AARG - Training Courses

It’s that confusing place where we’ve all been at one time or another. Advertisements and catalogues are spread out in front of you and there is some money burning a hole in your pocket! You’re about to invest in your first Amateur Radio station and you don’t know which way to go!

Talk to Other Radio Amateurs

Do your homework first don’t buy more than you need, or think you’ll need in the future.
Resist the temptation to purchase the latest, and usually very expensive equipment, featuring a host of bells and whistles that might never be used.
Note that not all features are good features and at times they can be traps.
Before you order a piece of equipment, talk to as many current owners as you can. Surf the Web for information and don’t accept just one opinion.
Try to get a number of opinions and decide from the resulting comment instead.

Most amateurs are willing to share information on their experiences with different products and these personal experiences will often tell you more than a manufacturer’s brochure.

Dealing with Dealers
Let’s suppose that you’ve decided to buy new equipment for your first station. Look for a dealer you can trust to give you a reasonable market price and who will be likely be able to help you with any future questions you may have including accepting returns within a reasonable period of time.

The dealer should be the interface between you and the equipment manufacturer for at least the original time of the warranty period.
You might even find a dealer who can also provide a repair service.

What About Used Equipment?
It is recommended that you should avoid large investments in used equipment. The exception is when you can buy your gear from a reputable dealer who’ll stand behind it for a specified time. Sometimes it takes longer for problems to show up and you may not be able to fully test your purchases sooner than the warranty time.

If you’re an expert at fixing electronic circuitry, or have a commitment from a good friend who is, you’re in a different situation and there are plenty of used-equipment bargains out there if you’re willing to take the gamble. But for a beginner who may not have an in-depth knowledge of radio circuitry, buying expensive rigs at a Radio Rally or from a private party with no guarantee, is risky and should be treated accordingly.
Some amateurs sell pristine gear because they need to raise money for one reason or another and a bargain may indeed be yours for the taking. But there are those other times when the items they’re offering for sale may not be up to par. Even if a radio looks good, the seller might just “forget” to tell you what it has been through! Many of the items that are bought under those conditions were working, after a fashion, but didn’t meet their original specifications.

A Basic HF Antenna
Once you’ve probed your fellow amateurs for advice on the equipment you’ll need inside, the conversation usually reverts to aerials and again talking to as many people as possible will help to determine your operating needs as far as frequency coverage is concerned. Then you should take a good look at your available space and see what will fit. Antenna decisions are difficult even for experienced amateurs and there really is no best antenna for every situation.

However, for a simple, multi-band HF antenna, it’s hard to beat a wire dipole. Simply make it as long as possible, feed it in the center with 450 ohm ladder line, buy an antenna tuner with a balanced output, and you’re on the air. This simple dipole has very low loss at HF, even when the SWR (Standing Wave Ratio) is moderately high. This advantage allows you to use the antenna for each band regardless of the matching conditions as long as you have a decent antenna tuner. What most amateurs and manufacturers call an antenna tuner is really an antenna-matching network. It doesn’t tune the antenna in the literal sense. Instead, it matches your radio to your antenna system, which may offer a completely different impedance.

What About VHF/UHF Antennas?
If you intend to put up a VHF or UHF antenna, you’ll find that the choices are much easier. Again, try to decide how many bands you’d like to cover, then look in the catalogues or talk to other amateurs. If you’re only interested in FM voice or packet, you’ll be looking for a vertically polarized antenna, from a simple 1/4-wavelength ground plane to a multiband model.

You have your choice of omnidirectional antennas (good for all directions), or various beam designs, which focus your signal in a particular direction. However, an effective beam antenna also requires an antenna rotator. That means extra cost and complication of your system.

VHF/UHF antennas are pretty straightforward to install. They’re normally lightweight, which means you can get by with heavy-duty TV antenna mounting hardware for the installation. Get the antenna as high as you safely can, and feed it with low-loss coaxial cable.
Don’t forget to follow the safety information that always accompanies new antennas.

