Study For The RAE
Starting on a Beach in Sri Lanka
The M3BBZ call was a great start. But what I really wanted was to build and have the potential to operate abroad, a full licence was the only way ahead. So I started studying for the RAE.
Study started in ernest during our holiday to Sri Lanka in December 2002. I had taken the RAE Manual with me and over the last few days had some time to read. Looking at the beach sipping a drink and thinking "Could I get a dipole up between those palm tree's".
Over the following few months I gradually worked my way through the RAE Manual and BR68, club members answered a lot of questions. Tom (G4BYE) was very helpful, we adjourned to the local pub after club meetings and worked thorough many questions from triodes to transistors!
The Exam
Taking the exam was more stressful than I had anticipated. But saying that I had covered the ground required, certainly there was little in the exam that was a surprise, although I struggled with a number of simple questions?
On the 20th of June 2003 I received my pass certificate! All rather nerve racking. After some thought! about call signs I went for M1HOG and registered M1HOG.COM
The Future
With the removal of the Morse requirement, my Class B license has now become a full license (At least for use in the UK!)
Looking through Practical Wireless it is amazing to think I can now build and operate the transmitter circuits that I have wondered about for years! Once again the world has altered.