Any recent foundation exam takers?

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ChrisCSL
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Re: Any recent foundation exam takers?

Post by ChrisCSL »

No. I will be leaving TM1 tomorrow.

Then you can say 'Thank God for that' ;)

The future is yours. The future of ham and CB radio is now with people like you.

I'm going back to my Steam railways, Canals, Ships, Vintage Aircraft, Fell-Walking, Good beer, Astronomy, History books.

Sorry, but radio just doesn't do it for me any more.

Like I said before ... ''It's strange being part of a hobby, knowing that I would cross the road to avoid most of the other people in it ....''

Live long and prosper.
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Re: Any recent foundation exam takers?

Post by CookieRaider »

Life is one big debate, i wouldn't leave TM1 personally :lolno: and yes i have worked on the West Somerset Steam Railway ;)
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Re: Any recent foundation exam takers?

Post by GeeFull »

Transwarp wrote:GeeFull & ChrisCSL.

Read carefully chaps because I'm only going to post this the one time only.......

Many of us on here are quite well aware of your feelings towards foundation holders and the changes to the licencing structure years ago, and your feelings and thoughts on you are entitled to ok? I though don't appreciate being told to 'grow up' by someone I don't even know, regardless if it's just a comment on a forum. If you don't like the 'flack' full licence holders are getting from the 'lower' licence class hobbyists these days and also the negative view towards full's then that's the fault of your same licence class brothers for being so far up their own antenna masts about foundation holders. In short I have no sympathy for you because you don't help yourselves or your fellow full holders by posting some of the comments you do on here about foundation holders.

Remember also because of the class of licence you hold and your time in the hobby YOU are supposed to set an example by showing support and understanding, I don't see much in the way of either from the both of you judging by the comments you make!

I would suggest engage brain first before using fingers on keyboard.
I honestly can't see how my reply on how some people are struggling to find courses, and merely comparing todays situation where the running of these courses has fallen on the auspices and shoulders of clubs to run, to the days when they were set and run by designated nationwide places of education, has anything to do with licence bashing of any form?
I applogise for the grow up comment, but the "Fulls hate us" argument is as tired as the "FL's are lazy" and the like!
The problem with the courses being taken out of fixed establishments of education, and being now dealt with at club level, is the often fickle nature of clubs, versus long term stability of education centres.
Clubs come and go, clubs personel change and swap, and as such they may or may not be consistant in providing a place for people to study and take exams.
By me two clubs that first embraced the course and exam way, when it first filtered down to club level responsibility, now are no longer providing courses, one because the club has simply folded, the other because of a bit of in club politics and arguing lead to a couple of resignations, plus the main promoter and entheusiast of running the courses has gone SK, and no-one has stepped up to fill his shoes, so it has stalled on providing courses for the time being.
Now people who would have gone to either of those for their training now have to look much further afield to find a place they can do the courses.
When it was run by education centres, technical colleges, etc. etc., and set and run at specific set periods year in year out by the relevant examination body of the time, namely C+G, it was far more long term stable, and people knew where they stood, a place that did the course had set course periods, garanteed, year in year out.
But today the availability of courses and levels they cover, varies dramaticaly from area to area, club to club, etc.
And as it is tied to clubs, it of course flourishes, or diminishes, with the popularity and rise, or unpopularity and fall of amateur radio clubs.
And as such for some it proves very difficult to find anything within reasonable distance.
You see comments on various forums all the time of "The nearest club to me don't do courses", or "There was a club did courses, but they have folded", or "X club don't do the advanced" or whatever, and asking where they can find a suitable place within reasonable distance.
I am NOT saying go back to C+G RAE, or that the old sytem was any better, but it was more geographicaly evenly spread and more consistant, thats all I was saying, NOT having a pop at anyone!
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Re: Any recent foundation exam takers?

Post by Transwarp »

I've just gone through my log/call book today, its come as no surprise to me that the most contacts I've had have been with intermediates.

Speaks volumes.
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Re: Any recent foundation exam takers?

