Amateur Radio Intermediate Practicals

If you currently hold a UK Foundation amateur radio licence, you may be interested in progressing to Intermediate. Until 2020, you were required to complete some practical assessments, but this is no longer required!

 

Intermediate Practicals Abolished.

With effect from 31st July 2020, the Intermediate Practicals have been abolished – no need to do any practicals at Intermediate-level.

Is this just during COVID lockdown? No – They’re permanently gone – here’s the official RSGB announcement

 

What were the Intermediate practicals?

Until the 31st of July 2020, here’s what the old practicals involved – just for historic information! You’d normally need to complete these at a radio club under the supervision of an RSGB-registered assessor.

Intermediate Practicals at CARS
Completing the Intermediate Practicals

 

Intermediate Assessments:

There were several assessments to complete, as follows:

Wiring a Mains Plug

  • A simple exercise to confirm that you can safely wire a 3-pin UK mains socket onto a piece of mains flex.
Wiring a mains plug - one of the Intermediate practical assessments
Wiring a mains plug – one of the Intermediate practical assessments

Connectors

  • Fit an RF connector, such as a PL259, N-type or BNC connector, onto a piece of co-ax (perhaps make a handy patch lead)

Soldering

  • Demonstrate the ability to make a good solder joint

Construction & Components

  • Read the colour code bands on a few resistors and confirm their value using a multimeter
  • Build a simple test circuit with a battery, resistor, LED, lamp and switch.
  • Perform measurements with a multimeter
  • Put a diode in the circuit to confirm it only works in one direction
  • Add a transistor to the circuit as a switch
Testing a basic circuit on an Intermediate practical
Testing a basic circuit on an Intermediate practical

Calibration

  • Calibrate a variable frequency oscillator (VFO) employing an adjustable tuned circuit. Calibration to show the relevant amateur band edges.

The VFO may form part of your project, be part of a previously constructed project or be provided by the assessor.

Project

  • Construct a simple amateur radio related project (e.g. direct conversion receiver, crystal
    calibrator, ‘grid’ dip meter, ATU and SWR meter, Morse oscillator, audio amplifier)

You can either use a pre-prepared kit (often supplied as part of an Intermediate course), or from a published or personal design. The construction may be carried out either within a course or elsewhere, but the assessor must be satisfied that the majority of the work is the student’s.

 

A basic AM radio receiver - a suitable Intermediate project
A basic AM radio receiver – a suitable Intermediate project

 

 

If you have any questions about what’s involved in getting your Intermediate licence, please get in touch, or add a comment below.

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