver, Antenna Tuning Unit, SWR meter, Power Supply Unit and G5RV dipole antenna. I spent a day or two tuning the VFO up and down the 20 meter band and listening to QSOs before I pressed the push-to-talk button for the first time in response to a CQ call. It was quite a thrill to hear another radio amateur responding to me and hearing him transmit my callsign. My first contact was with Amir Bazak, aka Echo Sierra Five Tango Tango Tango, ES5TTT in Estonia a little after 17:00 UTC on April the 30th. After giving him my name, location and his signal report, I told him he was my first ever contact. A friendly conversation followed and he wished me all the very best as I begin my journey with what he called, “this wonderful hobby”.
Coming soon . . . “My first few months as a licensed Radio Amateur”.