Ask for assistance from an experienced operator when it’s time to do the installation as they will often give you very good advice based on previous experience as well as providing practical help.

		AARG Training Courses
		making amateur radio your hobby


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Detail of Club Training Events
FOUNDATION DATE (tba)	CONTACT	COURSE DESCRIPTION
	GM3YDN	This is a new licence that was introduced in January 2002. The Foundation licence is designed to get you involved in amateur radio as quickly as possible. But before you are allowed to transmit 'live' it is important that you know a little bit about how your radio works, the dangers of interfering with other radio users, how not to upset your neighbours or your parents (if you are a young person) and the rules and regulations of holding a radio transmitting licence. How do you learn these new skills?... by taking the Foundation licence training course, which is an integral part of of obtaining a Foundation licence. Most of the training is practical. There is a small amount of radio and electronics theory but only enough for you to appreciate things like using the correct fuses in your equipment and how to build an antenna to get the most out of your radio station. Don't be afraid of the thought of having to undertake a training course. The courses are run in a friendly informal atmosphere by experienced radio amateurs. The course will take about 10-12 hours to complete at the end of which you will sit an examination comprising of twenty five multiple choice questions. Your exam paper will be marked on the spot. The AARG course is conducted at the University of West of Scotland, Beech Grove, Ayr and is normally run over two consecutive Saturday's. Once you have passed the exam you get your 'Pass' certificate and you are on your way! When you have been issued with your own individual MM3 or MM6 series callsign you will be able to operate on most bands without supervision but with a power restriction of 10 Watts. This is a fairly low level of power, but with the experience you will quickly gain this will enable you to communicate around the world.


INTERMEDIATE DATE (tba)	GM3YDN	Once you have gained experience at the Foundation level we are sure you will want to take the next step up. The Intermediate licence gives access to the Intermediate frequency allocations within the amateur bands . The Permitted power levels are increased to 50 watts. To obtain the Intermediate licence it is advisable to take a training course. This course is longer than the Foundation course and aims to teach many of the fundamentals of radio in a stimulating way by actually undertaking practical tasks such as soldering, building a small project and a variety of other exercises adding to the experience you have gained as a Foundation licence holder. After completing the course candidates sit the Intermediate Licence Examination. Again this examination is a multiple-choice test based on what was learnt on the course, covering the basic concepts of radio operation on the amateur bands and the licence conditions. With both of these successfully completed an Intermediate licence can be obtained.


ADVANCED DATE (tba)	GM3YDN	This is the highest level of licence that you can obtain. To gain a Full licence it is necessary to pass the Advanced Radio Communications Examination. This examination is more advanced than the Intermediate, it again covers radio theory and licence conditions but because holding a full licence enables you to use 400 Watts power output to your transmitter, such subjects as Electro Magnetic Compatability (EMC), antenna design and safety issues are covered in some depth. The licence allows access to all the amateur allocations with full power. When studying for the Advanced Radio Communications Examination there is currently no requirement to take a formal training course, this is because the examination is currently theory based, with no practical training element in the syllabus. It is possible to study at home on your own if you so wish. However, members of the AARG do make themselves available through scheduled tutorial sessions ,usually prior to the regular club meetings, specifically for the Advanced Radio Communications Examination and of course there are some very good correspondence and Internet courses available.


GETTING YOUR LICENSE	Having the ability to operate on the amateur radio bands opens up a whole new experience, enabling you to make friends all over the world, build your own equipment, install your own amateur radio station in your home and fully participate in all aspects of the hobby. To do this it is necessary to obtain an amateur transmitting licence. In the UK there are three types of licence each one giving a different set of privileges and requires examination passes at each level. These are known as the Foundation, Intermediate and Full Licence levels. The latter is also commonly referred to as the Advanced level. Each licence level has to be achieved before the next can be taken.