Post by GeeFull »

All it says to me is you mainly chat to UK stations?
And of those, you have "personaly" just happened to work more IL's than any other licence class operatives!
Monthly Amateur Licence Statistics - October 2014
Product name
No. of Licences
Amateur Club Radio Licence
1496
Amateur Foundation Radio Licence
19559
Amateur Full (Reciprocal) Radio Licence
751
Amateur Full Radio Licence
52933
Amateur Intermediate Radio Licence
8300
Grand Total
83039
If you look at the stats above, and even taking multiple callsigns into account, statisticaly you are more likely to work a full licensee, than a foundation, and more foundation than intermediate, purely statisticaly of course!
The reality of what anyone actualy does work, varies from station to station, and in no way reflects actual numbers!
Well if I could be bothered to trawl through my years and years worth of paper logs, I know the "bulk" of my contacts would be with overseas contacts of whatever callsigns, not UK ones, I guess that speaks volumes too, but in a slightly different way! ;)
And being licenced for 35 years, I would imagine the bulk of any UK contacts, would be with older G callsigns, as many of the years spent operating were during the times that the newer allocations hadn't even been issued/invented, but I truely fail to see the relevance?
If you still can't see my point on the fact that courses today are more "sporadic" geographicaly, to how they used to be, (and thats all I was saying), then fine don't believe it!
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Re: Any recent foundation exam takers?

Post by Transwarp »

Seems some are having memory problems on here, so again GeeFull, I have said everyone's entitled to their opinions, but don't lecture others on your beliefs. As been shown on this forum, and in my PERSONAL experience on the bands, intermediates are the more grounded ADVANCED hobbyists (as in comparison to licence class to foundation holders) in operating manner and attitude compared to a lot of full holders. Your statistics won't show that so are therefore pointless in MY opinion.

If becoming (or PROGRESSING to) an advanced (Full) licence holder turns a hobbyist into an arrogant know it all then it must be cursed, so If I ever do decide one dark day, in a moment of madness, to go to the next licence class (which is very doubtful) then an intermediate I shall be and always remain.

For the record I do not, and have never been, a hater (or another name tag) of full licence holders. Any negativity towards full holders they bring on themselves by impressing on others their superiority act. They don't do themselves any favours at all by being that way.
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Re: Any recent foundation exam takers?

Post by Transwarp »

ChrisCSL wrote:No. I will be leaving TM1 tomorrow.

Then you can say 'Thank God for that' ;)

The future is yours. The future of ham and CB radio is now with people like you.

I'm going back to my Steam railways, Canals, Ships, Vintage Aircraft, Fell-Walking, Good beer, Astronomy, History books.

Sorry, but radio just doesn't do it for me any more.

Like I said before ... ''It's strange being part of a hobby, knowing that I would cross the road to avoid most of the other people in it ....''

Live long and prosper.
Should I break out the violin and tissues now or later? :crazy:

Your penultimate comment says it all by the way, thank you Mr upper class. :evil:

Never mind, at least you'll have more time to spend now polishing your Bentley and fulfilling your duties as president of your local horticultural society. :thumbdown:
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GeeFull
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Re: Any recent foundation exam takers?

Post by GeeFull »

Transwarp, I really do not understand why you are trying to turn my comments into a "us versus them" scenario?
I have only commented on the "availablity" of various levels courses today, versus yesteryear!
I have NOT even mentioned any superiority, or lack of, as applied to ANY licence classes, and not even tried to state any previous "system" was better than any system today!
Merely that there were, back then, more outlets for courses available, and that they seemed far more geographicaly evenly spread, and long term stable!
I was only commenting on the availablity of courses, something which if you read various threads on here, and elsewhere, seems to be increasingly difficult for some people to find!
Where in any of my posts have I tried to imply some sort of pecking order?
Are course more available today, at all levels, than they were years ago?
And if the answer is yes, why so many posts from folks who can't find a reasonably nearby club that does the courses they require?
You seem hell bent on warping my comments on exam infrastructure and availability, into to some sort of licence class war!
I have made no such comments, and never intended to!
Put the chip pan on, and drop in some of the ones you obviously have on your shoulder!
End of!
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Re: Any recent foundation exam takers?

Post by Transwarp »

GeeFull wrote:Transwarp, I really do not understand why you are trying to turn my comments into a "us versus them" scenario?
I have only commented on the "availablity" of various levels courses today, versus yesteryear!
I have NOT even mentioned any superiority, or lack of, as applied to ANY licence classes, and not even tried to state any previous "system" was better than any system today!
Merely that there were, back then, more outlets for courses available, and that they seemed far more geographicaly evenly spread, and long term stable!
I was only commenting on the availablity of courses, something which if you read various threads on here, and elsewhere, seems to be increasingly difficult for some people to find!
Where in any of my posts have I tried to imply some sort of pecking order?
Are course more available today, at all levels, than they were years ago?
And if the answer is yes, why so many posts from folks who can't find a reasonably nearby club that does the courses they require?
You seem hell bent on warping my comments on exam infrastructure and availability, into to some sort of licence class war!
I have made no such comments, and never intended to!
Put the chip pan on, and drop in some of the ones you obviously have on your shoulder!
End of!
You don't have to justify yourself to me and others and nor me vice-versa. Your comments PROJECT one of superiority towards lower class operators NOT that you are or intend to be/come across that way.

