Foundation Course Introduction

Welcome to the Foundation Course. There are ten "Lessons". These lessons divide the content of the Foundation Syllabus into easy-to-handle chunks. Each lesson will include five featured resources: Notes, Links to online resources, A short but engaging activity, References that form the casis on which these pages are written, and a quick quiz so that you can test how well you are going.

The references include contact details for the Author of this Website as well as the Westlakes Amateur Radio Club in Teralba, NSW, Australia. Be aware that the requirements for Amateur Radio Qualifications vary around the world and that this content has been written only to allow you to prepare for examinations set by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) in Australia.

The Nature of Amateur Radio

Amateur Radio is a Hobby that is popular around the world. It facilitates radiocommunications between Amateur Radio enthusiasts. Amateurs can communicate with other Amateurs on specifically allocated frequency bands. It is intended to allow intercommunication, technical self-training, and investigations into radiocommunications generally.

Amateur Radio is a regulated hobby. This is because the Radio spectrum is a shared resource; just as our roads are shared by many types of drivers who provide a wide range of services. Drivers have a set of road rules. We have our own set of rules. In Australia it is the ACMA that regulates what we do. This is not a bad thing.

The ACMA's regulations and conditions are based on the Radiocommunications Act 1992, the Amateur Class License and the Amateur License Conditions Determination (LCD) for Beacon and Repeater Stations. A qualification under the Amateur Class License authorises the operation of an Amateur Station for the following:

• Self Training in Radiocommunications
• Intercommunication between Amateurs
• Technical Investigations into Radiocommunications

The entry level Amateur Radio qualification for people in Australia is the Foundation Qualification. Those people who are successful in gaining this qualification can transmit up to 10 Watts peak output power on a number of frequency bands allocated for use by Amateurs.

The Amateur Frequency bands for use by those with a Foundation Qualification are:

• 80 metre HF band ( 3.50 MHz to  3.70 MHz)
• 40 metre HF band ( 7.00 MHz to  7.30 MHz)
• 15 metre HF band (21.00 MHz to 21.45 MHz)
• 2 metre VHF band (144 MHz to 148 MHz)
• 70 cm UHF band (430 MHz to 450 MHz)

Other radiocommunications services

Other radiocommunications services include the following:

• Citizen Band (CB)
• Land Mobile; used by Police, Maritime Services, Ambulance etc.
• Point to Point Links, such as satellite and microwave communications
• Broadcast Radio and Television Services

These services are allocated licenses to operate within specific bands that are appropriate for their use. The allocated frequencies depend on the required communication distance, the spectrum bandwidth required to transmit the signals or data.

Maritime Services require short distance communication for Shipping Port and Coastguard, as well as long distance communications between ports and ships at sea.

Some Amateur bands are shared with other radiocommunications services. In such cases, we are the secondary user and should not cause any interference to the primary services. These might include emergency or otherwise essential services.

Foundation Qualification Assessment

Assessment Details:

1. The Theory Examination consists of 25 multople choice questions, with a pass mark of 70%. Allowed duration is 30 minutes.
2. The Practical Exam is competency based. Tasks include setting up and using a transceiver, using codes and the phonetic alphabet, identifying types of components, cables and antennas.