SETTING UP YOUR STATION	It’s that confusing place where we’ve all been at one time or another. Advertisements and catalogues are spread out in front of you and there is some money burning a hole in your pocket! You’re about to invest in your first Amateur Radio station and you don’t know which way to go! Talk to Other Radio Amateurs Do your homework first don’t buy more than you need, or think you’ll need in the future. Resist the temptation to purchase the latest, and usually very expensive equipment, featuring a host of bells and whistles that might never be used. Note that not all features are good features and at times they can be traps. Before you order a piece of equipment, talk to as many current owners as you can. Surf the Web for information and don’t accept just one opinion. Try to get a number of opinions and decide from the resulting comment instead. Most amateurs are willing to share information on their experiences with different products and these personal experiences will often tell you more than a manufacturer’s brochure. Dealing with Dealers Let’s suppose that you’ve decided to buy new equipment for your first station. Look for a dealer you can trust to give you a reasonable market price and who will be likely be able to help you with any future questions you may have including accepting returns within a reasonable period of time. The dealer should be the interface between you and the equipment manufacturer for at least the original time of the warranty period. You might even find a dealer who can also provide a repair service. What About Used Equipment? It is recommended that you should avoid large investments in used equipment. The exception is when you can buy your gear from a reputable dealer who’ll stand behind it for a specified time. Sometimes it takes longer for problems to show up and you may not be able to fully test your purchases sooner than the warranty time. If you’re an expert at fixing electronic circuitry, or have a commitment from a good friend who is, you’re in a different situation and there are plenty of used-equipment bargains out there if you’re willing to take the gamble. But for a beginner who may not have an in-depth knowledge of radio circuitry, buying expensive rigs at a Radio Rally or from a private party with no guarantee, is risky and should be treated accordingly. Some amateurs sell pristine gear because they need to raise money for one reason or another and a bargain may indeed be yours for the taking. But there are those other times when the items they’re offering for sale may not be up to par. Even if a radio looks good, the seller might just “forget” to tell you what it has been through! Many of the items that are bought under those conditions were working, after a fashion, but didn’t meet their original specifications. A Basic HF Antenna Once you’ve probed your fellow amateurs for advice on the equipment you’ll need inside, the conversation usually reverts to aerials and again talking to as many people as possible will help to determine your operating needs as far as frequency coverage is concerned. Then you should take a good look at your available space and see what will fit. Antenna decisions are difficult even for experienced amateurs and there really is no best antenna for every situation. However, for a simple, multi-band HF antenna, it’s hard to beat a wire dipole. Simply make it as long as possible, feed it in the center with 450 ohm ladder line, buy an antenna tuner with a balanced output, and you’re on the air. This simple dipole has very low loss at HF, even when the SWR (Standing Wave Ratio) is moderately high. This advantage allows you to use the antenna for each band regardless of the matching conditions as long as you have a decent antenna tuner. What most amateurs and manufacturers call an antenna tuner is really an antenna-matching network. It doesn’t tune the antenna in the literal sense. Instead, it matches your radio to your antenna system, which may offer a completely different impedance. What About VHF/UHF Antennas? If you intend to put up a VHF or UHF antenna, you’ll find that the choices are much easier. Again, try to decide how many bands you’d like to cover, then look in the catalogues or talk to other amateurs. If you’re only interested in FM voice or packet, you’ll be looking for a vertically polarized antenna, from a simple 1/4-wavelength ground plane to a multiband model. You have your choice of omnidirectional antennas (good for all directions), or various beam designs, which focus your signal in a particular direction. However, an effective beam antenna also requires an antenna rotator. That means extra cost and complication of your system. VHF/UHF antennas are pretty straightforward to install. They’re normally lightweight, which means you can get by with heavy-duty TV antenna mounting hardware for the installation. Get the antenna as high as you safely can, and feed it with low-loss coaxial cable. Don’t forget to follow the safety information that always accompanies new antennas. Ask for assistance from an experienced operator when it’s time to do the installation as they will often give you very good advice based on previous experience as well as providing practical help.