TRAINING
WELCOME
Welcome to the Training section. If you have arrived here you're probably looking to improve your amateur radio qualifications and we can certainly help you to do this.
CDARC offers training and exams for gaining the three classes of amateur radio licence – namely:
| Foundation | M7 | Low Power | (10W*) |
| Intermediate | 2E0 | Medium Power | (50W*) |
| Full | M0 or M1 | High Power | (400W*) |
* The power levels given are a general indication only - see licence conditions for details
We can thus provide a route for candidates to progress from their first steps in radio communications through to
becoming competent operators with a full MØ licence and operating their own UK amateur radio stations.
ARE YOU UNDER 16 YEARS OLD?
We welcome young people interested in Amateur Radio who want to participate in
these courses.
All those under 16 must be accompanied throughout the course by a parent or guardian, whose attendance is entirely free of charge.
FOUNDATION COURSE
We aim to run two of these courses every year – one in the Spring and the other in the Autumn.
The Foundation Course runs over a weekend at Foxton Village Hall. It comprises both practical and theory sessions and finishes with
the exam on the Sunday afternoon. The exam papers are marked straightaway so you'll get an indication of your result there and then. Confirmation of your mark will
follow, from the RSGB, within 10 days when you can go ahead and choose your new callsign.
To prepare for a Foundation Course you will need to obtain a copy of "Foundation Licence Now!" from the RSGB on-line bookshop.
It costs about £5 and is the text book for the course.
Also, take a look at the 'Downloads' page of our website where you will
find several documents in the 'Training' section with useful information about the Foundation Course.
To help you with some of the practical aspects of the course, watch our videos
'Jolly Useful Hints & Tips for the Amateur Radio Foundation Candidate' and
'Radio Foundation Course-Basic Radio Operation' on YouTube.
THE CDARC BUDDY SCHEME
Don't forget that the club runs a Buddy scheme for newly licenced members.
Once you've got your Foundation licence, you can ask to have a Buddy assigned to you who will help you with advice on purchasing, setting up your
station and lots more.
For further information and how to apply for a Buddy
CLICK HERE
Do come along to any CDARC meetings or events between now and the next course, where you'll be made most welcome. Just turn up and have
a chat to see what our courses offer and experience ham radio at first-hand.
WE ARE A NON-PROFIT ORGANISATION
All members of our training team are volunteers who offer these courses as a service to Amateur Radio.
They give their time, travel costs and the loan of their equipment freely without recompense of any kind.
The course fees which you pay are only sufficient to cover the expenditure, which includes:
The Examination Fee - levied by the RSGB
Rental of the premises where the course takes place
Purchase of materials required for the Intermediate Course practical assessments, which you get to keep
INTERMEDIATE
Once you've passed the Foundation Exam the next step is the Intermediate course. Please note that in order to take part in this course you must be a member of CDARC as the practical assessments make use of club facilities. Details of how to go about joining may be found on the 'About' page.
This course comprises several sessions taking place over 2-3 months. Most of these sessions are tutorials on a Saturday morning. The 'Build Day' occupies a
whole Saturday, during which you will complete the extensive practical assessments including the construction, with guidance, of a useful piece of radio-related
kit. Following the last Saturday morning tutorial there is a two or three week gap for revision before the final session
takes place, which is the examination, usually on a Sunday afternoon. All of these sessions are held at Foxton Village Hall. The Intermediate Exam is marked
locally so you get an indication of your result straightaway but this will be confirmed by the RSGB within 10 days, after which you can apply for your new callsign.
This course uses the book "Intermediate Licence - Building on the Foundation", around £7 from the RSGB on-line bookshop, and there are other useful
documents to be found on the
'Downloads' page of this site.
ADVANCED
When you've got your Intermediate Licence you can go on to study the Advanced Course for the Full licence, which is the highest qualification for the UK Radio Amateur. The course involves mostly self-study, using the recommended texts, and students can come to us for assistance as required.
When the candidate feels ready, we will arrange for the exam to be taken locally, under our supervision. The advanced exam is sent away for marking but the results are usually returned within the week.
MORE INFORMATION
Further information on Training Courses, together with technical information useful to the Radio Amateur may be found in the 'Training' section on the 'Downloads' page.
If you can't find the answers to your questions there, please e-mail Peter M0DCV, our Training Co-ordinator, at:
training(at)cdarc.org.uk
