Amateur Radio/Intermediate Course Q1 2015

Info

LHS is running an Intermediate Licence Course being run on these dates: 31st January, 28th February, 28th March 2015. The course is taught by LHS members and guest experts and will build on your existing foundation experience.

The Radio Comms Intermediate syllabus for the course should be read through - it provides useful guidance for the course and the exam content. Printing this out would be very useful during the course.

Slideware used to complement the lessons can be found at the Chelmsford Amateur Radio Society Intermediate Courseware page.

Supplemental video lessons from Steve Hartley on the subject can be found on this Vimeo video playlist.

Blog post: One person's intermediate course experience at another amateur radio club.

Requirements

To take this course and the exam, you will need the following:

• An existing UK M6 or M3 callsign (or alternately a pass at the previous exam level.)
  • Exceptions may be made for those with amateur radio licences from other countries as long as they pass the UK Foundations exam before attempting the Intermediate exam.

• A copy of the latest edition of Intermediate Licence: Building on the Foundation book

• A current passport, photo ID driving licence, or other legal document showing name, photo, printed name and signature
  • If you're under 16, you must let us know in advance as we'll require signed documentation from a parent/guardian and they are to be on the premises and responsible for you at all times.

• £45 course fee (payable in advance, you'll have information on how to pay the fee in your 'course acceptance' email.)
  • This must be paid no later than 30th January.

• A basic, silent, non-programmable (ideally scientific) calculator
  • The Casio FX 85GT is ideal and easy to find

• Pens/Pencils, including a black pen for the exam

• Something to take notes on (paper, iPad, slate, etc.)

Practicals

Similarly to your Foundations course, there are some hands-on tasks that will require adequate understanding and demonstration to an RSGB-approved registered assessor before your exam:

• 10d.1 Measure the resistance of a number of different resistors and confirm their values using the colour code
• 10d.2 Demonstrate the ability to make good soldered joints.
• 10d.3 Construct a simple circuit containing a battery, resistor, LED, lamp, and switch.
• 10d.4 Measure voltages and currents in a simple circuit.
• 10d.5 Demonstrate that a diode will only conduct in one direction in a simple DC circuit.
• 10d.6 Demonstrate that a transitor can be used as a switch in a simple DC circuit.
• 10d.7 Fit a suitable RF connector (PL259, BNC, or N-type) to a piece of coaxial cable
• 10d.8 Fit a 13 amp plug to a piece of 3-core mains cable
• 10e.1 Construct a simple amateur radio related project (e.g. direct conversion receiver, crystal calibrator, 'grid' dip meter, ATU&SWR meter, Morse oscillator, audio amplifier) either from a pre-prepared kit or from a published or personal design. Construction may be carried out either within a course or elsewhere but the assessor must be satisfied that the bulk of the work is that of the candidate.
• 10e.2 Calibrate a variable frequency oscillator (VFO) employing an adjustable LC circuit. Calibration to show the relevant amateur band edges. The VFO may form part of the project to satisfy 10e.1 or be part of a previously constructed project or provided by the assessor.

Related Videos courtesy of Bath Tutorials

In 2003 Steve Hartley G0FUW taught an amateur radio Intermediate Licence Course in Bath. M0RCR was kind enough to record these, edit them and G4DCV posted them onto Vimeo. We have embedded the videos below.

These films may be copied and distributed freely to students and instructors involved in the UK Intermediate amateur radio licence course. The material remains the copyright of Steve Hartley and Robin Room. The commercial sale or distribution of this material for profit is strictly prohibited.

{{#ev:vimeo|27576624}} 1. Introduction 00:03, 2. Soldering Skills & Safety 00:10, 3. Conductors & Insulators 21:15, 4. Components & Symbols 32:18, 5. Tools & Introduction to Building a Simple Circuit 01:03:33

{{#ev:vimeo|27637353}} 6. Project Briefing & Tool Safety 00:00, 7. Electrical Safety 42:04 NB. Worksheet, 7. Fitting a 13A Plug is not shown, 8. Multi-meters & Units of measurement 47:22, 9. Measuring Potential Difference 50:23

{{#ev:vimeo|27639882}} 10. Measuring Current 00:05 11. Licence Conditions 1 22:06 12. Calculating Input Power 53:18 13. Operating Practices & Procedures 01:03:43 14. Measuring Resistance 01:26:25

{{#ev:vimeo|27642446}} 15. Capacitors, Inductors & Tuned Circuits 00:00 16. Demonstrating Ohm's Law 46:23 17. RF Oscillators 01:01:18 18. Calibrating a VFO 01:08:25

{{#ev:vimeo|27644229}} 19. Semiconductors 00:05 20. Using Diodes 24:31 21. Revision Questions 1 (not included in film) 22. Transmitters 26:40 23 Using the Transistor as a Switch 01:08:58 24. Licence Conditions 2 01:09:33 25. Power Supplies 01:10:26

{{#ev:vimeo|27655463}} 26. Other Types of Transmission 00:00 27. Receivers 43:20

{{#ev:vimeo|27653515}} 28. Antenna Matching 00:00 29. Antenna Feeders 24:46 Decibels 34:46 Fitting a coax plug 43:00 30. Antenna Gain 47:00

{{#ev:vimeo|27654445}} 31. Propagation 00:00 32. RF Coax Connectors (not included) 33. Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) 50:26 34. Checking for Harmonics & Spurious Emissions 37:15

Staff

• JJ - G6VZM
• wyan - M0GXD
• tgreer - 2E0MRV

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