Foundation License Changes from July 2011.

[Repeater User.]

A question on operating etiquette and dealing with abuse will be added to syllabus section 8 and the paper will comprise 26 questions with a pass mark of 19. The text below will appear in a reprint of the Foundation Licence Now course book.

Etiquette
It is important to remember that anyone may be listening including short wave listeners considering becoming amateurs. Abuse and bad language are not part of amateur radio and on-air transmissions should always be polite and respectful. It is also worth remembering that radio has no boundaries and your remarks may be heard in other countries with different cultures and beliefs. Indeed it is in being able to talk with such people that gives amateur radio the richness it enjoys.
Sadly there are those who do seem to find entertainment in disrupting other people’s conversations, playing music and being generally abusive. This kind of behaviour has no place in amateur radio. If you do overhear such material or feel it is directed at you the important thing to remember is that you must not react or respond to it. That is often what the abuser wants you to do so they can send even more abuse. Talking to an unlicensed station is a breach of your own licence and could get you a bad name or reported to the authorities as well. Simply find another channel or frequency. If it is on a calling frequency or a repeater wait a while and see if the problem has ceased. The abuser should not even know he has been heard.
Advice on many aspects of operating and ethics can be found on the RSGB web site at http://www.rsgb.org/operating/. It is worth reading!
Persistent abuse can be reported to the RSGB’s Amateur Radio Observation Service (AROS) but any formal action requires good evidence, dates, times, locations and recordings and will also have to take its turn in being followed up. Obviously you must not put yourself in an awkward position but AROS operates in a strictly confidential manner with RSGB headquarters at Bedford as the only contact point.
There are other minor amendments and each book has a web errata page linked from the tutors’ web pages. There is also a printed A4 handout available from HQ or from http://www.rsgb.org/tutors/pdf/good_ope ... ctices.pdf

[Admiral]

Just a tad patronising.

[StoatTB]

Just a tad patronising.

Not really, if you think about it. One of the many reasons so many decent people left CB in droves was because the half-wits were allowed to flourish, just listening the Ch 19 UK FM to confirm that. I would like to think that that kind of mindless behaviour is often nipped in the bud if some of the half-wits do make it on to amateur radio. Mind you, there are always exceptions to that rule.

[Farty]

Having not long ago (18 months) taken my Foundation, I would have to gravely doubt whether a single question on the exam sheet will have the slightest impact of people born with the eejut gene. These people alwyas have, and always will behave like chumps in their chosen field of annoyingness, and one question won't change that, especially as half are unlicenced on cheap ebay/attic find gear, and the other half already have their licence.

[uksoundz]

Agree. I don't believe it will make any difference. If your going to be an idiot you will be. I find the worst culprits to be on 2m. So far I've never had an issue on HF, except the over modulating Italians running dodgy power amps lol.

[2E0JFS]

As unpopular as this opinion may be....I am going to say it anyway..

The only people I ever hear breaking this "etiquette" ... are established G - Calls. Often on HF but more often on VHF, "broadcasting" their views on politics, race, personal matters... etc etc... I have NEVER heard an M3 or a 2E0 abusing the airwaves.
I HAVE heard a lot of pirates, and this has nothing to do with "how easy it is" to get a license. This has much more to do with how cheap VHF handies are on eBay.

I do hear some aweful stuff on CB, really really intimidating and angry and offensive, even bullying, that my radio will not transmit on these bands. And I don't want it to. I occasionally tune through the band to hear this stuff. I have never heard anything this bad on the Ham bands ever, but as I said, the bad stuff I do hear, comes from people with full licenses, very very much most of the time.

[chazwozza]

I dont think the one extra question is put there to make the exam harder
It`s more likely to be there for awareness

[Repeater User.]

I dont think the one extra question is put there to make the exam harder
It`s more likely to be there for awareness

Correct.

[M6RIK]

When i learnt to drive my instructor told me many things, i took that information in and went on to pass my driving test. When i was let loose on the roads all by myself and put everything i had learnt into practise i soon found myself in a very difficult dilema. Do i do as the sign and the law says and travel at thirty miles per hour and have a line of angry Audi drivers vonstantly up my rear beeping their horns at me or do i do what everyone else does and travel at 40 only slowing down for the cameras?

No amount of training at foundation level will make any difference to the behavior of other. Foundation licencees who stick to/preach the rules will just get ohter peoples horns blown at them.

[crusty]

Do i do as the sign and the law says and travel at thirty miles per hour and have a line of angry Audi drivers vonstantly up my rear beeping their horns at me

One of my favourite pastimes.

[StoatTB]

Foundation licencees who stick to/preach the rules will just get ohter peoples horns blown at them.

It's your licence at risk, not the moronic horn blower...

[M6RIK]

Foundation licencees who stick to/preach the rules will just get ohter peoples horns blown at them.

It's your licence at risk, not the moronic horn blower...

But it isn't at risk because as you are aware, enforcement is zero. Ofcom don't care, RSGB doesn't care, and the rest turn a blind eye.

[StoatTB]

But it isn't at risk because as you are aware, enforcement is zero. Ofcom don't care, RSGB doesn't care, and the rest turn a blind eye.

I wouldn't write off the enforcement as zero, Ofcom do care but often don't have the resources. The RSGB try their best through training, but it's up to the individual at the end of the day. Personally, I care because otherwise it's a form of cheating as well as other reasons!

I stuck to the 10W PEP limit when I had the Foundation Licence and stick to the 50W PEP limit for my Intermediate Licence. Otherwise I'd be cheating myself as well as others, never mind the legal aspect to boot.

[M6RIK]

my experience is that ofcom don't care and the RSGB is only interested in getting hold of your money.

[Repeater User.]

my experience is that ofcom don't care and the RSGB is only interested in getting hold of your money.

You are quite obviously unaware of the hard work that the RSGB undertakes for the Amateur Radio movement in the UK & worldwide.