Gordon Bennett it's Intermediate time

[108EH002]

Only going by what someone had typed Mark,not all full amateur's hate the foundation but = As it is the full amateur's who help "you" progress at one of the many club's,I have never held a licence for a radio but good luck to those who do.

[Transwarp]

Oh Gawd. Why do I keep clicking on the 'Display this post' part of the 'Ignore' bar when Transwarp posts?

Nobody else answers the kid after all.

Look. Ofcom own the bands. THEY say who can use the bands and who can not.

We are the radio hams ... WE own OUR hobby, and WE say who is a radio ham and who is not.

WE were never asked ... we were just told. If you were to send a ballot paper to all existing UK hams, then that would be the immediate end of all future Foundation Licences, and all FLs over two or three years old would be torn up.

BTW. Get your Dad to 'have a word' with your English Teacher. It's really embarrassing if a foreigner reads this forum, expecting the English of people who speak it as a first language.

heh-heh. Moan all you want my friend, but you should know by now that I WILL challenge you if you post comments about foundation holders should be this, that, and the other; or not as the case may be. It's called having different views, opinions and putting them across.

Oh and before I forget - this is a forum, not a 'class'room, Mr Chips!

[ChrisCSL]

In reply to Brother Skyscraper.

I didn't say that 'Full' amateurs own the hobby, and you can scroll up as far as you like but you will never see me saying that.

I was fully in favour of the old 'Novice' licence, and even gave my infamous 'antennas' lesson at a few weekend courses.

''Full or nothing'' was far too high an obstacle for somebody from a non-radio, 'School Physics Only' background - like me.

The 'Novice' exam was reachable. 'Novices' of course are now 2Es - or 'Generals' in my book. That was about right.

I'm sorry, but I think that the 'Foundation' set the bar far too low, except for a temporary 'student permit'. It's just one man's opinion, but we have seen what we have seen.

[108EH002]

Ok,all amateur's must own the hobby then,pretty stupid letting numpties own something as special as amateur radio.As for it being one man's opinion,I think more than one person shares the same view.That is why I like dxing on 27 mhz,and alway's will do,I maybe only know a little about radio but it is enough for me to work the world.

[Transwarp]

Foundation holders play an important part in the hobby, anybody who disagrees with that sentiment is not worth wasting breath on.

In general there are more lords in the hobby that are supportive towards foundation holders then those that are against, those that are against are in the minority thankfully. Having said this, any full - and for that matter - intermediate, or radio club that pushes or presses foundations into taking the next level needs to take a long hard look in a mirror before opening mouth. There's no such thing as a foundation sitter, it's just a sour grapes expression from those who didn't want 'common folk' invading, what they THOUGHT was, their own private club. Sorry hobby lords. but it's not yours; it's Ofcom's and the agencies before them, and we are all just tenants, and your full lease can be terminated just as my starter tenancy contract can if our spectrum owner decides to sell up and evict us all!

A foundation licence holder has the right at present (and in the past) to progress when he/she feels they want to, and if that sticks in the throats of some that's just too bad.

If it's now a case of being one of two certain licence class is the only way to be accepted or respected in the hobby then what a sad group I joined, however I'm happy to say I can easily rectify the situation, and it wouldn't be by licence progression either!

[ChrisCSL]

It's no use FLs sneering and going ''HAHAHAHA, we are ere ferever and if yoo cant deal with dat den get over it old git's ''.

The hobby as a whole is worth more than you. You are not the future of ham radio, you are the future of FLs ... a failed idea.

You threaten the integrity and credibility of the hobby, so your days are numbered.

[MW0SWA]

If you have passed an exam either foundation intermediate or full, this will enable you to choose a callsign and earn the right to operate on the amateur bands. If you want to progress then do so, if you dont then just stay at the level your happy with.
Just remember a few things:
* be happy
* enjoy amateur radio
* be proud of your callsign
* operate within the law of your license
* ignore anyone who thinks they have a right to tell you what license you should have

[ChrisCSL]

If you have passed an exam either foundation intermediate or full, this will enable you to choose a callsign and earn the right to operate on the amateur bands. If you want to progress then do so, if you dont then just stay at the level your happy with.
Just remember a few things:
* be happy
* enjoy amateur radio
* be proud of your callsign
* operate within the law of your license
* ignore anyone who thinks they have a right to tell you what license you should have

OR:
''Opinion number two''.

