hey penfold
we have a real good radio club at sandtoft just down the road from you, they run novice training and will be more than happy to help you out, there website is
g0ghk.co.uk/index.php
cheers steve … donny
i’ll take a look at that site steve, cheers for the info!
get a good call sign use the lot 2metres,nar, get the lot G2 CH
The thing is G2CH is illegal but G0SBP IS legal. With CB you are restricted to the sunspot cycle for long distance communication, with Ham Radio you have a choice of a number of frequencies from 160 meters to 70 cm or 1.8 mhz to 450mhz in various bands all legal for the cost of a few days training. To work around the world a 2meter radio for the cost equivalent to a CB, and on FM, so the quality is better, is legal and a lot more compact that a SSB CB. As Sonic says, you will get your muppets but they are usually found and prosecuted quite easily, unlike CB where the authorities seem to turn a blind eye to all the Illegal activities.
If I remember correctly, if you live in France or other European Countries the Foundation Licence is not permitted at the moment but you are allowed to communicate with these countries.
Regards
Westie
westie:
If I remember correctly, if you live in France or other European Countries the Foundation Licence is not permitted at the moment but you are allowed to communicate with these countries.
Err…how does that work then? There are clubs in France though none near me.
Someone asked if you had to turn up at clubs or use the net. Any answer on that?
Salut, David.
hi david,
you have to turn up to a club to take ur test , if u can get hold of the info u can study at home then go to a club for the little test, sorry not had chance to look for more clubs in your area, do a search online for french radio clubs see if that helps ya and i will try and check it out too
u will still be able to opperate the ham bands if ur in france so dont panic
cheers steve … donny
Hi David,
In the UK there are 3 types of licence, full, intermediate and Foundation.
If you hold a full or intermediate licence you would be able to operate in EU and certain other countries. The foundation licence, which is the one that can be obtained in a weekend, can (as far as I am aware) only be used in the UK at the moment. You are allowed to talk to operators in any other country but not actually operate there at the moment. If you took your Intermediate or full licence test in the UK it could then be exchanged for a French Licence. None of these licences require attending a radio club to study, though it is advised, but to take the foundation licence test it would be necessary go to a club. I am not too sure about where the tests are held for the other 2 types of licence, maybe Sonic could tell you. Things are changing fast in the hobby and I am sure that other countries will eventually allow the foundation licence.
Hope this helps
Regard
Westie
Hello fellow drivers
just a few words about radio ham im also a radio ham and i can not fault it
if you have a few hours to spare and a few quid you can become a radio ham and you will not be desapointed
I meen lets face it cb is as bad as it ever was when it were am it was a little bit better but now you have the chance to become a radio ham and work other fellow truckers of which let me tell you they are quite a few i know off , including sonic he is a good freind of mine two meter band is like a chit chat band
So come and talk to all the truckers hear and abroad and be a radio ham
73s
real radio is 27mhz rig twig and ssb
I’ve found a pretty good site for people like myself, who want to find out a little bit more:
well it sounds like it might be a bit of fun, and it sounds like you can have a natter with a mate parked 100 or more miles away, far better than cb.
cheers mike for adding that link, fingers crossed others will benifit from the info on the site,
small world fred… i still use the ham bands , irlp and echolink etc etc and also do scuba diving as do quite a few of the other hams around here are you bsac or padi ■■, if you fancy a dip one weekend let me know and we can sort something out if u like, fingers crossed i will be at stoney cove this comming weekend, then in march im off to egypt ( soz nig lol) diving in the red sea, but i can fit the odd dive in any weekend if your free sea or fresh i dont mind.
cheers steve… donny
Just an update on progress made…:
Been in touch with a local club and have got my foundation exam on the 21st Feb.
Have also found a friendly and helpful website, anybody who would like the address is quite welcome to e-mail me.
Thanks to sonic for raising my interest in this.
nice one mike, welcome to the real world of radio, if i can help with any questions you may have just let me know
good luck with the easy test im sure you will pass with ease, let me know how you get on will you…
pass the word on as other fellow truckers will love this hobby
cheers mike…
steve
For me personally,I took the old test some years ago,class b I think,and only passed one part of it,and never went back.
I know it’s a wee bit easier to access the ham bands these days,and I have been in someones house,when I was in to it,who incidentally was blind,and was amazed at the regularity with which long distance communication was had.No waiting for sunspot cycles there!!!
If I remember correctly,Wakefield to the North East was easily obtainable through a repeater in Harrogate.
Is the Barnsley repeater still there? I seem to recall it was at the top of the hill near Woolley Edge services,but it seems to have gone now?
I might get back into it someday,but at the moment,motor racing is taking up my hard earned.
Ken.
thanks for the info you have given, sonic. I have been considering doing this for a while now, but I wonder if you could advise me on an idea I have.
I was considering getting a magnum 257 as I believe this can be used on the usual cb frequencies? then as I get my licence, I can progress onto 2m & 10m etc, and still be able to use the same rig? this way, I can talk to other ham users, but also be able to use it as a cb to chat to people I am running with who only have a regular cb?
is this possible, and if so, is there a ‘do-it-all’ aerial I could use?
hi ya roadhog
sorry matey but you cant use a CB on amateur bands even if they cover 28mhz,thats a BIG BIG NO NO…
as for the ant yes you can get do it all ant’s they will cost you mega £££ but they work well…
dont go spending your £££££’s on a crappy CB… Save it for a real radio hi hi
cheers… sonic
sonic:
hi ya roadhog
sorry matey but you cant use a CB on amateur bands even if they cover 28mhz,thats a BIG BIG NO NO…
as for the ant yes you can get do it all ant’s they will cost you mega £££ but they work well…dont go spending your £££££’s on a crappy CB… Save it for a real radio hi hi
cheers… sonic
thanks for the speedy reply sonic, but I think we may have some crossed wires. the magnum 257 is a 10m rig, not a cb. but I heard it can be modified so it can be used on 2m, 10m & CB frequencies. a bit like the lincoln president, but the 257 is a lot smaller & cheaper, making it a better option for fitting in a truck.
Controls are:
Volume
Squelch
Clarifier
RF Output Power
Mode (AM, FM, USB, LSB)
Mic gain
RF Gain
Scan
Channel Change
Step (1kHz, 10kHz, 100kHz)
Memory (write/recall)
Repeater Shift
Last channel recall
Tone (high/low)
Specifications:
Frequency: 28-29.7MHz (expandable to 25.15-29.7MHz)
Modes: AM, FM, SSB
Size: 6 x 2 x 9.5"
Output: 30W FM/SSB, 9W AM
Current: 6A
Memory: 5 channels`
bloody hell how much… just seen how much they cost… £179 new
you could get a much better set for a lot less then that
when you take your 1st test to get your ticket you will not be able to use 28MHZ
as a M3, you will have to move on to the next level to be able to play on 10mtrs
and as for you putting it onto cb freq’s… dont think your able to do that… not too sure but i will look into it for you and let you know
sonic
Hello Roadhog,
As far as I can remember holders of the foundation licence are not permitted to use Modified radio’s they have to be commercial made for the frequencies allowed. Even using converted ex taxi pmr radios is not allowed at that level of licence. As sonic says you are not allowed on 10 meters but you would still be able to use cb with a seperate licence.
Regards
Westie