Hey Shaun:
No time like the present.
Study for a few weeks like your life depends on it, go write the exam and
you'll be happier then a pig in...well you get the drift.
I played with electronics and CB's and other things for years before i
finally broke down and joined the hallowed relms of a licensed amateur.
It wasn't so much that i got tired of the 11M band, the dx is just as good
there as it is on any of the ham bands during the peak of the sun spot
cycle.
I really wanted to explore IRLP and echolink and some of the digital modes
more then anything. So, with my existing background in electronics, and a
basic understanding of most things related to the hobby, i was able to study
the question pool online for a few weeks and score quite high on the basic
exam...which, by itself is nothing to brag about, but I was pretty proud of
myself.
and I found that it wasn't as tough as I was always lead to believe, or
that I always thought it would be.
So, if you are holding back because you think it'll be tough, don't worry,
study for it, get access to an online question pool if one exists for the
australian foundation license exam, and go at it.
The next level of license won't be so hard after that, if you keep up to
speed on the technical aspects, and the regulations aspects of the test
criteria.
While I don't know how indepth the foundation license exam is, I believe i
looked into it at some point, and found it similar in allot of ways to the
Canadian basic exam.
Here we get full HF privallages if the score on the basic exam is 80 percent
or higher. If lower then that, you can stil pass a 5 word per minute cw
exam and get on all HF bands.
Thankfully, i passed with more then 80, even though it was prior to the
changing of the regulations, so I was able to get on HF right away when they
changed a few years back.
I was an SWL for years before i was licensed, so getting on HF was no big
deal for me.
Anyway, a little bit of work and study goes a long way with the first level
licensing in most places now.
73
Colin, V A6BKX
----- Original Message -----
From: "Shaun Oliver" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, February 26, 2008 11:53 PM
Subject: Re: antennas possibly off topic
> Hi there, when I eventually get licensed, I'll either be working 40, 80
> 15, 10 or 2 meters. after all, that's most of what the license I'm
> aiming for allows. under the foundation license, I can work a good
> portion of hf accepting 20 meters, warc bands and the like, and 2 meters
> and 70 cm.
> I'm not allowed any digital modes save, hand keyed cw.
>
>
>
> --
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9:08 AM
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