It's not what you say, it's how you say. As said before, engage brain first before fingers on keyboard - meaning think what your typing and how it will look to others before pressing the submit button. YOU are responsible for your posted comments, therefore if other members take exception to them and DEBATE them then it's no use whinging about it.
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Re: Any recent foundation exam takers?

Post by GeeFull »

OK a simple straightforward, can't be misconstrued, question to you, that I asked earlier!
Are there more places available today, nicely geographicaly spread out, where people can easily find a suitable course for whatever licence level they require, than there were years ago?
And again, if the answer is Yes, why is there so many posts here and elsewhere, where people are struggling to find them within reasonable distance?
Now thats a simple question, and the cruxt of all my previous posts, with no superiority implied, nor any digs at any licence class!
Not that there were in any of the previous posts, but hey oh!
Simple question, requiring just a simple answer!
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Re: Any recent foundation exam takers?

Post by Darkstar1 »

Geefull, you are right in what you are saying about the availability of courses, It was better when one body was in charge the C&G at least then there was organisation and reliability. The system now is slipshod and needs sorting; as I said in an earlier post any club affiliated to the RSGB should have to run courses as part of their RSGB membership conditions.

Transwarp, why do you feel the need to turn everything into an us against them argument, I think you are the one with the class attitude problem not the full licence holders. No way am I a 'snob' or 'elitist' even though I am an M0, I am a tutor and teach m6's and 2e's, so I look down on nobody. Why don't you lose the chip off your shoulder, chill out and let this silly us v them argument die a natural death. :D
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Re: Any recent foundation exam takers?

Post by Transwarp »

Darkstar1 wrote:Geefull, you are right in what you are saying about the availability of courses, It was better when one body was in charge the C&G at least then there was organisation and reliability. The system now is slipshod and needs sorting; as I said in an earlier post any club affiliated to the RSGB should have to run courses as part of their RSGB membership conditions.

Transwarp, why do you feel the need to turn everything into an us against them argument, I think you are the one with the class attitude problem not the full licence holders. No way am I a 'snob' or 'elitist' even though I am an M0, I am a tutor and teach m6's and 2e's, so I look down on nobody. Why don't you lose the chip off your shoulder, chill out and let this silly us v them argument die a natural death. :D
To the both of you.

GF.
The availability of courses may well be down to clubs closing down, lack of interest, falling members and other associated reasons, there again I offer there maybe another reason as to why, to which I posted MY view on.

DS1.
Mr Tutor you say I have a need to turn everything into an us and them argument? Is that your attempt to discredit my entitled opinions on this topic of diminishing availability to access foundation courses for some who have an interest in doing such? I have no personal need to twist or turn anything, nor do I have any chip on my shoulder, but if I did I like salt and vinegar so that's ok :lolno: It's simply that I'll challenge anybody who I feel is attempting to take the proverbial out of me which is what ChrisCSL & GeeFull have done on a few occasions, most recently with the 'Grow Up' comment. Yes he has apologised and that's fine, but still the 'prove this' and 'prove that', and 'all I was saying was' excuses keep coming. Some just can't help themselves it's as simple as that.

Yes this DEBATE (not an argument) will tail off and finish, but it will start again later on as it always does. Too much has now happened in respect of ill feelings towards the licensing structure from full licence holders and this has spilled out into the hobby. Like it or not there is a divide now between the licence class's and that's the way it is, however that's the hobby but this is a forum, and if my view and comments don't bode well with some on the subject of the hobby then just ignore me and move on rather then trying to take the call of nature out of a person.

Speaking of moving on and tailing off I've got my frying pan on the stove :D so thank you for your time and indulgence but I have to take my leave of this conversation. However I will return again at a later time.

Thank you.
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Re: Any recent foundation exam takers?

Post by 2E0YGG »

Well I've had my intermediate for almost ten years, and probably won't be trading up any time soon!
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Re: Any recent foundation exam takers?

Post by Transwarp »

If your happy with your entitlements then there's no point. I'm certainly not going any further, and for a few reasons why. In the last 5 years I've had comments on the air from mainly G class and a few M0 class holders regarding 'don't I think it's about time I moved up the ladder a bit now?' and such like. Even a few who were M3/M6's themselves and are now full's have changed their attitude and occasionally make passing snidely comments' regarding foundation holders.

The hobby is great, it's the human element of it that's becoming a joke!
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Re: Any recent foundation exam takers?

Post by Admiral »

Blimey, I thought it was a hobby.

I don't care who I talk to, whether they've been on air 5 decades or 5 minutes.
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