As you are aware, the Covid lockdown in March 2020, together with changing regulations ever since then, has curtailed many activities. It made “face to face” meetings impossible or at least impractical, and training sessions at our club meetings could not take place. The good news is that RSGB exam regulations were changed by removing the requirements for practical projects, and many individuals throughout the UK managed to study for their amateur radio licence and get on the air. This means studying at home, with support from experienced licensed amateurs from local clubs such as ours. Exams can now be taken online, so the process is overall more streamlined than it used to be.
The starting point for information is the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) website. In addition to the following direct links, please also browse the website for additional information.
It can be useful to find amateur radio club websites online, or to get in touch with a club in your area. There are many such websites, here are the links to Essex Ham and the Bath & District Amateur Radio Club as two exemplary sites. Please feel free to contact us with any questions.
What can we do to help ?
As Covid restrictions are being relaxed, opportunities open up gradually. We are aware that some members are not happy yet to mix with unfamiliar groups. At present, our Thursday meetings take place on Zoom, but we hope to be able to arrange “face to face” meetings at the club premises in Stranraer again, as soon as regulations and common sense allow.
While Covid restrictions were in place, individuals received one-on-one support in their studies from some of our experienced radio amateurs in the club, on all levels, Foundation, Intermediate and Full Licences. We will continue to provide this assistance, but we hope to enhance it soon with practical sessions at club meetings.
Our club premises are a registered exam centre, but since the first lockdown began, members have taken exams at home, using their own computers. As soon as we regain access to the club facilities at the Aird Unit in Stranraer, we will evaluate the possibilities of conducting written exams there, and of supervised online exams using club equipment.
As a final note for those looking to gain an Intermediate or Full Licence, the Bath & District Amateur Radio Club Distance Learning Courses deserve a special mention. The experienced amateurs involved with these courses may be able to provide local assistance, but please also feel free to contact us for help.
Join WARC
If you would like to join our club, please see this page for details!