Amateur Radio Training
Harwell Amateur Radio Society (HARS) is a registered Examination Centre with the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB). We run Foundation, Intermediate and Full courses and examinations on a regular basis. Please contact us if you wish to participate in any training course.
Training courses and examinations take place over weekends and are run by our very experienced team of volunteers. Check our events page for details of the next available dates.
After taking the foundation course, students are ready to apply for their foundation licence, and begin their journey into amateur radio.
Online Courses
Details of Foundation and Intermediate Zoom Courses are available on our page
Forthcoming Courses
The Foundation Course
This is very much a beginners' course and concentrates on how to use a radio properly (within the rules of your licence) and above all safely. If you have no background in radio or electronics, or you did not enjoy science and maths at school, you need not worry. The course is designed to teach you everything you need to get your Foundation Licence. There is some teaching of radio and electronics theory but only enough to prepare you for the exam.
Since April 2020 Foundation Courses have been available online. Harwell ARS run Zoom Courses which are available when demand requires.
The Foundation Licence exam is very straightforward and consists of 26 multiple choice questions which you have 1 hour to answer.
Since April 2020, Foundation Examinations have only been available as online invigilated exams, booked through the RSGB and taken in your home using your own laptop or computer. This format has proved hugely successful and nearly 2000 candidates have passed their Foundation Licence in this way.
If you have passed you can apply for your new licence on-line and in a few days you could be on the air as a new 'M7', transmitting up to the maximum power of 10W, permitted to Foundation Licence holders.
There are no required qualifications or prerequisites for students wanting to take a Foundation Licence course.
The Intermediate Course
Once you have gained experience at the Foundation Level, we are sure you will want to take the next step up to the Intermediate Licence, which allows a greater degree of freedom in the hobby, including an increase in permitted power from 10W to 50W. The course encourages you to learn to solder, recognise electronic components, and build a simple circuit. This course also introduces the essentials of radio and electronics theory, building on the start that was made in the Foundation Licence course.
Harwell ARS are hoping to be able to offer a Zoom Intermediate Course in November 2020.
The Intermediate Licence exam consists of 45 multiple choice questions which you have 90 minutes to answer. Just as for the Foundation Licence, the Intermediate Examination is currently only available as an online invigilated exam, booked through the RSGB and taken in your home using your own laptop or computer. Again, this format has proved hugely successful with many Intermediate Candidates taking their exam this way.
If you have passed you can apply for your new licence on-line and in a few days you could be on the air as a '2E0'.
Any student wanting to take an Intermediate Licence course must first pass the exam for the Foundation Licence.
The Full Course
Many experienced Intermediate Licence holders find that they want to take the final step up to the Full Licence, which gives Radio Amateurs the greatest freedom in the hobby, including access to all bands, reciprocal licensing agreements abroad and an increase in permitted power from 50W to 400W. Full Licence holders are also allowed to transmit with home-built equipment. The Full Licence course is a demanding one and goes into detailed theory of radio and electronics.
The Full Licence exam consists of 62 multiple-choice questions which you have 2 hours to answer.
In October 2020 the Full Licence Exam joined the Foundation and Intermediate Exams as an online invigilated exam, booked through the RSGB and taken in your home using your own laptop or computer.
Any student wanting to take an Full Licence course must first pass the exam for the Intermediate Licence.