''Congratulations and well done. You have a foundation licence. This allows you to operate on the amateur radio bands for three years, during which time you are expected to study for and achieve the Intermediate Licence, and therefore actually become a Radio Ham.
There is no obligation to progress beyond that, but the 'full' licence is there for those who want it.
If you lose interest in Amateur Radio during this time, or do not wish to commit to it further, then do not ask us to cancel the licence, because it will automatically expire on .../.../...

[108EH002]

"And when you reach a certain age in many year's to come you can resit the same level of test that you passed before to show you are still capable of operating the radio equipment on the amateur band's,a bit like a medical for radio,that the government enforce for driving when you are an oap" = sound's fair.

[ChrisCSL]

"And when you reach a certain age in many year's to come you can resit the same level of test that you passed before to show you are still capable of operating the radio equipment on the amateur band's,a bit like a medical for radio,that the government enforce for driving when you are an oap" = sound's fair.

Fair enough.
You book a multiple-choice 'advanced' test and a 12wpm morse test for both of us, and I'll turn up.
Whoever passes them stays on, and takes a sledgehammer to the other guy's shack. The failure stays off any form of radio forever.

See you soon.

[108EH002]

That would be unfair = Ive not even sat the foundation

[ChrisCSL]

That would be unfair = Ive not even sat the foundation

Good night. Enjoy your radio. Via con Dios.

[Transwarp]

You know Chris, for a supposedly mature person and seasoned ham who is also a self confessed morse fan, you are a bit (ok then, a lot) bizarre. One time you're assisting folk on here with their questions and such, then other times you're coming out with anti-foundation remarks. Ok, might be just to wind folk up for your amusement and have the 'crack' but I'm actually beginning to wonder if you do in fact have some actual resentment towards long term bottom rung dwellers like me?

Which is it then Chris?

[MW0SWA]

If you have passed an exam either foundation intermediate or full, this will enable you to choose a callsign and earn the right to operate on the amateur bands. If you want to progress then do so, if you dont then just stay at the level your happy with.
Just remember a few things:
* be happy
* enjoy amateur radio
* be proud of your callsign
* operate within the law of your license
* ignore anyone who thinks they have a right to tell you what license you should have

OR:
''Opinion number two''.

''Congratulations and well done. You have a foundation licence. This allows you to operate on the amateur radio bands for three years, during which time you are expected to study for and achieve the Intermediate Licence, and therefore actually become a Radio Ham.
There is no obligation to progress beyond that, but the 'full' licence is there for those who want it.
If you lose interest in Amateur Radio during this time, or do not wish to commit to it further, then do not ask us to cancel the licence, because it will automatically expire on .../.../...

Why?

[ChrisCSL]

You know Chris, for a supposedly mature person and seasoned ham who is also a self confessed morse fan, you are a bit (ok then, a lot) bizarre. One time you're assisting folk on here with their questions and such, then other times you're coming out with anti-foundation remarks. Ok, might be just to wind folk up for your amusement and have the 'crack' but I'm actually beginning to wonder if you do in fact have some actual resentment towards long term bottom rung dwellers like me?

Which is it then Chris?

A fair question, which I will answer. Not as though my opinion really matters to anybody else in the great scheme of things.

In my day, it was a bit silly. You got 'the bug' for ham radio, but it took many months of study to be allowed to press the PTT switch, during which time many people said 'stuff it' and were lost.

Then came the Novice exam. A great idea, and the exam was now within the reach of the common man or woman, with a bit of 'general' understanding. You didn't have to be an obsessed radio-nerd to pass it, just interested in 'the basics'. I liked the idea of the 'Novice', and I was actively involved in it.

Even so, it still took a bit of time and effort to pass the Novice. I therefore at first welcomed the idea of a 'student permit' ... or the 'Foundation'.

None of us anticipated that a small but very loud percentage of Foundation-holders would just stay there. It is well known that there are many who use it as an excuse to run 'full-hampower'' and more. This causes great resentment. It doesn't actually affect me directly, because of the 'oddball' backwaters of the bands that I lurk in. It's just the principle.

It has made a bit of a laughing-stock of UK ham radio. There are only two ways to deal with the situation. You can either spend hundreds of thousands policing power abuse etc, or you can simply abolish the failed Foundation Licence 'experiment' with the stroke of a pen and go back to the old 'Novice' system that everybody was happy with.

Ofcom are well used to getting criticism for their actions from the ham community, but they are already aware - believe me - that simply ending the Foundation Licence experiment would draw a loud cheer from 'The Hams', and I don't mean just the old guard either.