Getting your licence
Operating an Amateur Radio transmitter requires the appropriate license before any callsign can be selected and allocated by the authorities.
BDARS next training courses are held throughout the year. The course is open to anyone interested in obtaining their Foundation amateur radio licence. No prior knowledge is required.
The course concludes with the exams needed to get your license. Please contact us if you would like more details.
In Australia, amateur radio is administered by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
ACMA amateur radio information page
ACMA information on amateur operating procedures
Exams and the issue of new callsigns are managed by the Australian Maritime College
Amateur Radio licences allocated can be found by searching the ACMA’s Register of Radiocommunications Licences.
The Radio Amateur Society of Australia have produced a Welcome to Amateur Radio guidebook for newly licenced amateurs. It may be downloaded here.
Licence Classes :
There are three classes of Amateur licence: Foundation, Standard and Advanced with examinations of increasing difficulty. The syllabus for all these licences is readily available and members of the Society are available to assist students achieve their goals.
The time taken for a training course at entry level, i.e. a Foundation Licence is typically around 12 hours and the requirements are not onerous. It is not necessary to learn or have knowledge of Morse Code (CW) to obtain any grade of Amateur Radio licence. This requirement was abolished many years ago but CW as it is called is still used by a vast number of operators around the world. There is also recognition for prior learning so more qualified persons need not be deterred.
Modes of operation :
There are many modes of operation including Voice, Image, Text and Data. Activities using these modes include Earth Moon Earth (EME), Internet Radio linking Project (IRLP) , Low Transmitter Power (QRP) and Satellites titled Oscar –Orbiting Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio . Fast and Slow Scan TV and the many digital modes are also popular. The fact is that any one individual would be hard pressed to accommodate all the modes and activities at any one time. Specialisation is the name of the game if you wish to be at the top of the performance ladder and help is always readily available.
Amateur Radio Examinations
The Society conducts classes and mentoring programs for new members to gain their radio licence and to upgrade their current licence. An in-house examiner conducts necessary Amateur Radio Examinations.
